There was one big surprise reveal at Monday night’s debut NAB Achievement in Broadcasting awards dinner at the Encore, Las Vegas. NAB President/CEO and former Oregon Senator Gordon Smith announced that this year’s award for distinguished service to the radio industry will go to John David.
The selection of David caught some of the communications team off guard, with an official announcement still forthcoming midday Tuesday. David, on February 1, shifted from his role as EVP of NAB Radio to become a Senior Advisor to the NAB. The move came after 29 years at the NAB; he joined the association in 1989 as VP of NAB Broadcaster Congressional Relations, and in 1992 became SVP of NAB Radio. He was promoted in 1998 to EVP, serving as NAB’s radio liaison for membership and service to NAB member radio stations.
Before 1989, David had a long and successful career in radio. From 1971 to 1988 he was EVP of J. R. Broadcasting Company as owner and GM of radio stations in Missouri and Kansas. Later, from 1984 to 1988, David represented Kansas and Missouri as a member of the NAB Radio Board. Radio Ink Magazine has named David to its list of the Top 40 Most Powerful People in Radio since 2000, and he was a recipient of the Ward Quaal Leadership Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America at the NAB Show in 2017.
