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    airwave a-listers

    Ken Hoffman broadcasts the list of Houston stars dominating the 2022 Texas Radio Hall of Fame awards

    Ken Hoffman
    Aug 9, 2022 | 1:15 pm
    Hannah Storm
    Former Houston radio star Hannah Storm is now a prominent national media figure.
    Hannah Storm Facebook

    The Texas Radio Hall of Fame is making headlines this week, as it will welcome 20 new members in November. No surprise here: Houston personalities are up and down the dial.

     

    Among the inductees with Houston ties, in alphabetical order:

     
       
    •  Roula Christie from KRBE’s Roula and Ryan Show and before that Mix 96.5. (Side note: Roula is related to the Christie family that operates Christie’s seafood restaurant on Westheimer. It was the first place I visited on the first day I stepped foot in Houston. I had the fried shrimp platter.)
    •  
    •  James “Moby” Carney from KLOL and 97 Rock.
    •  
    •  Dean Myers and Roger Beaty, “Dean and Rog” from several stations, most notably The Eagle.
    •  
    •  Bob Ford from Z107 and currently the public address announcer at Minute Maid Park. (Side note: I love the way he pronounces “Altuve.”)
    •  
    •  John Lisle and Steve Hahn from KLOL’s Outlaw Radio.
    •  
    •  “Uncle Funky” Larry Jones from Majic 102.
    •  
    •  Pam Kelly from KLOL and KSBJ.
    •  
    •  Laurie Kendrick from KTRH and KLOL.
    •  
    •  Joe Pogge from 93Q and Mix 96.5.
    •  
    •  Hannah Storm from 97 Rock. (Note: I remember the day, I was visiting 97 Rock studios, when Mr. Leonard corrected Hannah’s pronunciation of Ken Caminiti’s last name. She blistered Mr. Leonard for interrupting her sports update. Even I was scared and was looking for a desk to dive under. Hannah got past the incident and has become a long-running, respected star of sports broadcasting on ESPN and the Olympics.)
    •  
    •  Maria Todd from KRBE’s morning show alongside Sam Malone.
    •  
    •  John Trapane from KKBQ.
    •  
    •  Dana Tyson from Sunny 99.1. (Side note: Dana and Sunny 99.1 FM have done more for Christmas music than Santa Claus.)
    •  
     

    These stars join more than 400 radio characters and behind-the-scenes management types inducted into Texas Radio Hall of Fame since its inception in 2002. I counted at least 100 with a Houston connection, including legends like Paul Berlin, John Lander, Weaver Morrow, Wash Allen, Lowell Passe, and Gene Elston. Some of the Hall of Famers are still at it on the airwaves, like Ralph Cooper, Outlaw Dave Andrews, Harold Gunn and Johnny Goyen.

     

    Did you know that for a couple of years in the late 1950s, young pups Dan Rather and Willie Nelson were reporting the news and spinning country records on Houston radio? Whatever happened to those guys? (Editor’ note: We’ll look into it, Ken.)

     

    I’m not one to complain, it’s not my nature, but how can a Texas Radio Hall of Fame not include John Granato and Lance Zierlein, the morning team from ESPN 97.5 FM? (Side note: ESPN 97.5 FM is owned by Gow Media, which also owns this publication you’re currently reading.)These guys have been doing it with humor and consistency for 25 years together. And still going strong.

     

    The Texas Radio Hall of Fame will hold its reunion weekend and induction ceremony for the Class of ’22 on Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5 at the Texas Museum of Broadcasting & Communications Museum in Kilgore, Texas. The event is open to the public with tickets available starting Wednesday online.

     

    I caught up with Doug Harris, executive director of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, and Joe Pogge, former marketing director at KKBQ during the Q-Morning Zoo’s heyday in the ’80s and ’90s for some quick banter (radio term).

     

     CultureMap: What is the mission of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame?

     

     Doug Harris: To recognize and celebrate broadcast greats from the Lone Star state while promoting awareness of radio’s ability to educate, entertain, and inform.

     

     CM: What is the process for nominating and inducting members? Is there a requirement that they’ve had to work in Texas a certain number of years, etc.?

     

     DH: Beginning in the May each year, voting members of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame may nominate broadcasters they feel have enjoyed worthy careers and achievements. This year, over 200 broadcasters were nominated then reviewed by an internal committee of TRHOF board members who vetted the entries for accuracy and compliance in pursuit of the final 50 nominees.

     

    From that list, the voting members of the TRHOF selected 20 who will now be inducted. The only requirement for consideration is that they have a record of exemplary service to Texas radio listeners while employed by a radio station or stations in Texas.

     

     CM: How is radio dealing with the challenges from other forms of broadcasting, like streaming and podcasts?

     

     DH: The industry seems to have recovered from the COVID-related downturn in revenue. To their credit, broadcasters have expanded their product portfolios to include extensive digital offerings to clients and most station personalities have active and extensive social media followers.

