By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Longtime Topeka broadcaster Mike Manns will be inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame on Oct. 22 as part of the association's class of 2023, honoring his 50-plus years in broadcasting.
Mike Manns
Manns, who began his broacasting career in Topeka in 1972, continues to provide play-by-play coverage for area high school football and basketball games even though he retired from reporting the news in '18.
Awards and recognition include receiving the KAB’s Hod Humiston Award for Outstanding Contributions to Sports Broadcasting in 2010.
Manns received the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s Oscar Stauffer sportscaster's award in '10 and '12 and the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association award in '09.
He received awards from the University of Kansas for women’s basketball play-by-play in '94, '95, and '96.
Manns received a recognition award from Robinson Middle School, where he coached football for 22 seasons.
Manns holds the Guinness Book of World Records for Longest Running Morning Show in Radio: Hooker & Manns. They were on air (107.7 KMAJ) for 33 years.
Manns took his first radio job in '69 at KNBI in Norton, where he covered the morning drive, teen time and high school sports.
In '70 Manns entered the United States Navy, attending Sonar School, and in 1972 after an honorable discharge, he joined Midland Broadcasting in Topeka as their afternoon newsman.
Four years later he became the station's news and sports director and continued in that capacity through the sale of Midland Broadcasting to Cumulus.
During that 45-year span, he served in numerous additional roles.
Manns was a sports anchor at KSNT TV from 1979-1981, a WIBW TV sports reporter from '82-'84 and hosted KTKA Television’s Post Game Scoreboard show from '85-'87.
Mike and his wife, Vickie, have been married for 43 years and have two daughters, Lacie and Kaylee. His hobbies include riding his Harley and attending his granddaughter’s sporting events.
The KAB Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony will be held on Oct. 22 in Overland Park.
