The Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame announced their 2023 Hall of Fame class on Tuesday. Among the five being recognized for their contributions and achievements are four with radio backgrounds. All inductees will be honored at this year’s Minnesota Broadcasters Association Annual Meeting and Hall of Fame Dinner in October.
The inductees from radio are:
Jim Bartels – General Manager for KNUJ in New Ulm. Bartels is considered a pioneer in wrestling broadcasts and was awarded the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award by the Minnesota chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019.
Mary Campbell – co-owner and operator of Omni Broadcasting Company. Omni’s 16 stations were known for outstanding community service and won numerous NAB Crystal Awards. Omni sold to Hubbard in 2014.
Tim Russell – WCCO-AM and Minnesota Public Radio. Russell is one of the most famous voices from A Prairie Home Companion and subsequent Live From Here with Chris Thile.
Lee Valsvik – iHeartMedia and KARE TV. Valsvik began her radio and television career in the 1980’s and has grown to become one of the Twin Cities’ best-known media personalities. She has been part of five of the metro’s largest radio stations and became a regular on KARE’s Saturday morning news program.
Of Lee, Gregg Swedberg, SVP of Programming for iHeartMedia Minneapolis said, “It proves that good things come to good people, and we look forward to hearing Lee on KOOL 108 and iHeart Minneapolis for a long time to come. The very definition of a Minnesota Hall of Fame Broadcaster.”
KARE-TV broadcaster Boyd Huppert is the final inductee.
