A lifelong passion sparked by a childhood encounter at a hardware store has led Dave Allen to one of the highest honors in his profession. Allen, a mainstay of West Virginia airwaves and a current voice for MetroNews, has been named as part of the 2026 West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame class.
The announcement, delivered Thursday by Hall of Fame founder and member Tom Ressler, recognizes a group of industry veterans defined by their endurance and dedication to the craft. Allen joins a cohort of six other broadcasting professionals who have shaped the media landscape across the Mountain State, from local radio booths in Logan to major television newsrooms in Charleston, and Huntington.
For Allen, the induction is the culmination of 38 years in a business he describes as the greatest job in the world. His career has spanned several decades and multiple roles, establishing him as a broadcasting journeyman who remained rooted in the communities he served.
A childhood spark in Beckley
The trajectory of Allen’s career can be traced back to a single moment of childhood wonder. While visiting Beckley with his grandparents at the age of five, Allen happened upon a live remote broadcast taking place at a local hardware store. The scene—a crowd of roughly 200 people gathered for a prize giveaway—captured his imagination instantly.
Recalling the event during the announcement, Allen described the magic of the medium: “The announcer said, ‘We’ll give a way the big prize when we come back.’ and they sent it back to the station to play a record. I thought this is the coolest damn job I’ve ever seen in my life, I want to do this.”
That early fascination translated into immediate action once Allen reached adolescence. He began his professional journey at WLOG Radio in his hometown of Logan while still in high school, a path he continued while pursuing his education at Marshall University. This early start provided the foundation for a career characterized by stability and local impact, including a 26-year tenure at WVOW in Logan.
Today, Allen serves as the host of 580-Live and co-hosts MetroNews Midday on the network’s flagship station, WCHS. His transition from local Logan radio to a statewide platform reflects the “longevity” that Tom Ressler noted as a common thread among the 2026 inductees.
The 2026 West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame class
The 2026 class is not merely a collection of names, but a map of West Virginia’s media history. Ressler emphasized that the inductees share a “common sense” and a deep-seated love for broadcasting, often starting their careers in the same way Allen did—during their student years.
The class includes a diverse array of talent across radio, television, and industry leadership:
- Susan Nicholas: A veteran of WSAZ TV for nearly 40 years, Nicholas has become a household name as a news anchor and reporter. Currently co-anchoring “Studio 3” and “First Look at 4,” her career began in high school in Milton, W.Va.
- Randy Yohe: A multi-media journalist with a career spanning WSAZ TV (1988-2012) and WOWK TV (2014-2017). Yohe currently serves as the Huntington/Marshall University Bureau Chief for West Virginia Public Broadcasting and teaches broadcast journalism as an adjunct professor at Marshall University.
- Michelle Crist: The outgoing Executive Director of the West Virginia Broadcasters Association. Serving from 1996 to 2026, Crist was instrumental in organizing the Hall of Fame and lobbying for commercial stations at both state and federal levels.
- Will Shumate: Known to generations of listeners in Beckley as “Cowboy Will,” Shumate spent 48 years in the business, most notably hosting the morning show on WJLS-Radio.
- Alan Dye: A 40-year veteran of WDTV in Bridgeport, where he served as Creative Services Director after starting his career as a 19-year-old intern videographer.
- Jim Damron: A Charleston-based professional who served as program director for WCAW Radio and a DJ for WVAF. Beyond the booth, Damron worked as a stage manager and voice actor, including a small role in the film Forrest Gump.
Preserving the legacy of the airwaves
The induction of these professionals serves as a living history of how information and entertainment have reached West Virginians over the last half-century. From the “Cowboy Will” era of community radio to the modern multi-platform journalism practiced by Randy Yohe and Susan Nicholas, the class represents the evolution of the medium.
The recognition is managed in partnership with the Museum of Radio and Technology in Huntington, an institution dedicated to preserving the hardware and the human stories behind the signals. By honoring figures like Michelle Crist, who spent three decades advocating for the industry’s viability, the Hall of Fame acknowledges that broadcasting is as much about administration and advocacy as it is about on-air personality.
| Inductee | Primary Affiliation | Key Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Allen | MetroNews/WCHS | 38 years in broadcasting. 26 years at WVOW |
| Susan Nicholas | WSAZ TV | Nearly 40 years as anchor/reporter |
| Will Shumate | WJLS-Radio | 48-year career as “Cowboy Will” |
| Alan Dye | WDTV TV | 40-year tenure as Creative Services Director |
| Michelle Crist | WV Broadcasters Assoc. | Executive Director from 1996 to 2026 |
For Allen, the honor is a reminder of the enduring appeal of the “live” experience. Even in an era of podcasts and digital streaming, the thrill of the remote broadcast—the same thrill he felt at a hardware store in Beckley decades ago—remains the heart of the profession.
The members of the 2026 class will be formally inducted during the annual ceremony in October at the Museum of Radio and Technology in Huntington.
Do you have a favorite memory of these West Virginia broadcasting legends? Share your stories in the comments below.
