The Iowa Broadcasters Association has inducted longtime Iowa broadcaster Ray Johnson into the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, in honor of his many years of public service and contributions to broadcasting.

The Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame award recognizes Iowans who have made significant contributions to their community, the state, and broadcast industry.

With a career spanning four decades, Ray Johnson has been one of the top broadcast sales executives in the Des Moines market. In 1975 he was one of the five original founders of the Variety Club Telethon, serving as the organization’s first President and has remained actively involved in the organization for well over 25 years. He currently serves as co-producer of the annual telethon, which has raised over $50,000,000 in the last 26 years and is now the largest local telethon in the United States. For the past 13 years, Ray has also been an integral part of the Rock In Prevention Program, one of the top anti-drug programs in the country, impacting the lives of Iowa’s children and families and helping over a million Iowans since 1990.

Ray Johnson has been with the WOI-TV sales department in Des Moines for the past nine years.

The Iowa Broadcasters Association has inducted Iowa Senator Charles Grassley into the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, honoring his many years of public service.

The Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame award recognizes Iowans who have made significant contributions to their community, the state, and broadcast industry.

For 23 years Senator Grassley has recognized the value of free over-the-air broadcasting. He has provided small Iowa radio stations with frequent interviews, always signing off with his signature “this is Senator Grassley reporting to the people of Iowa.”

The only working family farmer in the United States Senate, he brings to Washington an Iowa common sense coupled with an open mind and firm commitment to the principles of fairness. Over the years Senator Grassley and his wife Barbara have unselfishly volunteered their time to appear on Iowa radio and television stations in a number of public service announcements dealing with such issues as drug prevention and breast cancer.

The Iowa Broadcasters Association has inducted Iowa sports broadcaster, Pete Taylor, into the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, honoring his many years of service to broadcasting.

The IBA Hall of Fame award recognizes Iowans who have made significant contributions to their community, the state, and the broadcast industry.

For 34 years Pete Taylor was the broadcast voice of the Iowa State Cyclones, doing play by play for ISU football and men’s basketball. He served as Iowa State University Associate Athletic Director after having worked 22 years as Sports Director at KCCI-TV in Des Moines, where he was named Iowa Sportscaster of the Year four times.

Taylor’s contributions to sports broadcasting spanned four decades. In addition to his administrative and radio play-by-play duties, he also hosted the football coaches’ television show; Cyclone Replay Show and a number of radio call in shows.

His untimely death in March 2003 cut short his career as “the voice of the Iowa State Cyclones.” To a generation of sports enthusiasts, Pete Taylor was the voice of ISU athletics. His distinctive voice, keen sense of humor and no nonsense style was known and respected by fans throughout the state.