Texas Broadcasters Eye Revenue, Tech at Blowout 2026 TAB Show

- Top Honors for Broadcast Leaders, Public Service

The days were long but fast-paced as nearly 1,200 registrants swept through the 2026 TAB Show and its 115 exhibit booths, taking in a slew of content offerings focused on growing revenue, strengthening audience engagement, and leveraging new technology for greater efficiency.

The Aug. 5-6 event featured more than 25 programs for engineers, IT teams, marketing leaders, and Radio programmers and managers, showcasing insights from some of the most respected thought leaders in the industry and beyond.

Among the top draws were Gordon Borrell's expansive program on digital revenue strategies, UT Austin Athletic Director Chris Del Conte's Breakfast for Champions keynote, sessions on AI in sales and engineering, and the well-trafficked trade show which featured more than 100 of the industry's leading vendors of technology and services supporting Radio and Television stations and their multiplatform operations.

Leadership, Public Service Awards
KVUE-TV Austin anchor Quita Culpepper expertly emceed the Awards Gala where Bryan Broadcasting's Ben Downs was bestowed TAB's Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary contributions to the industry as a broadcaster and industry advocate while serving as a director of the NAB Board and the TAB Board which he has chaired twice.

Jan Fritz, owner/operator of KFAN Fredericksburg, was honored as Pioneer of the Year, while Paul Gleiser of ATW Media in Tyler and Ward Huey of KETK-TV in Tyler were named Radio and Television Broadcaster of the Year, respectively.

Legendary engineer Steve Hasskamp received the George Marti Award for Engineering Excellence and KBTX-TV Bryan's Rusty Surrette took home the Jason Hightower Award for Broadcast Excellence.

Ross Video's Harry Friedman showered Gala guests with branded socks in an energetic and lighthearted acceptance of his Associate of the Year Award, while talent whisperer and educator Phyllis Slocum of the University of North Texas was honored with the Educator of the Year award.

Cox Media Group San Antonio and KXAN-TV Austin were celebrated as the Radio and TV Stations of the Year, respectively.

The Bonner McLane Public Service Award was presented to six stations according to market size, including KTAB/KRBC-TV Abilene, KETK-TV Tyler-Longview, WFAA-TV Dallas-Fort Worth, Ranch Radio Group in Kerrville, KURV/KBUC Rio Grande Valley and KCBI Dallas-Fort Worth.

New Location, Timeframe for 2027 TAB Show

Planning already is underway for the 2027 TAB Show which will settle into the JW Marriott in Downtown Austin for a four-year run on Aug. 3-4, shifting to a Tuesday-Wednesday pattern.

Broadcasters and exhibitors are invited to share their recommendations for next year's program directly to TAB, and vendors interested in exhibiting should contact TAB's Sydney Herrmann.

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.