Rogers State University student Gary Webb received a $1,000 scholarship as he was named one of four outstanding broadcast students in Oklahoma during the annual OETA Public Television and Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Student Seminar. This event was held Wednesday, October 5 at the OETA studios in Oklahoma City.
Webb, a senior from Verdigris who is majoring in Communications, received the scholarship in honor of the late Gene Dillehay, a well-known broadcaster at OETA. Robert Allen of the OETA Foundation and Shaun Dillehay, daughter of Gene Dillehay, presented Webb the check.
“I shouted out with happiness when Gary’s name was called,” said Cathy Coomer, RSU assistant professor and OBEA vice president. “As a non-traditional student, Gary has worked hard the past few years to build up his shows, as well as promote the station and RSU. I am so happy to see him being recognized for just his work alone.”
Webb, known on air as “Turbo,” has worked at RSU Radio for more than three years and is currently the underwriting & internet promotions director. He previously served for two years as the traffic manager. He hosts his own show “The Metal Meltdown show with Turbo” on Tuesday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight and the “Midnight Metal Meltdown” on Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
In previous years, he has co-hosted a late afternoon show “TnT” with the station’s music director, as well as a call-in show called “Culture Shock.” This show, focusing on the bizarre, unusual and strange, drew such a following that Webb and his co-host Karen Killowatt started a blog that was recently named one of the “50 Best Communications Student Blogs” by OnLineCollegeClasses.org.
More than 80 students from 11 Oklahoma colleges and universities attended the OBEA seminar. Coomer, Lee Williams, associate professor, and six students represented RSU. The awards were presented at the conclusion of the seminar after professionals from Oklahoma City and Tulsa television, radio, marketing, advertising and multimedia companies advised students on topics relating to social media.