The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will induct College of Journalism and Mass Communications community members Dale Johnson and Mike McKnight (‘77) into the NBA Hall of Fame on August 12th in La Vista during the NBA Annual Convention. Established in 1972, the NBA Hall of Fame will grow to 123 members with the pending inductees.
In a Nebraska radio career now spanning 51 years, Dale Johnson is a highly respected source of radio news in Lincoln. Dale is a former professional-in-residence for CoJMC’s Experience Lab. He visits Andersen Hall often, giving back as a frequent guest speaker on writing and conducting interviews.
After his early years as an announcer in Holdrege, Kearney, Omaha and Grand Island, Dale spent 38 years as news director for Lincoln’s KFOR before joining Nebraska Public Media in 2023 where he currently serves as morning host and news reporter.
Dale’s unique ability to build trust with interviewees has allowed him access to Nebraska’s biggest newsmakers, earning numerous industry awards from AP, RTDNA, the NBA and UPI. In 2005, Dale was the only Nebraska media member to accompany Governor Dave Heineman on a trade mission to Cuba.
Husker alum Mike McKnight (‘77) is a current professional-in-residence for the Nebraska Nightly Experience Lab program where he enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists through tips and feedback on their weekly live newscasts.
When Mike joined Omaha’s WOWT TV in 1977, he never dreamed that 49 years later he’d still be holding people accountable as a one-man watchdog through his tireless investigative reporting.
McKnight was on the ground floor of establishing courtroom camera access in Nebraska. An advocate for the truth – despite threats often made against him – he's taken on big business, government agencies, sketchy contractors and others with a knack for gathering evidence and righting wrongs with professionalism and integrity.
One of Nebraska’s most respected reporters, McKnight has earned regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and an Eric Sevareid Award along with numerous awards from AP, the NBA, Omaha Press Club and others.
Johnson and McKnight will be inducted in August alongside Dennis & Kathi Brown, whose 1991 purchase of KCSR AM in Chadron, Nebraska saved the station from going under and Dave Wingert, whose on-air career spans more than 60 years. To learn more about the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame, visit https://hof.ne-ba.org/.
