WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters said it will honor Ralph M. Oakley, former president and CEO of Quincy Media, with the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award.

Oakley, now owner of Sullivan’s Landing LLC, which owns WJMN-TV Marquette, Mich., will receive the award, which recognizes his distinguished career and enduring commitment to local television, at the NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington on March 3.

“Ralph Oakley exemplifies the spirit of local broadcasting through his steadfast leadership, deep community commitment and lifelong service to others,” NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said. “His work inside and outside of our industry has strengthened local journalism, expanded access to educational opportunities and advanced the values that define our industry. Ralph has long been a trusted voice and guiding force for broadcasters nationwide, and we are proud to honor him with this well-deserved recognition at the NAB State Leadership Conference.”

Oakley started in broadcasting in 1977 with Quincy Newspapers, later known as Quincy Media, at WGEM AM-FM-TV in Quincy, Ill., moving on to roles at WSJV-TV South Bend, Elkhart, Ind., and WVWA-TV Bluefield-Beckley, W.Va., before joining the Quincy corporate office.

He was named president and CEO of Quincy Media, a sixth-generation, family-owned firm operating TV stations in 16 states, as well as two newspapers and two radio stations, in 2009. Quincy sold its TV stations to Gray Media and its newspapers to Phillips Media in 2021.

He currently owns Sullivan’s Landing and WJMN, which serves the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with local programming under a shared sales and services agreement with Morgan Murphy Media.

Oakley is a former member of the NAB board and served on its executive committee; was a trustee and co-chair of NAB’s Political Action Committee and served on the NAB Leadership Foundation board, as well as on the TVB Board of Directors and the ABC Affiliate Board of Governors. He is also a former chair of the NBC Affiliates Association and the Illinois Broadcasters Association. He has been honored as the IBA’s broadcaster of the year.

His civic leadership roles include serving as a member and former chair of the Quincy University board of trustees; founding chair of the Community Foundation of West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri; chair of the United Way of Adams County annual campaign and as a board member of the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce and the Quincy Public Schools Foundation.

For more on NAB and the State Leadership Conference, visit NAB’s website.

WASHINGTON—Designed to recognize individuals demonstrating leadership, service and commitment to local television in medium and smaller markets, the NAB has announced that the 2019 Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award will be presented to Patsy Smullin during the NAB Small Market Television Exchange.

Smullin is the president and owner of California Oregon Broadcasting Inc., which was originally founded by her father, Bill Smullin, in 1933. COBi is made up of five television stations in Oregon as well as Pilot Rock Productions, a digital video production company. In addition, Smullin has served as president of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and the Oregon Cable TV Association, and has been on the board of the NAB and NBC TV Affiliate Board. She has also spent time in front of the camera, hosting “Up Close With Patsy Smullin,” which features interviews with influential figures.

“Patsy’s passion for excellence in small market local television is unmatched,” said NAB’s President and CEO Gordon Smith. “She exemplifies the best of broadcasting by running the longest continually-owned and operated, independent broadcast organization in the West, which has served Oregon and Northern California for nearly nine decades. We are pleased to honor her with this well-deserved award.”

Named for the late Dr. Charles E. Sherman, the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award has been handed out since 2003.

Smullin will be honored with the award during the SMTE, which will take place from Sept. 12-14 in Austin, Texas.