April 8, 2014

Don Ford has been at the forefront of the foremost milestones in Amarillo College radio and television history. It therefore is fitting that the broadcast pioneer, who retired in 2004, will be front and center when AC announces sweeping changes to its mass communication and broadcasting programs.

All will be revealed during a twofold landmark event beginning at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 in the Panhandle PBS studio within the Gilvin Broadcast Center (2408 Jackson St.) on the Washington Street Campus.

Ford will become the newest honoree enshrined upon AC’s Mass Media Wall of Fame, and the College will divulge the particulars of plans to vastly expand, transform, and even rechristen its communicational umbrella, which henceforth will be known as the Mass Media Program.

The transformation reflects the evolution of the industry that students within the program vie to enter, and it emphasizes new initiatives in social media, digital and online training, and stackable credentials with multiple exit points.

New certificate and degree options, including social media and online marketing, will be incorporated into the program, as will three new classes: Social Media Tools, Interactive Web Elements, and E-commerce.

Also included in the program makeover is the addition of a dedicated streaming video studio and a significant upgrade to the Panhandle PBS studio, which also will serve as a student lab.

Ford knows that particular studio like the back of his hand. He spent 31 years on the AC workforce, beginning in 1973 as a broadcast engineer for KACV-TV. He retired after a lengthy run as director of engineering for both the College’s radio station, an entity he helped establish in 1976, and AC’s PBS television affiliate—now called Panhandle PBS—an affiliation agreement Ford spearheaded in 1988.

The Wall of Fame is an exclusive honor reserved for former students who have achieved notable success in the media and others, like Ford, who have made significant contributions to mass communications at AC.

“It seems appropriate that we are honoring Don Ford and looking back to the beginnings of KACV and our academic program at the same time we are moving forward to meet today’s transformative shift in the media industries,” said Jill Gibson, assistant professor of speech and mass media.

“These changes will prepare our students for the rapidly evolving media workforce—providing them with skills they need to succeed in emerging areas such as social media, video streaming, website design and online interactivity, as well as traditional careers in broadcasting, journalism, public relations and advertising.”

AC President Paul Matney will be joined by local media industry representatives and students in the Mass Media Program to pay tribute to Ford and usher in the new era in media education.

“Don Ford was instrumental in creating everything that exists in the Gilvin Broadcast Center,” Linda Pitner, general manager of Panhandle PBS, said. “He was and is an engineer extraordinaire.”

Wall of Fame honorees to date (in order of inclusion):

Beth Duke, former city editor of the Amarillo Globe-News and 2010 winner of AC’s Distinguished Alumni Award;

Kari Fluegel, who worked in media relations for NASA;

Ben Sargent, a Pulitzer-winning cartoonist and AC’s Distinguished Alumnus in 1983;

Mike Stravato, a freelance photographer for the Associated Press;

Thomas Thompson, former editor in charge of Pulitzer-winning coverage at the Amarillo Globe-Times;

Jason Boyett, author of several books and an award-winning advertising copywriter and designer;

Nancy Crowley, the late, longtime journalism teacher at AC, Amarillo High and Tascosa High;

Walt Howard, longtime news anchor for KFDA-TV, Channel 10;

Brad Loper, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for The Dallas Morning News;

Jamey Neill, also known as Jamey Karr on the air, former program director at KACV-FM and presently general manager of The Eagle; and

Robert Wylie, posthumously, a Piper Professor who taught journalism and English at AC for three decades.