ABA was founded.
Meeting was called by letter to all stations form Northern Television’s President A.G. Hiebert who was appointed temporary chair. Organizers included Al Bramstedt, Sr.; Matt Clapp, Miller Robertson and Jay Perry of KFQD Anchorage; Bill Allen of KHAR Anchorage; Charles L. Buck of KLAM Cordova; Fred Lambert of KCAM Glennallen; Bill Martin of KNIK Anchorage; S Sgt William D. Wright of Elmendorf Air Force Base’s AFRS and Charles Northrip of University of Alaska’s KUAC-FM Fairbanks. The eleven represented all five AK television outlets and 12 of the stat’s 16 radio stations. The group appointed Anchorage attorney Ted Stevens to be their legal counsel and Secretary. A.G Hiebert was unanimously elected first President, Chuck Buck was named Vice President and Al Bramstedt Secretary-Treasurer. Jay Perry and R.D. Jensen of Ketchikan’s KTKN and KATV-TV were named Directors.
Month: December 2016
1967
ABA brings Maj. Gen George Sampson, Vice President of Operations for COMSAT and FCC Chairman Rosel Hyde to Alaska. The construction of Bartlett Earth Station at Talkeetna was a direct result of this meeting.
December 1, 1969
ABA’s first major project was achieved with a 29% ACS tariff reduction.
July 1980
Under the leadership of Hank Hove, public stations joined the ABA.
September 1981
First “Alaska Day at the FCC.”
June 1982
More than 600 persons packed the Sheraton ballroom to see newly retired newsman, Walter Cronkite.
1981-1984
Senator Ted Stevens, ABA President Tom Busch, Augie Hiebert, and AK Public Broadcast Commission’s Herb Holeman lead the battle to preserve AM broadcast coverage with the resulting creation of a Class I-N FCC category just for Alaska.
1985
Broadcasters are inducted into the Hall of Fame, at the suggestion of ABA President Ron Moore.
1987
ABA President Ron Bradley begins two-year battle for overpayments for Broadcasters Workers Compensation. In 1990 over $800,000 was refunded to stations.
1995
The ABA starts participating in the national NCSA program.
