The dedication ceremony will begin at 12 p.m. in conjunction with the weekly "Live @ Noon" Facebook Live and K-TOR radio show, hosted by Gina Spagnola, President and CEO of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce. Her show broadcasts from the Tor Nation Production headquarters, located in room 2003 at Ball High School on Fridays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. This week’s show will include guests from the Martini family along with additional friends of the station. For the first time, there will be a studio audience during the show.
“We are so excited about celebrating the life of Anita Martini and remembering all of her accomplishments. Through her unyielding grit and tenacity, she is truly a role model for our future media professionals. Her life story will encourage all of our students to pursue those dreams and aspirations that might seem impossible and not allow adversity to stand in the way of personal and professional success.” Exclaims Mike Dudas, Ball's Media Arts Coach and the teacher in charge of station operations.
About K-TOR The Tornado Radio Station:
K-TOR The Tornado is a 24/7 internet radio station operated by the Media Arts students at Ball High School. Its format includes a mix of music from the 70's to the present along with community talk shows, sports and other special events. The studio is located in the worldwide headquarters of Tor Nation Productions at Ball High School.
About Anita Martini:
Anita Martini was born and raised in Galveston and has been referred to as the Jackie Robinson of women’s sports. Due to asthma complications, Martini was bed ridden most of her early childhood. She spent the majority of her days listening to the radio, specifically to baseball and the New York Yankees.
Martini didn’t let her illness hold her back and quickly became a trailblazer for woman in broadcasting. Martini was the first woman to cover a Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1973 and the first female broadcaster to be allowed in a sports locker room in 1974 after the Dodgers defeated the Astros in the Astrodome.
She continued her distinguished broadcast career with Houston TV stations including; KHTV (Ch. 39), KPRC (Ch. 2) and KRIV (Ch. 26) throughout the 70’s and 80’s. Martini also hosted widely popular sports radio talk shows on KULF 790 AM and KPRC 950 AM in the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s.
In 1989, Martini missed open day of Astros due to a diagnosis of a brain tumor that needed immediate surgery. Only two days after the surgery, from her hospital room, she was back on the air with her radio program. Her recovery allowed her to return full time to broadcasting for several more years. In 1993, she lost her battle and passed away.
In 2015, she was named to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
(This post taken from a release sent to me by Galveston ISD)
