Longtime WHOP News Director Jim Love receives statewide honor

Retired WHOP News Director Jim Love received one of the highest honors a broadcaster in Kentucky can receive last night at the annual Kentucky Broadcasters Association meeting.

Love, who still hosts the Early Bird Show on Saturday mornings, was honored as this year’s J.T. Whitlock Life Service Award winner—which is presented to individuals who have earned recognition and respect from across Kentucky for their excellence in the broadcasting profession.         

Love began working at WHOP when the station was still located in the Bass Arcade building downtown in 1972 and he quickly worked his way up to News Director. He’s covered most of the major stories that have happened in this area over the last 40 years—including appearing on CBS News to assist in reporting on the Gander Crash in 1985.

He also became the third man with direct ties to WHOP to win the award in the last seven years. Retired General Manager Roger Jeffers received the honor in 2005 and the late Leo Wilson—who helped get WHOP and several other stations in the area on the air in the early days of radio—was presented with the award in 2006.

Former “Voice of the Wildcats” Ralph Hacker was the honoree last year. Current WHOP General Manager Mike Chadwell received the award last night on behalf of Love, who is still undergoing cancer treatment locally while he continues to work part-time.

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10/04/2012/am