Jim Briggs
WING Radio
Jim Briggs fell in love with radio at a very young age. While in the fourth grade, Jim produced a school skit around an imaginary radio station. That paved the way for Jim in junior high school where he was writing articles for the school newspaper. He earned the prestigious Rector Scholarship to DePaul University where he had his first true “on-air” job, a once weekly newscast on the campus FM outlet.
After attending DePaul, Jim joined WKAM in Goshen, Indiana as announcer, disc jockey and Program Director. He joined the military and graduated from the Armed Forces Information School. He served on Armed Forces Radio and Television.
After military service, Jim rejoined WKAM, then came to Dayton to WONE and WING where he covered local news.
One of his assignments was America’s preparation for space exploration. He was Dayton’s only live reporter covering the Apollo 11 moon landing from the Houston Space Center. Jim later went to South Vietnam covering the war. After a long prosperous broadcast career, Jim ended his tenure as News Director at WING radio.
Over the years Jim was a member of the Jaycees, The Sertoma Club, The Dayton Rotary Club and the Greater Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. Jim was appointed Executive Director of the Dayton Area Heart Association and was active in the United Way Association Executives. He also served as President of the United Cancer Council in 1988 through 1991. For 25 years, Jim volunteered for WORDS, the Miami Valley’s reading service for the visually impaired.
Steve Diorio
University of Alabama
Steve Diorio has many titles in broadcasting. He is currently the head of Media Operations at Alabama University. Before joining the staff there, Steve was News Director at WDTN-TV/WBDT-TV in Dayton, Ohio. He also served as Operations Manager, Project Manager, Assignment Editor and Sports Producer. Steve is a graduate of Wright State University and has a B.A. in Mass Communications.
Steve always has showed a deep commitment to his job and to the Dayton Community. He served as President of Miami Valley Crime Stoppers, a member of the Kettering, Moraine and Oakwood Chamber of Commerce Boards and the advisory Board of Centerville High School Television.
Steve has always had the ability to communicate well with people that was evident at Channel 2 where he provided interdepartmental team building. Steve led the effort with the State of Ohio to use video cameras to provide viewers traffic locations both on air and on the web. He took part in marketing news by establishing relationships with local radio stations and newspapers. He updated staff on laws and regulations affecting media as well as organizing a local Bench/Bar media luncheon twice a year with local judges, lawyers and media.
Steve’s working with kids led to real success stories including one who now is an NFL network commentator and another who became VP/GM of a Fox affiliated station.
Steve’s numerous awards and citations attest to his continued success as he leads a new class of future broadcasters at the University of Alabama.
Michael Ecton
WDAO Radio
Michael Ecton is a 37 year radio veteran with 24 years as talk show host of WDAO radio’s “Expressions.” A locally produced talk show, Michael interviews top national artists, executives, authors, producers, aswell as members of local, state and national government. Michael got his first job in radio at WCXL-FM before coming to WDAO in September of 1978. There he received intense training and mentoring under the guidance of people like Jim Johnson, Lankford Stevens, Turk Logan and Mack J. Pettigrew.
As his skills escalated, others took notice and he was given a morning drive shift in 1984, moving to middays in ’85, and in ’87 he was moved back to morning drive where he has been been ever since. After winning numerous awards and receiving many accolades for being “The Voice” few have had the opportunity to spend over thirty-seven years at one station. He was also the former program and music director at WDAO.
Michael Ecton believes in giving back to the community and he does that by being active at his church, Mount Olive Baptist, where he serves as a Deacon. He also volunteers for the Montgomery County Youth Collaborative program which serves over 400 area youth from the Dayton and Miami Valley area with assistance for college enrollment and preparation. He is often asked to emcee community events and programs and over the years has done well over 300. While serving as Director for RACE, Reducing Aids Through Community Education, Michael was able to be a liaison to the under-served community on Aids research and education.
Michael who served in the U.S. Army for ten years, doing a tour of duty in Vietnam and retiring as a sergeant, continues his successful career in broadcasting at WDAO radio gaining new listeners and fans as the years progress.
Becky Grimes
WHIO-TV
Becky Grimes is one of the best known names in the Dayton broadcast industry both in front of the camera as a reporter and behind the scenes as a producer.
She was the first female newscaster for WHIO radio when she was hired shortly after graduating from Otterbein College. She transitioned to WHIO-TV in 1984, not a tough transition because Becky already had been doing TV reports while working in radio. As a TV reporter she covered all kinds of stories from general assignment to crime, police and court related stories. She also did a stint as an education reporter and anchored the Saturday morning and noon newscasts for seven years.
Becky left the Dayton area in the late 90s for San Diego. There at KFMB she worked as a newswriter, reporter and producer. Her time at KFMB was an important turning point in her career as she returned to WHIO with the experience to move into a management position.
