THE GOLD & SILVER CIRCLE ARCHIVE
The Gold Circle and Silver Circle is a society of honor. The induction ceremony, conducted annually since 1989, recognizes television professionals who have worked 50 or 25 years or more in the industry in a performing, creative, technical or administrative position.
They have made significant contributions to the southern regional market. Their contributions extend beyond professional excellence and commitment to their craft. These talented people give back to the community as mentor, educator, volunteer.
2009 Gold Circle Inductees:
Gary Franklin
Gary Franklin couldn’t wait to graduate high school to begin his broadcast career. In 1959, he became a part-time afternoon disc jockey at WFPM-AM in Fort Valley, Georgia. He graduated Marvin Pitman High School in 1961, and got his first full time gig the same year at WBHB-AM in Fitzgerald, Georgia. Franklin remained on the radio until 1970, working his way across the state in Americus at WDEC-AM, Savannah at WTOC-AM and FM and Atlanta at WQXI-AM and WKXI-FM. In 1968, he moved away from his home state to Cincinnati, Ohio to become News Director at WSAI-AM.
One event crystallized Franklin’s career choice in broadcast. As a twenty-year old kid, he was working solo at WDEC on November 22, 1963, when the AP teletype began spitting bulletins from Dallas, Texas. Alternating between reading news updates and patriotic music Franklin was the sole source of news for many regarding the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
His work at WQXI, while serving on Governor Lester Maddox’ Citizens Penal Reform Commission, assisted in the closing of twenty-eight ‘public work camps’, and the reform of working conditions, nutrition and health care.
1970 bought him back to Atlanta to WQXI – which would become WXIA in 1973. He worked as a General Assignment Reporter, Investigative Reporter and documentary producer. Franklin left WXIA in 1983 to become VP of a television production company in Woodstock, GA, producing sports programs for WTBS ESPN and TNN. He went on to produce several fishing shows for WTBS, working with guests like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jimmy Buffett and Mel Tillis. Ted Turner caught his first marlin on the show. After an exhaustive and successful battle landing the fish, Turner was spent, but graciously agreed to shoot cutaway shots of his efforts – only instead of a marlin, it was a bucket of water tied to his line and thrown behind the boat. Ted always did understand television.
In 1987 he formed Video Image Productions, producing ‘Powertrax’ for ESPN. He became a free-lance postproduction editor, writer, director and voice talent, and then, coming full circle, in 1993 he rejoined WXIA as and Assignment Editor, a post he holds today.
Franklin has won multiple UPI and AP awards, and has received seven EMMYS over the years. He has been married to his wife Ellen for 23 years and has two children, Donyale and Aaron, and one granddaughter, Jessica. He also has a stepdaughter, Sara and a stepson, Anthony.
For more than sixty years, John Jacobs has been active in the broadcast industry, beginning back in the days when radio programming meant playing a 78 rpm record, to becoming a pioneer operator and local programmer of cable television, to publishing an online newspaper with content from a broadcast newsroom. To say he has stayed ahead of the curve is an understatement. He has been an active participant in the evolution of communications in America.
John is a graduate of the prestigious University of Missouri School of Journalism and is a veteran of World War II, where he received two Silver Stars as a Field Artillery Forward Observer.
In 1949, he started radio station WDUN and WDUN-FM in Gainesville, only the second FM station in Georgia.
In 1966, he was awarded the Gainesville/Hall County Cable TV franchise and applied WDUN’s “showmanship radio” concept to cable TV’s local origination. At a time when broadcasters questioned the impact of CATV, John’s message at the NAB Convention in Chicago was “Radio and Cable TV can be Compatible Partners.”
In the 1990’s, he passed control of Jacobs Media to his son and daughter, which included three radio stations and AccessNorthGa.com, an online newspaper.
John is past president of both Georgia Broadcasters and Cable TV Associations. He is a Georgia District Governor of Kiwanis, and has been a Brenau University Trustee for 51 years, having served 23 of those years as Board Chairman. It was his concept to honor all military veterans with an American Freedom Garden at the Northeast Georgia History Center.
John’s personally written memoir, “The Longer You Live”, is being published this winter by Brenau University. His book is dedicated to his family, particularly his wife Martha and their seven grandchildren.
Click here for a complete list of The Gold Circle.
2009 Silver Circle Inductees:
The Southeast Chapter of the National Academy inducted seven television professionals who have worked a quarter century or more in the industry in the Silver Circle on Friday evening, January 30, 2009 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia. Dale Russell, FOX5 I-Team senior investigative reporter, emceed the induction ceremony. The 2009 inductees included: Michael Carlin, executive producer of the FOX5 I-Team at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, GA. Karyn Greer, morning news anchor at WXIA-TV 11Alive in Atlanta, GA Bill Hoffman, vice president and general manager of WSB-TV in Atlanta, GA Jeff Johnson, community affairs director for WPCH-TV Peachtree TV, in Atlanta, GA Mike Manhatton, managing editor and anchor of the News at 11 and the News at 5 for WTOC-TV in Savannah, GA Hammond Reynolds, executive producer at FSN South/SportSouth in Atlanta, GA James Townley, instructor in television production technology at Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, GA.
Click here to order photos from this event.
Click here for a complete list of The Silver Circle.