November 6, 2011 – About 300 people paid $250 each to celebrate the opening Saturday night of the National Radio Hall of Fame Gallery on the second floor of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Radio and television legend Larry King emceed a national radio broadcast live from the black-tie event. It was the first Hall of Fame ceremony to be held at the museum’s new location next door to Marina City.

“It’s a spectacular place here on State Street, that great street,” quipped King, “a block from Trump Tower, right next to Marina City. It is absolutely gorgeous.” Presenters included talk show host Jerry Springer, television journalist Bill Kurtis, sportscaster Jon Miller, Susan Stamberg of National Public Radio, WGN Radio’s Orion Samuelson, mystery writer Sara Paretsky, and country singer Rex Allen, Jr. (Left) King with MBC president Bruce DuMont. (Click on image to view larger version.)

“I just want to say how warm a welcome this is, to salute Bruce and the amazing job he’s done,” King told the crowd before the broadcast. “I remember the original dinners, many years ago. [Radio host] Don Imus was there. He fell awake.”

Inducted into the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011 were former sportscaster/president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), Graham McNamee (1888-1942), a radio pioneer of the 1920s, news commentator H. V. Kaltenborn (1878-1965), and radio classics Gangbusters, The Great Gildersleeve, WLS National Barn Dance, and Suspense.

A 90-minute broadcast aired live on the Premier Radio Network, which included Chicago stations WGN and WLS.

More photos…

(Above) Bruce Dumont and Kathy Posner (second from right) interview Jerry Springer (right) during a radio wrap-up of the event. At left, Catherine Busch of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. (Above) Dumont with Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. (Left) Posner interviews Chicago radio personality Garry Meier. (Below) A crew produces video of the event. (Above) The unfinished fourth floor of the museum was turned into a ballroom for the event. DuMont told the crowd it reminded him of the Hall of Fame ceremony in October 1986. “It was much like tonight. The museum space wasn’t completely done. The floors were cement. The fancy lights and the backdrop made it look glamorous. There were limousines, a red carpet, black ties and gowns, and a Who’s Who of Chicago media.” (Left) Bill Kurtis, Larry King, Jerry Springer, and John Cullerton, president of the Illinois Senate, prepare to be photographed with an unidentified guest in center.