The Connecticut Broadcasters Association honored five broadcasting veterans with induction into its 2026 Hall of Fame and recognized radio and television professionals and stations across the state during an awards ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The event, held at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, included the association's annual station awards, known as the CBAs, recognizing achievements in journalism, programming, broadcasting and community service.
"The CBAs and Hall of Fame Induction evening give us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the incredible talent and dedication of Connecticut's radio and television professionals," said Jennifer Parsons, president of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association.
Parsons said the event also provides an opportunity for broadcasters from across the state to gather and recognize their colleagues' work.
The five inductees represent decades of experience in Connecticut radio and television.
Keith Kountz: A longtime anchor at WTNH News 8, Kountz joined the station in 1987 as a general assignment reporter before becoming an anchor. After working briefly in Jacksonville, Florida, he returned to WTNH in 2000.
In 1999, Kountz became the first Black person to serve as the primary anchor of an evening newscast at a Connecticut television station. He received the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle Award in 2010, recognizing more than 25 years of contributions to television.
Mike Lapitino: A Connecticut radio personality for more than four decades, Lapitino marked his 40th anniversary at 99.1 WPLR in 2026.
Born in New York City, Lapitino moved to Connecticut in 1964. He began his radio career during Memorial Day weekend in 1976 and joined WPLR in 1986.
For the past 29 years, Lapitino has hosted the Mike Lapitino Golf Tournament, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for women's health care and breast cancer awareness in Connecticut.
Bob Maxon: A meteorologist at NBC Connecticut since 1995, Maxon has spent more than three decades forecasting weather for Connecticut viewers.
A Cornell University graduate with a bachelor's degree in meteorology, Maxon began his broadcasting career in Ithaca and Binghamton, New York, before spending six years at WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire.
His career has included coverage of Hurricane Bob, the Blizzard of 1996, the Presidents Day Blizzard of 2003, Tropical Storm Irene, Superstorm Sandy and the Blizzard of 2013.
Maxon has received the American Meteorological Society's Seal of Approval for weather forecasting and broadcasting. He has also supported several community organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Special Olympics, Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance and American Heart Association.
Courtney Nadeau: A longtime personality at Hartford's KISS 95.7 (WKSS-FM), Nadeau has worked at the station for more than 30 years.
Her career includes early appearances on the station's morning program with Ross Brittain. She currently hosts "Courtney & KISS in the Morning," a weekday program featuring entertainment, pop culture, humor and listener interaction.
Nadeau has remained with the station through changes in the radio industry, maintaining a career spanning three decades.
Mike Rice: A former president of Nutmeg Broadcasting Company, Rice helped oversee his family's ownership of WILI-AM and WILI-FM in Willimantic.
The Rice family owned the stations for 46 years before selling them to Hall Communications in 2005.
Rice, a broadcast engineer and former station owner, also worked on national broadcasting issues involving Federal Communications Commission regulations and technical matters.
He served as chairman of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association from 2000 to 2001 and as its president through 2013.
During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Rice helped provide statewide updates about broadcasters' efforts to remain on the air and serve their communities.
The association also announced winners in 20 categories recognizing individual broadcasters, stations, programming and community initiatives.
The winners were:
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