Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

Engineer Larry Estlack Will Enter Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame

Sommerville receives Lifetime Achievement Award.

We don’t know of too many radio engineers whose names hang in the hall of fame of their state’s broadcast association. But we can add one more now.

Larry Estlack is director of technology for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters; now he’ll be one of the inductees into the state organization’s Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

“Larry began working in Michigan broadcasting operations in 1970, and has been involved in just about every area of broadcasting from engineering to programming,” the organization said. “Larry has been the chief engineer at several radio and television stations in Michigan and is widely respected as an engineering consultant. He was named MAB Engineer of the Year in 1997. Larry has been the Michigan chairperson of the Emergency Alert System since 1985, and has been a teacher at Michigan State University.”

Inductees will be recognized at ceremonies July 15.

Richard Somerville will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award; he retired in 2000 after a long career including ownership of several radio stations. He started his career as a morning man in Port Huron. He purchased a station in Marine City in 1962 and subsequently purchased two in Mt. Pleasant in 1986.

“Many broadcasters got their start under Dick’s tutelage at WCEN(AM/FM), including several who now own their own stations, or have gone on to distinguished on-air careers, including legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg,” MAB stated.

Also to be inducted: Mike Whorf, the producer and host of WJR(AM)’s program “Kaleidoscope,” as well as James Bleicher, Gordon A. Lawrence and Diana Lewis, whose careers have been more on the TV side.

Close