South Carolina broadcasters dedicate home at Winthrop

Winthrop University last week dedicated the South Carolina Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, which moved to the university’s Department of Mass Communication this summer from the University of South Carolina.

The wall of plaques stretching down a newly remodeled corridor of Johnson Hall recognizes 34 broadcasters honored by the broadcasters association.

The awards, dating back to 1973, are given to individuals who have made significant contributions to broadcasting in South Carolina and South Carolinians who have contributed to broadcasting outside the state.

The broadcasters association sought a new home after its USC home was demolished.

Winthrop seemed the natural choice, since it has the only other nationally accredited mass communications department in the state.

“I’m just elated this has taken place,” said Allan Miller, managing partner of OTS Media, owners of Rock Hill radio stations WRHI and Interstate 107. “Our heritage in broadcasting is very strong, and it’s great to have this exhibit in our own backyard.”

Miller is the lone York County inductee in the broadcasters hall of fame.

Winthrop enjoys a strong relationship with the broadcasters association. Its students benefit from internships and career opportunities with association members, and the group has awarded close to $100,000 in scholarships to Winthrop students since 2007.

Winthrop officials said the Hall of Fame captures the dedication and service of the industry’s kingpins. The first three men inducted into the Hall of Fame came from key South Carolina media markets and helped pave the way for the current generation. They are:

▪ Richard Shafto of Columbia, who was the founder and first president of the S.C. Broadcasters Association in 1948. Shafto was president of Cosmos Broadcasting, managed WIS and helped created WIS-TV in a career that lasted more than 40 years.

▪ John M. Rivers was a banker, broker and broadcaster in Charleston. He was principal owner of WCSC, Inc., was founder of WCSC-FM and was the builder of the first S.C. VHF television station, WCSC-TV, in 1953.

▪ Walter J. Brown was a Washington news correspondent and a broadcaster in Spartanburg. He was a pioneer in frequency modulation, putting the first FM station on air in South Carolina and was the first in Southeast with stereo. He also organized and directed the Washington News Bureau, 1929-40, representing Southern newspapers.

The Hall of Fame display includes two other categories of recognition. Former WSOC-TV and WRHI weatherman Jerry Peterson, who died in 2010, received the association’s Honorary Life Member Award. He was honored in 2010 for his pioneering work as one of the nation’s first TV meteorologists. Retired Winthrop faculty member and former CBS and NBC Network correspondent Haney Howell received the same award in 2011 for his multi-faceted broadcast career as an on-air personality, educator and historian.

Manning Kimmel, co-owner of WRHI, was tapped in 2014 to join the Masters Award category for his longtime on-air work and for his many civic contributions to Rock Hill and York County.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 7:25 PM with the headline "South Carolina broadcasters dedicate home at Winthrop."