One of the perks of my job is that every year I get to host the annual induction ceremony of the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame.   This past weekend, another 14 legendary radio and TV broadcasters were inducted at the Museum of Radio and Technology.

The museum is located in Huntington.  Several dedicated current and former broadcasters have accumulated a wonderful collection of broadcasting memorabilia to, according to Hall of Fame mission statement, “keep alive the memory of those we celebrate so that their examples of excellence may educate and inspire future generations.”

Among those inducted this year was Wallace Horn.  His broadcasting career started quite innocently. 

In 1967 Horn, of Chapmanville, decided to put together a weekly, 15-minute bluegrass music show on Logan radio station WLOG as a way to advertise his radio and TV repair business.  The show became so popular that other advertisers wanted to become sponsors.

In 1970, the “Friendly Neighbor Show” was expanded to an hour and moved to its permanent home—WVOW radio, also in Logan.  The show is still heard every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:30.

One of the museum curators, Garry Ritchie, says that over the years Horn has featured not only local musicians, but nationally known bluegrass and country acts as well.  Legends such as Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Tex Ritter, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Jim and Jesse, The Osborne Brothers and many others have made appearances on the “Friendly Neighbor Show.”

Horn, now 89, is no longer able to play, but he still participates in the show every week, serving as the emcee.  Horn quickly won over the crowd at the Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday night by grabbing the microphone and telling jokes.

In some ways, Horn’s story is like many West Virginians of his generation.  He attended a one-room school in Mingo County, but made it only to the third grade before he had to leave and help at home. 

When he was just 15, Horn’s natural interest in how things worked led him to build his own telephone system, connecting five homes.  He used an old car coil and a six-volt battery to make crackling noises so you would know when there was a call.

“If I knew then what I know now I could have rigged up a bell or buzzer,” Horn said.

Horn’s weekly radio show and his uncanny ability to fix radios and televisions made him an institution in Chapmanville.  One friend said of Horn, “If Wallace can’t fix it, then it probably ain’t broke.”

Radio has changed dramatically since Wallace Horn started his weekly music show over 40 years ago.  The days of bringing musicians into the studio and performing live have long since given way to prerecorded music and highly specific formats.

But there remains one constant; the best radio has always been about personality and relating to the audience.  Horn has been, and continues to be, just what the name of his show suggests—a friendly neighbor. 

Congratulations to Horn and all of this year’s inductees.  Here are the other members of this year’s class: 

Gil Brooks, Ray Brooks, Mickey Curry, Calvin Dailey (aka Randy Jay), Doug (The Dougger) Hoffman, Dick Hustead, George Marshall Hutchinson, Bob Miller,  Rod O’Dell, David Poole (aka Dave McLain),  Bert Shimp, Jim Slade, Eddie Walters.

 To learn more about the museum and the see all the members of the Hall of Fame click here.