Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Celebrating 30 years of excellence, the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA) announced six new inductees and three special honorees of the 2026 Hall of Fame class.
“From historic headlines to everyday human stories, broadcasters have helped tell the story of Western New York while bringing our community closer together,” said BBA President Paula D’Amico. “This milestone year honors the professionals whose work informs, inspires, and connects us all.”
The 2026 inductees / categories:
Scott Levin / Television
Scott joined WGRZ-TV in 1998. He co-anchors with 2025 inductee Mary Alice Demler. He has won several Emmy Awards and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award
Jon Summers / Radio
Jon joined WKBW-AM in 1974, was the imaging voice of WKBW-TV 's Eyewitness News and he served on AM Buffalo as an announcer and segment host, marking a 27-year tenure with the program. He has worked on-air at several other Buffalo radio stations, including WBEN-AM, WBEN-FM (Rock 102), and WECK-AM.
Sandy Kozel / Out-of-Town
Sandy spent a decade as a news anchor at WGR-AM and reporter for WGRZ-TV. She worked as a correspondent for the AP Radio Network for many years and is still heard on the air as an anchor at WTOP-AM NewsRadio in Washington, D.C.
Dennis Webster / WNY Broadcaster
Dennis wrapped up a 54 year long career at WJTN in Jamestown in 2014. He covered news and sports along with agriculture as one of Chautauqua County’s most trusted voices.
Bob Koshinski / Management
A four-decade broadcast veteran, Bob has served as Vice-President/General Manager of the Empire Sports Network, all-sports WNSA-FM, and WBBZ-TV. He has been a TV anchor, reporter, videographer, radio host, and executive sports producer.
Rick Swenson / Behind the Scenes
As a photojournalist, Rick worked at WKBW-TV for 33 years, covering news and sports. He used a hand-cranked film camera when started and transitioned into the digital news age.
Diane English / Arts in Broadcasting Award
A Buffalo native, Diane wrote and served as executive producer of the groundbreaking CBS-TV comedy Murphy Brown, earning three Emmy Awards and two Writers Guild of America awards. She began her career at WNET-TV in New York City, working on the “Theatre in America” series.
Tim Clark / Special Award
Commissioner of the Buffalo Niagara Film Office, Tim oversees film production in Western New York State. He has plays a key role in attracting major motion picture studios and smaller independent productions to Buffalo and Western New York.
Marilyn Phister / President’s Award
Marilyn broke the glass ceiling at WKBW-TV becoming the first woman to serve as a director at the station, producing Rocketship 7, Dialing for Dollars, AM Buffalo, Buffalo Sabres Hockey, and the Variety Club Telethon. Her career took her to Philadelphia where she worked for decades, becoming the executive producer of Programming for WPVI-TV.
The BBA Hall of Fame will induct the Class of 2026 on Sept. 17, 2026, at Salvatore’s in Depew. Tickets are available at https://buffalobroadcasters.com.