Bill Beckett

Bill became Program Director for Red River Radio in January 2010. He is an honors graduate from Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he was also inducted into the Golden Key National Honor Society. He began his professional career in 1985 as Traffic Manager and Recording Engineer for WGTE-FM in Toledo Ohio, where he later served as Operations Manager. While in Ohio he taught beginning and advanced multi-track recording studio techniques at his Alma Mater, Bowling Green State University. In 1990 Bill accepted the position as Program Director for WUFT-FM in Gainesville Florida, serving there for 19 years. He is a seasoned radio producer of both music and documentaries programs and has been honored with numerous awards over his career from the Ohio Educational Broadcasters, the Florida Associated Press, the National Association of Community Broadcasters, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Council on Contemporary Families, and The Radio and Television News Directors Association. In 2000 he was a co-recipient National Edward R. Murrow Award: Best Documentary for the program Apalachicola Doin’ Time, along with co-producer Donna Green-Townsend and student associate producers Daniel Beasley and Joshua Azriel. He was co-recipient of a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for the documentaries Ground Water Garrison  (2003) and The Long Road  (2007). 

     Bill has a passion for art, music, theatre, literature, and film. He also has a keen interest in history, the sciences, and politics and he brings this broad range of interests and knowledge to his role as Programmer and Producer.