Don Molino (Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network, Baton Rouge, LA) received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters on March 21. How did Don get started in radio? “The owner of a radio station in Paris, TX, was a family friend, and his kids were some of my best friends. Just proves once again...it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know,” Don said. “I started as a 17-year old deejay at KFTV (Paris, TX) in 1964, then I moved to KGVL (Greenville, TX) while I was in college. My next station was WFAA radio (Dallas, TX) working in the newsroom where I moved up to morning drive news anchor on that 50,000-watt station.” Don even did week-end TV sports on WFAA-TV (Dallas, TX) where he filled in one time for Verne Lundquist who just retired from CBS Sports as play-by-play announcer. “I was drafted in 1969 and spent my tour of duty at the Southern Command Network in the Panama Canal Zone doing radio and TV news for one year, eight months and eight days (but who counted?).” Don returned to WFAA radio after he got out of the army. Then, he moved to the KRLD radio newsroom, also in Dallas. “In 1973, I was hired as news director (and later farm director) at the Mississippi Radio News Network (Jackson, MS). When that network went out of business, I was hired by the Mississippi Agricultural and News Network as news director.” That network was purchased by the Louisiana Network, and Don was transferred to Baton Rouge late in 1980 as operations Manager. “Then, John Winfield at the (now named) Mississippi Network nudged me back into farm broadcasting, and I'm working on my 30th year as a voting member of NAFB. Best job I've had since 1969!”
