By: wzeiders

Broadcaster of the Year: Radio – Chuck Seese

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Chuck attended St. Joe’s Preparatory School, graduating in 1982. He attended East Stroudsburg University, and his love for the Poconos was solidified. On February 24th 1985, he opened the microphone professionally for the first time, on 840-WVPO-AM. Within the year, he was working part-time at sister station 93.5 WSBG-FM. In 1988, he was promoted to full-time status, and continued a career that has lasted for 40 years. In September of 1998, Seese was transferred to Newton NJ to host the morning show on WNNJ-FM. In August of 2000, Seese returned to 93.5 SBG to handle the afternoon drive time slot. He moved to morning drive in 2012.

Seese won his first Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters award for commercial production in 1989. In 1991 he was named the play-by-play announcer for ESU Warriors Football games on 840-WVPO-AM, and in 2009 was named the George Heaslip Award winner for his excellence in covering ESU Football. With the advent of digital broadcasting at East Stroudsburg University, Chuck has now added  basketball, soccer, baseball and softball to his sports broadcasting resume.

Chuck has also been involved with numerous charitable organizations in the Poconos. He was Board Chairman for the American Red Cross chapter here in Stroudsburg. Currently, Chuck serves as Chairman of the Board for the Pocono Family YMCA as they undergo a multi-million dollar renovation.

Chuck married his wife Tracey in January of 1989, and welcomed children in 1989 and 1994. They are very much enjoying 2 grandchildren and never miss a chance at a kayak paddle or a camping trip.

 

Broadcaster of the Year: Television – Marty Radovanic

Marty Radovanic began his television broadcasting career in 1974, at WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He worked primarily for the news department as the main anchor, executive producer, and chief political reporter. He was responsible for editorial content while he mentored and coached dozens of first-time reporters.  His proudest accomplishments were helping these young, eager, and talented professionals in their career development and watched as they became successful anchors and news executives across the United States.

Marty was responsible for the execution of six live “Town Halls,” and led the news team in an Emmy nominated news special that provided an in-depth and personal look at heroin addiction in the Greater Johnstown area. He wrote, produced, and anchored five news programs that were honored “Best in State” by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.  During his career, he also managed and anchored WJAC’s coverage of seven United States presidential elections.

Marty retired from WJAC-TV in 2017. But because his love for television news remained strong, he returned to broadcasting as the main evening anchor at WTAJ-TV in Altoona in March of 2023, where he remains today.

Marty was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences – Mid Atlantic Chapter – Silver Circle Society in 2022. In 2024, he received the Douglas A. Anderson Communications Contributor Award by the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University.

Marty was born in Cleveland, Ohio and made Johnstown his home in 1972. He is active in the community currently serving on the Johnstown Symphony Board of Trustees.

 

TV Hall Of Fame – David Johnson

David was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up near Daytona Beach.

He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

He started his TV news career while in college and has worked at stations in Jacksonville, Chattanooga, Orlando and Atlanta.

He joined WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh in January of 1985 as noon anchor and evening reporter.

He was promoted to evening news anchor in 1989, and the following year he began a 31 year partnership with co-anchor Peggy Finnegan, becoming the longest running anchor team in Pittsburgh history.

They were named the PAB’s Broadcasters of the Year in 2016, the first anchor team to be so honored.

David has won three Mid Atlantic Emmys and numerous Press Club of Western Pennsylvania Golden Quill Awards.

He retired just four months ago after a 40 year career at WPXI.

Upon his retirement, the station named the main news studio in his honor.

 

Radio Hall of Fame – Jack Bogut

Jack Bogut heard KDKA for the first time when he was growing up in rural north central Montana. In 1942,  while attending a one-room all-grades school, 6-year-old Bogut’s teacher showed his class a small radio crystal from a Cracker Jack box with instructions detailing how to connect it to a piece of copper wire. If you held the crystal to your ear, you might be able to hear a distant radio station. His classmates only heard static, but Bogut heard a faint voice say the call letters of a station he didn’t recognize then. The call letters were K-D-K-A. 26 years later in 1968, he would become the morning host and favorite personality on the world’s first radio station, KDKA Pittsburgh.

In 1967, Jack and Joni Bogut and their children John, Brenda, and Lisa moved to Pittsburgh from Salt Lake City.

Bogut dominated the Steel City’s ratings for more than 15 consecutive years (1968-1983) while hosting the “Bogut In The Morning Show” on KDKA-AM. During his long and storied career, Jack also served as morning host on WTAE-AM, WSHH-FM, and WJAS-AM. Additionally, he hosted his own namesake television show on WTAE-TV and a business-based talk radio segment on WPTT-AM. As a “pitch man,” Jack selectively represented many of Pittsburgh’s finest businesses and corporations.

Jack used his morning show platform and philanthropic muscle to raise both awareness and millions of dollars for worthy charities, including the Free Care Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania.

In 1981, Jack was featured live on ABC Television’s “Good Morning America,” and in USA TODAY, as one of the top morning radio personalities in the nation for not only his consistently high ratings, but his community involvement and work with charities.

In 1983, Jack decided to part ways with KDKA-AM for new combined radio and television roles at both WTAE-AM and WTAE-TV.

In 1988, “Your Bogut” changed addresses again, moving across town to WSHH-FM. With WISH 100 (and later WISH 99.7) his Make-A-Wish broadcasts generated in excess of $2 million annually in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania. Even after Jack moved to WSHH-FM’s sister station WJAS-AM, he maintained a presence and helped advise the Make-A-Wish radio campaign.

Jack’s full-time involvement in Pittsburgh radio concluded when WJAS-AM was sold. Despite new ownership’s attempts to convince him to stay on as morning host, their talk format did not appeal to him. The “Bogut In The Morning” show was retired, but Jack never did. His popularity and Pittsburgh’s thirst for nostalgia brought him back to KDKA-AM where he hosted a series of vignettes; those familiar radio “home movies” that endeared him to his listeners during all those earlier years.

Today, he remains active as an advocate for the soon-to-be realized National Museum of Broadcasting which will feature the reconstruction of the original garage in which Dr. Frank Conrad gave birth to commercial radio in America when he founded KDKA.

Among his many other accolades, Jack was inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, received a Pittsburgh Radio and Television Club Lifetime Achievement Award and was presented with a March of Dimes A.I.R. (Achievement in Radio) Lifetime Achievement Award. Jack Bogut will forever be remembered for the unparalleled way he harnessed the power of radio and channeled it for philanthropic good.