NATAS CGL announces more Gold Circle honorees

The NATAS Central Great Lakes chapter’s Gold & Silver Circle committee is proud to welcome two additional longtime Cleveland TV veterans into its prestigious Gold Circle to mark 50 years in the broadcasting industry!

WOIO-TV’s Harry Boomer and longtime Central Great Lakes chapter administrator Bob Hammer had both been members of the chapter’s Silver Circle and will now be ‘graduated’ into our Gold Circle later this year to honor their 50 years of accomplishments in our industry.

Boomer’s broadcasting career began in 1971 and has been working at Cleveland’s WOIO/WUAB since the early 90’s, where he still works as a general assignment reporter and as host and executive producer of 43 Focus.

In the video above, see Boomer’s reaction upon the recognition being announced during our recent monthly webinar focused on “Covering Our Communities: The Importance of Inclusion & Diversity” as part of the ‘Centered on Excellence’ webinar series.

Earlier this month, the chapter also announced that longtime Cleveland journalists Leon Bibb and Carl Monday were invited into Gold Circle for their many contributions to the region.

Bibb began his television career at WTOL in Toledo in 1971, and also worked in Columbus before returning to his native Cleveland to join the team at WKYC, where he would eventually serve as evening news anchor.

From 1995 to 2017, he anchored various newscasts at WEWS, before returning to WKYC in 2018 as a senior reporter and commentator.

Currently serving as our chapter’s regional vice president, Monday has also worked 50 years at various television and radio stations in the Cleveland market, serving as an award-winning investigative reporter after starting out on the air on WJAN-TV in Canton while still a junior in college. Over the years, Monday has won some 50 regional Emmy® awards for his work with WJW’s “I-Team” and other investigative reporting teams across the city.

Monday and Bibb were also members of the chapter’s Silver Circle, marking more than 25 years in the business.

Their ‘graduation’ to the Gold Circle will officially be recognized by the chapter this summer.

In the video below, the board of governors recognizes executive director Bob Hammer’s accomplishments, announcing his invitation to the Gold Circle this year.

With over 50 years in the television and entertainment business as an executive producer, commercial producer, writer and director, Hammer is a former chapter president, our longtime awards administrator and currently serves as our chapter’s Executive Director.