Feting Ken Cook, Mike Roberts in the GAB Hall of Fame

Cook spent 35 years as chief meteorologist at WAGA-TV before retiring from the Fox affiliate last year. Roberts was the morning host at V-103 for 12 years from 1986 to 1988 and has owned radio stations ever since, including currently an R&B station in Macon.

Despite disparate careers, the two have crossed paths. Roberts remembers decades ago hosting a radio sponsored gig at a club catering to blacks and recalls Cook strolling in, apparently unawares, much to Roberts' bemusement, even years later.

Fox 5's Russ Spencer introduced Cook, saying he not only had a hall of fame career but "a Hall of Fame life." He noted Cook's love for wildlife and fauna, that his home off Lake Lanier is "a paradise of flowering tress and shrubs."

Spencer also said he could gauge how serious a weather event would be by how Cook was dressed. "If he took his jacket off, it's time to start paying attention," Spencer said. "If he rolls up his sleeves,  be prepared to take the kids downstairs. If he loosens his tie, well, it's time to call the National Guard!"

Cook during his speech made a plea to stop overplaying crime stories because "it's depressing," he said. But weather? He can never have enough. "I think weather has a great advantage. It's always breaking. It's always changing. It's always live. You can show beautiful maps and data and information on a big screen you can't convey on a handheld device."

Thomas Bacote, market manager for IHeartRadio Macon and Roberts' morning show producer at V-103 from 1989 to 1994, said Roberts is "100 percent genuine in what he does... He is my mentor. He is my friend." He admired how dedicated Roberts was bringing community leaders and issues onto the air, whether it was Hosea Williams or Joseph Lowry.

Roberts repeated that statement, saying he deeply believes in "local radio... It's about service to our communities. That's all I ever wanted to do."

He also thanked Rick Mack, now general manager for Star 94 but GM back with V-103 from 1989 to 1996, who was in attendance. "He did me a favor making it clear to me that he and I could work things out without having some high paid agent involved. We negotiated many a contract together. Rick took care of me... If he hadn't been there, I would not have been in the position to get in broadcast ownership."

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho