Congratulations to the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2012 / Vote For Bob Crane: A New Direction

We just want to take this moment to congratulate all those who were selected for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2012. It is a great honor and career milestone to be recognized, and we extend our warmest congratulations to all who will be honored this year. 

It has come to our attention that public voting will no longer be a component of the selection process for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Therefore, an actual campaign is not longer necessary in that regard.

But we're not going anywhere! We're simply going to shift gears a bit. "Vote For Bob Crane" will become a general public awareness campaign - not only for the National Radio Hall of Fame, which we will continue to petition, but for many other similar causes (for example, a certain Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is long overdue) and for continuing to highlight Bob Crane's life and work. We have a few other ideas as well, and a few media projects are in the works, too.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your strong and ongoing support. You help make all the difference! Stay tuned...we're nowhere near close to being done yet!

Bob Crane Overlooked for Induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2012

Here we are again...

One year later, and those selected for induction into the 2012 Class of the National Radio Hall of Fame have been announced. Bob Crane is not among them. Instead, the nod goes to Howard Stern, who for several years has been by-passed by the National Radio Hall of Fame selection process, and as a result, has openly attacked their process.

Click here to read the official statement from the Museum of Broadcast Communications.

As was the case in 2011, public voting has been suspended in lieu of the Steering Committee hand-selecting key individuals they believe have been overlooked in the past. In June 2011, the Steering Committee had made it very clear that Bob Crane's nomination would be retained on file, and that he would be considered for future classes.

While we do not deny Mr. Stern and the other members of the Class of 2012 their rightful place for their work in the broadcasting industry, we do wish those in charge of the selection process would recognize Bob Crane's extensive and unprecedented work in radio/broadcasting. We also wish they would let his colleagues, friends, family, and fans be heard through a public voting process, which for two years now, has been denied them.

Today, June 29, 2012, marks the 34th anniversary of Bob Crane's death. On this day in 1978, in Scottsdale, Arizona, Bob was murdered at 49 years of age. Although many suspect Bob's murderer to be John Henry Carpenter, who stood trial in 1994 and was acquitted, the crime remains officially unsolved to this day. Since his death, however, Bob has become one of the most misunderstood and ridiculed public figures in the world. 

Some Key Facts about Bob Crane

• He was a pioneer in radio and broadcasting, inventing styles and techniques still used today by countless radio personalities, including Mr. Stern and many others who have been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
• He has been called a "genius" in the radio industry by those who worked with him.
• He spent nearly 15 consecutive years in the radio industry, and he never fully abandoned it after he left KNX in 1965 to accept the role on Hogan's Heroes.
• He was driven toward success and had a rich career that included music, radio, television, theatre, and film; in addition to acting, he was also a writer, a director, and a producer.
• He donated much of his time to countless charities, including the U.S. Armed Forces Radio Network, Operation Entertainment, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation, and many more. He also was a frequent guest speaker at conferences and events, and in one year alone made more than 300 personal appearances for different charities, fundraisers, and community service events.
• Just before his death, Bob recognized that his addiction - which he himself called an addiction - had become a destructive force in his life. He sought professional help to overcome it, and he did so for his children, all of whom he loved dearly.
• People who knew Bob and loved him have called him a ray of light with a sunny personality. He could brighten any room just by walking into it. They are saddened and angered at how he has been remembered. Had he lived, he would have gone on to do many more great things in the entertainment industry.

Looking Toward the Future - 2013 and Beyond
We will not be deterred! We will now set our sights on 2013 and beyond. Whether there will be a public voting in 2013 or if the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee will suspended public voting indefinitely remains to be seen. Regardless, your vote truly does count with us. And these things do take time. So please keep checking back for updates and continue to spread the word about Bob Crane. Write letters to the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee on Bob's behalf. He deserves proper recognition, and we will see that he receives it!

Update - June 30, 2012: It has come to our attention that public voting for the National Radio Hall of Fame has been suspended indefinitely, and individuals for future Classes will be chosen by the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee. We will, however, continue to petition the Steering Committee for Bob Crane's inclusion in the National Radio Hall of Fame. Our campaign will now also become a general awareness campaign, not only for the National Radio Hall of Fame, but for other similar causes. Stay tuned! We're not done yet!

Countdown to 2012 National Radio Hall of Fame Public Voting

We know....waiting's tough! But we're getting very, very close.

