Albany NY: The Board of Directors of the New York State Broadcasters Association, Inc. has selected three outstanding broadcasters for induction into the NYSBA Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place during our New York Broadcast Leadership and Hall of Fame Luncheon during the NAB/Show New York on Thursday, October 19th at the Javits Center in New York City. To attend the luncheon please register on the NAB Show/NY website at https://www.nabshowny.com/register-plan/registration-packages
David Donovan, President of NYSBA stated, “We are honored to induct Sandy Beach, Janet Lomax and Art McFarland into the NYSBA Hall of Fame. They represent the best in our profession. They serve as the “gold standard” for those entering broadcasting. Throughout their careers they have demonstrated a commitment to serve their local communities. It is our privilege to have them enter the NYSBA Hall of Fame.”
Sandy Beach – Buffalo
Sandy Beach is a Western New York legend, having been a fixture in Buffalo Radio for 35 years. Currently the top morning personality on Newsradio 930 AM WBEN, Beach is one of the most recognized names in Buffalo radio history. A renowned WKBW Radio voice, Sandy has worked in Buffalo, Hartford, Dallas, San Francisco, and Milwaukee as an on-air talent. Beach has made a career of straddling the line of the conservative tastes of Buffalo, and has never let office or city hall politics get in the way of a good show. It’s that desire for great radio that has allowed Sandy to remain on top for decades. He was also program director for NBC and Capital Cities/ABC.
Sandy is a three time nominee for Billboard Magazine Personality of the Year. In May of 2003, Sandy was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a DJ in 2013.
Janet Lomax – Rochester
Janet Lomax was an award winning News Anchor at News10NBC, retiring after serving the Rochester community for 36 years as a broadcast journalist. Janet received her start a week after her college graduation, at WAVE-TV3 in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Ms. Lomax was hired as a reporter/photographer at WAVE-TV and was quickly given additional duties as host/producer of Urban Insight, a weekly public affairs program. Janet worked at WAVE-TV3 for four and one half years before beginning her career at WHEC-TV in 1980, as a reporter. Ms. Lomax quickly moved to co-anchor the main evening newscasts on Sept. 20, 1982. Janet is a trailblazer, who became the first African American woman to anchor a main, weeknight newscast in Rochester, NY.
Over the years, Ms. Lomax has covered a variety of stories from national political conventions and the NYC visit by Pope John Paul II to a number of one-on-one interviews with prominent newsmakers including America’s First Lady Michelle Obama. In addition to her anchor duties, Janet reported on the Arts. She has written and co-produced numerous half hour specials and was responsible for “Best Seat in the House” which focused on the local arts scene.
Janet has been affiliated with a number of organization’s including;The Links, Incorporated, the Rochester chapter Jack and Jill of America, Inc. (past president), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the National Association of Black Journalists and RABJ, the local affiliate. Janet is frequently asked to speak or serve as emcee at events throughout the community.
Art McFarland –New York City
Art McFarland’s career spans 31 years in the high pressure New York City television market. When Art retired, he was the longest tenured reporter at WABC-TV. McFarland was the station’s lead education reporter. He covered stories ranging from the latest innovations in educational technology, to successful teaching techniques, to unfortunate acts of misconduct by the small minority of misguided educators. Mr. McFarland was first in reporting the story of an overzealous city teacher who used packaging tape to discipline and restrain grade-school students. He had unlimited access at a Brooklyn school, where the principal was forced to suspend outside recess due to gunfire in the neighborhood.
As an investigative reporter, Art’s series of exclusive reports helped expose corruption and child prostitution among residents of New York City’s welfare hotel system. Another series exposed a lack of fencing around Amtrak rail lines in upper Manhattan, which posed a danger to children who used the tracks as their playground. Art reported from South Africa on the political climate and the 1st anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s election to the presidency. His versatility as an anchor made him a legend. McFarland was part of WABC’s early-morning newscast for many years. He originally was a co-anchor, while also presenting the daily weather forecast. When WABC revamped Eyewitness News This Morning, McFarland became the newscast’s sports reporter and stayed in that position for several more years.
After his retirement from WABC-TV, Art began his second career as a highly successful actor. He was selected to play the title role of W.E.B. Du Bois in the critically acclaimed play the “Most Dangerous Man in America.”
Art has received many awards for excellence in reporting from groups that include the New York State Broadcasters Association as well as various professional societies including the New York City Police and Fire Departments, the New York Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, the New York area chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Art attended Tuskegee University and the University of Michigan where he studied history, speech and drama.
The New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame is located at the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. The Hall of Fame website may be found at http://hof.nysbroadcasters.org/
About NYSBA: The New York State Broadcasters Association, Inc. is a not for profit trade association representing more than 400 radio and television stations throughout the state of New York. Its mission is to help local broadcast stations meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace. NYSBA also represents its member radio and television stations before government agencies in New York State as well as Washington DC.
About NAB Show New York: Produced by the National Association of Broadcasters and co-located with the Audio Engineering Society’s East Coast convention, NAB Show New York will be held October 18-19, 2017 at the Javits Convention Center. With more than 8,806 attendees and 362 exhibitors, NAB Show New York showcases the best in next-generation technology for media, entertainment and telecom professionals with conferences and workshops focused on television, film, satellite, online video, live events, advertising, corporate A/V, production and post. For complete details, visit www.nabshowny.com
For additional information contact David Donovan by phone (518) 456-8888 or via email[email protected]
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