     

    Podcasting continues to gain ground but the majority of listening still happens via terrestrial radio and the stations that continue to enjoy market dominance are almost all personality-driven, especially in morning drive.

     

     CM: Joe, what does it mean to you to be inducted in the Hall of Fame?

     

     Joe Pogge: Tons of emotions mixed together — I’m shocked, surprised, honored and humbled. Most of all I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented individuals, truly a radio equivalent to a Super Bowl championship team

     

     CM: What was your single craziest promotion during your Q-Zoo days?

     

     JP: One comes to mind quickly and clearly stands out. In 1986, the [Houston Rockets] had beaten the [Los Angeles] Lakers in the first two games of their playoff series in Los Angeles. Rockets general manager Steve Patterson visited us in studio, and we asked what do Houston fans need to do to beat the Lakers.

     

    He said we should be like Jack Nicholson: wear Rockets gear, get to the arena early, yell at the refs, and don’t leave until the final buzzer. We immediately said that we’ll give out 16,000 Jack Nicholson sunglasses to fans.

     

    The [Houston] Chronicle and [Houston] Post both ran front page stories. A bank put up a billboard with a basketball wearing sunglasses. Jack Nicholson even posed for a photo with two young fans wearing sunglasses.

     

    It was huge. I still have a photo of the entire Rockets team with everybody wearing sunglasses.

    Former Houston radio star Hannah Storm is now a prominent national media figure.

    Hannah Storm
      
    Hannah Storm/Facebook
    Former Houston radio star Hannah Storm is now a prominent national media figure.
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    game, set, zina.

    Best of Ken Hoffman: Interviewing Houston's greatest tennis icon

    Ken Hoffman
    Aug 29, 2024 | 12:30 pm
    Zina Garrison, tennis player
    ITATennis
    Garrison, a tennis legend, is now the tennis director of Houston Parks and Recreation.

    Editor's note: After the sudden death of beloved columnist Ken Hoffman on July 14, CultureMap is republishing some of our favorite "Hoffman's Houston" columns. In honor of the U.S. Open, here's Ken's interview with Houston tennis legend Zina Garrison; it was originally published on June 27, 2022.

    As a child, Zina Garrison learned how to hit a tennis ball on the public courts at MacGregor Park during the 1970s and became, simply, the most accomplished player ever from Houston.

     

    She developed into a Grand Slam champion, a Top 5 ranking in the world, Wimbledon finalist in 1990 with 20 tournament titles, Federation Cup captain, and Olympic gold medal winner and later Olympic coach.

     

    Now Garrison is back where she started, only this time she’s devoted to making Houston a great place to learn and play tennis … again. Like she did.

     

    “I am now the tennis director of Houston Parks and Recreation,” Garrison tells me. “I’m over all the public tennis programs and facilities. The job came open recently and I applied for it.”

     

    Wait... she’s the greatest champion this city has ever produced — and she had to apply for that job?

     

    “To be honest, I was more interested in the benefits than the money. As you get older, you start thinking differently,” she shares.

     

    Unlike the major sports leagues in America, tennis doesn’t provide any healthcare insurance or assistance once a player, even a legend, retires.

     

    “They’re working on it,” Garrison, 58, notes. “But as of now, nothing.”

     

    Garrison said her first priority as Houston’s tennis director is to repair the public courts.

     

    “I want to bring the public tennis facilities up to where I’d be proud, where everybody would be proud, to bring people to use our courts. There are cracks in the courts. Nothing’s really been done in the last 20 or maybe 30 years,” she says.

     

    “I’ve traveled to Florida and some other places and they have really nice public courts. Tennis in Houston was really thriving for a while and we had nice courts and people could play in the parks. We had junior programs. We flourished. That’s my main goal.”

     

    While I had Garrison on the phone, I served up some questions:

     

     CultureMap: Wimbledon is on. You’re familiar with that tournament, right? Who are your picks to win the men’s side and women’s side?

     

     Zina Garrison: Yes, I’m familiar with Wimbledon. I have my alarm set for the early morning so I can watch. I have a weird pick, a more personal pick, for the men.

     

    I would love to see Rafael Nadal keep going on, but it’s going to be tough for him. The guy from Italy, Matteo Berrettini, I watched him play a couple of weeks ago and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people. And I am absolutely in love with that little guy, Carlos Alcaraz, from Spain. He’s made me watch tennis again.

     

    On the women’s side, I don’t think it will be Iga Swiatek. I think it’s just too hard to keep a streak like hers (35 matches in a row including the French Open title) going in today’s game. It’s really wide open. I don’t really have a pick, it’s just who comes in and plays well at the right time.

     

     CM: What do you think about Natela Dzalamidze, the doubles player from Russian who switched her nationality to Georgia so she could play Wimbledon, which has banned players from Russian and Belarus this year?