Becky became WHIO-TV’s Executive Producer of special projects, managing investigative stories and producing prime time specials such as Miami Valley Mysteries. It won five regional Emmy Awardsin 2013. Becky was named best producer by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists in 2913 anbd 2014 for her work on Miami Valley Murder Mysteries. A special documentary she produced about “heroin and prescription drug abuse,” won the Edward R. Murrow Award in 2014. Currently in her 37th year at WHIO, Becky is in a role at Cox Media Group as a cross-platform content manager. She manages and produces investigations and prime time specials for WHIO-TV and WHIO.com.
Becky is well respected among her co-workers for her work ethic, her organizational skills and her attention to details.
Larry Hansgen
WHIO Radio
Larry Hansgen began his broadcast career at WNKO in Newark, Ohio as a part time announcer. He then went on to become an announcer and account executive at WBNO in Bryan, Ohio. In 1981, he joined the staff of WHIO radio as an overnight board operator and quickly rose through the ranks. He because Sports Director and in 1982 became the play-by-play voice of University of Dayton basketball. In 1988 he also added Flyer football to his announcing, becoming the longest play-by-play voice for UD football and basketball.
Since 2003 he has been the host of Miami Valley’s Morning News where he tell listeners what world awaits them as they start each day. As part of Cox Media Group, he is a regular contributor to the Dayton Daily News and WHIO.
Larry’s community service is numerous. He is the supporter o the Huesman Heart Foundation which was established by Tony Huesman, the longest living heart transplant recipient and a close friend of Larry. The organization provides support to families and children who suffer from heart disease and provides healthy education programs in area schools. Larry also has served lunches to the hungry at the House of Bread. That organization provides lunch to the needy 365 days a year. Larry is very active with Dayton Children’s Hospital participating in Radiothons as a phone bank volunteer to raise money for the hospital. Larry also became very active with the Multiple Sclerosis Society after his wife, Laura, was diagnosed with the disease.
Larry continues his successful career at WHIO having the second longest tenure as the WHIO morning show host behind only radio pioneer Lou Emm.
Mike Hartsock
WHIO-TV
Mike Hartsock was never afraid of work and was quite confident in his abilities. He grew up in Waynesville, Ohio and graduated in 1973, going on to college at Eastern Kentucky, graduating with a degree in communications.
He began his broadcast career at WPFB radio in Middletown where he did play-by-play sports and radio news. That work help him polish his craft and in 1980 was hired at WHIO as a fill-in anchor.
For two years he covered Dayton city government and general news. Every day he worked on news gathering and reporting skills and then in 1982 he received his big break. Management offered him a position as sports reporter and weekend sports anchor. For seven years he covered everything from putt putt golf tournaments to high school teams to the NFL. During this time he was grateful to be handed the microphone to host UD Flyers football and basketball shows. Along with that he became the play-by-play announcer for WHIO-TV’s game coverage.
The year 1989 was a turning point for Mike. he got the main “gig” as they call it in the business, to lead WHIO-TV sports coverage. Being the face of sports for WHIO, Mike made numerous appearances as master of ceremony. He also mentored a number of students along the way. For years, Mike has co-hosted the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon on WHIO helping to raise money to provide essential services for children who are ill.
His love for the arts and for animals is just as strong serving on the SICSA Board of Directors. Mike gives more of his time than any time-card can record and his long career is not over yet. He continues to make a name for himself at WHIO, announcing and doing play-by-play, getting the respect of all who come in contact with him.
Community Service Award
Ambassador Tony Hall
Three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, former U.S. Congressman Tony Hall is one of the leading advocates for hunger relief programs and for Human Rights conditions in the World.
In 2002, President George W. Bush asked him to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations agencies for food and agriculture. Prior to diplomatic service, Ambassador Hall represented the Third District of Ohio in the U.S. Congress for almost 24 years. During his tenure, he was chairman of the House Select Committee on Hunger and the Democratic Caucus Task Force on Hunger. He found the Congressional Friends of Human Rights Monitors and authored legislation that supported food aid, child survival, basic education, primary health care, micro-enterprise and development assistance in the world’s poorest countries. Ambassador Hall also founded and chaired the Congressional Hunger Center, a non-governmental organization committed to ending hunger through training and educational programs for emerging leaders.
Tony Hall represented his district well and was always helpful and available to his constituents. Ambassador Hall was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, 1999 and 2001 for his Hunger legislation and for his proposal for a humanitarian Summit in the Horn of Africa.
He is the recipient of many awards and recognitions, such as the United States Committee for UNICEF 1995 Children’s Legislative Advocate Award, U.S. Aid Presidential End Hunger Award and the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award just to name a few.
Thoughout his professional career he has always been open and responsive to the news media, always engaging and honest.