The National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee will announce the 2012 ballot for public voting very shortly. They usually announce it just before the end of June. The moment we know that Bob Crane's name is on it, we'll "open the window and shout the news" so we can start voting. Otherwise, we will begin campaigning heavily for 2013. 

Watch for information here on this blog, as well as:

Vote For Bob Crane Official Web Site

Vote For Bob Crane Facebook

Vote For Bob Crane Twitter

Thanks again one and all for your ongoing support! 
Cross your fingers and your toes, and stay tuned! 

Happy Anniversary 'Vote For Bob Crane!' - The Year in Review

By Carol Ford

Bob Crane, circa 1966.

One year ago today, we launched the campaign for Bob Crane's induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. It was not a decision I had arrived at lightly. In fact, I had not even considered a campaign at all when, on February 1, 2011, I submitted my formal nomination of Bob Crane to the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago on behalf of Bob's radio colleagues and close friends. However, with public voting being a part of the selection process for the National Radio Hall of Fame, public awareness became a necessity. For Bob Crane to have a fair public vote in the selection process, people needed to know that he was more than just Colonel Hogan of Hogan's Heroes or a murder victim. They needed to know that there was much more to him than what they saw in the media following his death. Indeed, Bob was a very deep and complicated human being, who - while not perfect - genuinely cared for others, was "sensitive and somewhat shy," had what many called a "sunny personality" and could brighten any room just by walking into it, is still adored by his family and friends, and possessed rare talents in music, radio, and acting - talents that must no longer be ignored.

I say without hesitation and with deepest appreciation that this campaign exists because of the efforts of some truly dynamic people - my own friends and coworkers - who practically gave birth to this campaign overnight.

The very first thing we did was launch a blog. Joe Tonzelli created the blog and the brand Vote For Bob Crane. On the evening of June 1, 2011, I received an email from Joe saying, "You are live." In the email was a link to the Vote For Bob Crane blog and the post below. Suffice it to say, we've come a long way! With the help of our Facebook and Twitter accounts, which had been set up by Katie Brownlow, we have had nearly 10,000 visits to the Vote For Bob Crane blog from all over the world.

On June 30, 2011, the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee announced that they had decided to forego public voting for 2011. Instead, they hand-selected a few key individuals from the Golden Age of Radio who they believed had been overlooked by the public but who they felt should be included in the Hall of Fame. This list included Former President Ronald Reagan, who was honored with induction into the 2011 Class. However, the Steering Committee assured me that Bob Crane's official nomination would be retained on file for consideration in future classes. Therefore, we made the decision to forge ahead, our sights now set on 2012.

In January 2012, Bob Crane and his nomination for the National Radio Hall of Fame made headlines twice: once via a press release distributed via PR Newswire (with the help of Janet D'Alesandro), and again in a feature article written by journalist John Burgeson and published in The Connecticut Post. Earlier this year, we also launched our official Web site, www.vote4bobcrane.org, designed and created by Katie Gallagher. We also developed a YouTube Channel.

The support we have received has been tremendous. WICC 600-AM Radio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was the first to endorse Bob's nomination, followed by the Connecticut Broadcasting History organization. Many prominent individuals in radio and broadcasting also added their support, including a great many members of the Columbia Square Broadcasting Alumni Group. Bob's dearest friends as well as his fans have shown strong support. Most important has been the ongoing support of Bob's family, specifically his now-grown children, who love and miss their father terribly and all of whom Bob loved and adored. It is for them most of all that makes everything we have done and continue to do worthwhile.

Bob Crane with first wife Anne and
children Robert David, Debbie, and Karen.

Bob Crane with second wife Patricia (Patty)
and son, Robert Scott.

  

Within the next couple of weeks, the official ballot of potential 2012 candidates will be announced by the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee. It is our sincerest hope that the name Bob Crane will be included, and that this year, he will be recognized for his extensive and groundbreaking work in radio and the entertainment industry. 

Bob Crane in his KNX booth - circa 1964.

Bob Crane has been called a genius in the broadcasting field by those who worked directly with him. He is an unsung broadcasting pioneer who helped shape the world of radio, and he is most deserving of the honor of being inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

If you have not done so already, take some time and listen to Bob's radio show, and many segments are available right here on this blog. Visit our official Web site and discover for yourself what many have overlooked or forgotten about Bob Crane. Join us on Facebook and Twitter and become a real part of this campaign - your vote truly does count!

Thank you one and all for your support!