     

     ZG: I don’t like that she was able to do that. I was just on the phone with (former pro turned broadcaster) Chanda Rubin talking about what’s going on in tennis these days.

     

    First of all, there is the human rights stuff that’s going on in Russia and Ukraine. We have to start forcing accountability for actions. A lot of people didn’t agree with what Wimbledon did, but I think they had to take a stand.

     

     CM: The women’s GOAT is easy — it’s Serena. But who do you think is the men’s GOAT?

     

     ZG: Wow, that’s a hard one. If you had asked me earlier this year, I would have said Roger Federer because of everything he’s accomplished. But right now I’m going to have to go with Nadal. Nadal has taken tennis to a whole ‘nother level, of getting people to watch, coming out of the pandemic, where he has matches and you think he can’t come back and he’s still grinding no matter what.

     

    For me, he is the epitome of what we need in this world right now: Never give up but not be selfish about helping others. I know it sounds clichéd, but that’s what I’m going through right now.

     

     CM: When I first met you, you were painfully shy. It was hard to get an answer out of you. Now you’re a TV commentator and a regular chatterbox. What happened?

     

     ZG: I was an introvert but I had always been intrigued by people of wisdom. A lot of it came as I developed confidence in myself. I had always been told at a very young age, if you really knew me, I spoke a lot. If you didn’t know me, I would be quiet. I would only speak about things that I was extremely passionate about.

     

    As I’ve gotten older, because of my experiences. I feel like I can help people so I’m not afraid to say what I want to say.

     

     CM: Starting the week after Wimbledon, coaches will be allowed to communicate with men players during matches. Up to now, that’s only been allowed in the women’s game. Every other sport allows coaching. Do you think tennis should allow coaching, too?

     

     ZG: I don’t think coaching should be allowed. That’s one of the great things about tennis. That’s a part of the sport, that you grow and figure things out. You learn to think for yourself.

     

    There’s always been little signals from coaches, but now you have these full blown conversations. Another bad thing about allowing coaching is it gives the players the opportunity to blame a loss their coach. That’s not good for the sport.

     

     CM: You were known for wiggling your butt when receiving serve. Did you know you were doing it? Did you do that on purpose?

     

     ZG: It started off as kind of a joke with my coaches. They said, we need you to move your feet. I said, you mean like this?

     

    So, it started as a joke but I realized that it helped get my feet moving: Okay, I’m going to keep doing this.

     

    I’ll never forget that year after I got to the Wimbledon finals, 1990, I went over to Japan and there were 1,200 people there … and all of them started wiggling!

     

     CM: What was the first extravagant thing you bought for yourself when the tennis prize money started rolling in?

     

     ZG: It was 1982, and I bought a candy apple red Volkswagen convertible with a white top.

     

     CM: You were on the Biggest Loser, the show where contestants compete against each other to lose weight. Let’s just say you didn’t win. Are you happy you went on that show, or do you regret it?

     

     ZG: I was one of the first who had to leave the competition. (No, you were THE first.) It was an experience, but I probably shouldn’t have done it. I think I regret going on there. It wasn’t what I thought it was.

     

    It was reality TV and at the time I didn’t know what reality TV was .I was more ready to get out of there than anything else.

     

     CM: Now here’s the big question, Zina. For years, I’ve had a running disagreement with ESPN 97.5 FM morning host John Granato about which is a more demanding, tougher sport – golf or tennis?

     

     Granato says it’s golf, because the tournament winner has to beat every other player that week, while in tennis the winner just has to beat seven players at most. And, each week, golfers have to contend with a different course.

     

     But, I say it’s tennis because players have to be in top physical condition, while nearly anyone in any shape can win a golf major.

     

     Plus, in golf, players have a caddy helping them make decisions. In tennis, players are on their own.

     

     In golf, you can have a bad day on Thursday and still win the tournament. In tennis, if you have a bad day in the opening round, you’re on a plane out of there.

     

     In golf, it’s the player against the course. There’s no defense in golf. In tennis, there’s a human opponent trying to beat you.

     

     In golf, the ball is lying still. In tennis the ball is coming at you at 140 mph.

     

     So which is the tougher sport, golf or tennis? I’m right ... right?

     

     ZG: Are you serious? Who is this guy who says golf is harder? The answer is tennis and it’s not even close.

     

    You’re playing against someone. You’re only controlling the ball when it’s on your side of the net. You can’t control what the other player is doing. It’s almost like a boxer coming at you.

     

    You have to have both the physical and mental capacity to win. In golf, if you have a bad day, it’s because you’re having that bad day. There’s no opponent competing with you. So, I’m saying it’s tennis.

     

     CM (note to John Granato): I win. Granted, it might have been the way I asked the question. Also, Garrison is a former tennis pro.

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