Tennessee Broadcasters Meet In 'Boro

Aug 12, 2015 at 03:45 pm by bryan


Almost 300 radio and television broadcasters were in Murfreesboro over the past two days for the 67th Annual Conference at the Embassy Suites. The event began with a statewide board meeting on August 11th, and continued with a day packed with educational sessions on August 12, 2015.

In addition to learning about new technology that enables the industry to better serve its audience, the two-day gathering included engineering seminars, as well as classes on making advertising more effective, talks on copyright issues, and sessions dealing with FCC laws and legislation.

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Tourism Drives Business Growth

Tourism Development Commissioner Kevin Triplett talked to broadcasters about the importance of promoting vacations in the Volunteer State.

He noted that in addition to bringing major earnings to the local economy, tourism also has a direct impact on economic growth. Triplett said studies show when corporate leaders travel, tourism either creates a "positive or negative first impression". He indicated that if the leisure experience is positive, they are often inclined to suggest moving businesses and headquarters to this area.

The state tourism commissioner compared life a giant quilt, and related "music as the thread that holds everything together."

"We say seven different genres of music call Tennessee home," Triplett said.

He explained that this variety of music is incorporated in the state's new tourism campaign, while linking it with five basic pillars: experience, family, beauty, history and music."

Triplett commented, "Opportunities for state and local tourism growth can be achieved by not only bringing people to certain areas, but making their experience so memorable that they want to return--and in many cases grow their businesses in Tennessee as well."

He pointed out that tourism has had a direct impact on this area. In fact, studies show that music and entertainment drive young persons to different areas, and Middle Tennessee now ranks seventh in the nation for attracting young, college educated, professionals.

Dr. Dennis O'Neal Receives DSA

Retired MTSU professor from the College of Mass Communications, Dr. Dennis J. O'Neal, was presented the 2015 Distinguished Service Award. He joined Middle Tennessee State University in 1983 and has helped train some of the nation's top broadcasters.

O'Neal's credentials not only include the academic side of radio and television, but his experience includes on-air, sales, management and ownership of commercial radio.

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is the highest honor the statewide broadcast group bestows.

Journalists Honored

As a part of the broadcast gathering, at 4:30 Tuesday afternoon (8/11/2015), the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame honored its third class of inductees, but the first in which all recipients were recognized posthumously.

• Minor Elam Bragg and John Thomas Bragg, two generations of Middle Tennessee newspaper publishers -- a father and son, the latter becoming a Tennessee statesman and reformer responsible for passing Tennessee's open meetings (Sunshine) law.

• Kent Flanagan, a native Texan and veteran Associated Press executive who practiced journalism on various platforms.

• Jack Knox, a nationally recognized editorial cartoonist who practiced his wit and biting commentary in three of the state's four largest cities.

• Roy McDonald, whose bigger-city publishing career traces back to an advertising sheet he started to promote his grocery business in Chattanooga.

• Bob Parkins, a small-town dairyman who grew his rural West Tennessee newspaper from scratch through merger.

• John N. Popham III, a native Virginian who landed in Tennessee to cover the South and civil rights for The New York Times and stayed.

• Henry Grantland Rice, a nationally syndicated sports columnist from Murfreesboro whose contributions to sports resonate decades after his death.

• Drue Smith, a trailblazing woman who started in newspapers before switching to become a respected and colorful broadcast political reporter.

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