The Texas Radio Hall of Fame (TRHOF) has announced the inductees of the latest class, and several notable names have made the cut.
The voting members of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame selected 20 professionals for induction in the Class of 2025.
Bruce Gilbert, the current Cumulus Media and Westwood One Senior Vice President of Sports, headlines the class. Gilbert has had an extensive history in radio in both Texas and beyond. During his time in the Lone Star State, he has programmed stations in College Station and in Dallas, including heritage brands like KLIF and Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket, among others.
In 2010, he left ESPN Radio to return to Dallas as the Vice President of News, Talk, and Sports Programming for CBS Radio Dallas. At the time, his oversight included 1080 KRLD and 105.3 The Fan, as well as the Texas State Network.
Additionally, longtime Metroplex executive Brian Purdy was one of the 20 members included in the class of 2025. Purdy began his Texas radio broadcast career in 1996, serving in various management roles at then-Clear Channel Houston, including working as the Market Manager. He later moved to Dallas as the Vice President/Market Manager of the company’s cluster until 2003.
He then began leading the CBS Radio stations in the city in 2004, where he served as the Senior Vice President and Market Manager. Purdy was also named the 2017 Broadcaster of the Year by the Texas Association of Broadcasters. Furthermore, he served several terms on the TAB Board of Directors, spending time in both Austin and Washington D.C., advocating for Texas broadcasters.
The entire list of Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductees includes:
- John Breland
- Bill Coates
- Steve Coffman
- Chuck Conrad
- Kevin Dorsey
- Bruce Gilbert
- Henrietta Hernandez
- Jay Howard
- Joe Izbrand
- Chris Kelley
- Bob Lewis, aka “Tumbleweed Smith”
- Harold Mann
- Brian Purdy
- Jerry “The Car Pro” Reynolds
- Ken Rush
- Rod Ryan
- Ray Schilens
- William “Chilly Bill” Smith
- Rudy Trevino
- Tom Tynan
The new inductees will be honored on Saturday, November 1st, at the TRHOF’s Annual Induction Ceremony at the Texas Broadcast Museum in Kilgore, TX.
TRHOF Executive Director Doug Harris also announced five heritage broadcasters who will be posthumously inducted as Lone Star Legacies this year.
That list includes:
- Alberto Alegre Calvo
- Randy Lemmon
- Gary Mason (Aycock)
- Susan O’Donnell
- Tom Perryman
The TRHOF Radio Reunion and Induction Weekend is open to the public. Schedule, hotel, and ticket information is available at www.trhof.net.
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