Bolivar, Tennessee Broadcaster Johnny Shaw received the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters (TAB) Distinguished Service Award. This is the highest honor that the association bestows. The TAB is holding its annual convention at Murfreesboro's Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center and Wednesday's (9/8/2012) awards luncheon was the high point of the event.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual who not only has served their community and Volunteer State, but has been a leader in the broadcast industry.

Johnny Shaw started his carreer in broadcasting as a DJ at WBOL-AM in Bolivar, Tennessee. Through the years, he wanted to better serve his community, and was elected to serve on the Hardeman County Commission. Johnny's leadership skills continued to be recognized and in 2000 he was first elected to serve the 80th district in the Tennessee House of Representatives. 

With his radio career, Shaw eventually purchased his hometown radio station and later expanded it to include FM as well. Bolivar's WBOL-AM and WOJG-FM are truly family businesses, with most members playing an active roll. In fact, Johnny proudly said, "When our FM station signed-on, our first song was Thank You God sung by the Shaw Family Singers". In addition to broadcasting and serving in the state house, Johnny Shaw has been pastor of St. John Baptist Church for over 3-decades.

Previous Tennessee Broadcasters Who Received The DSA

1975  Tommy King
1976  Harold Krelstein
1977  Irvingwaugh
1978  Luke Medley
1979  Chick Brown
1980  C. M. Bakerfield
1981  Bob McKay, Jr.
1982  Dean Osmundson
1983  Reggie Honey
1984  Wayne Hudson
1985  Jim Hoppers
1986  Fred Webb
1987  Jack Mayer
1988  Dave Thomas
1989  Mike Kettenring
1990  Jim Dick
1991  Anne Holt
1992  Don Newberg
1993  Tom Griscom
1994  Bill Barry
1995  Stacey Mott
1996  Jack DeWitt
1997  George DeVault
1998  Ken Maness
1999  Jerry Lingerfelt
2000  Tom Cassetty
2001  Paul Tinkle
2002  Bart Walker
2003  Luther Masingill
2004  Chris Clark
2005  Tom Tolar
2006  Bud Walters
2007  Herb Howard
2008  Cal Young
2009  Watt Hairston
2010  Jill Green
2011  Johnny Shaw