Jim Thompson, Hall of Fame:
2008 Black Hills Stock Show Banquet and Ball
When Jim Thompson, Executive Producer of the syndicated radio talk show Live! With Jim Thompson, walks into the studios at Creative Broadcast Services each day, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge on issues and most importantly, an understanding of people. Hailing from a northwestern South Dakota family with a tradition in ranching and farming, the experiences and principles Jim learned as a young man remain with him today. While Jim travels the country extensively, it is here… the Dakota’s where he calls home.
His professional career encompasses over 40 years in the broadcast industry where he has owned or managed stations in the Dakota’s, Minnesota and Nebraska. He is a past president of the South Dakota Broadcaster’s Association and is a four-time South Dakota Sportscaster of the Year. In April of 2007, Jim was inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
Well known as a professional rodeo announcer, Jim has been selected to announce every major rodeo finals in the country. His unique style and knowledge of people and stock in the sport, brings spectators and contestants alike to a greater understanding and appreciation for the time-honored tradition that is rodeo. Recognized by his peers through such honors as induction into the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Hall of Fame, Jim is now semi-retired from announcing. He continues to share his lifetime of insight with fans through his syndicated radio program, On The Road Again, heard by an estimated 300,000 listeners in an average week.
Serving two terms in the South Dakota Senate, Jim brought independent thought to the political arena that garnered the state national headlines in his efforts and belief that people are best served by a body politic that is truly an open process – where principles are not sacrificed in the interest of partisan politics.
For the past several years, Thompson has also taken his rodeo knowledge to a different medium: the Rapid City Journal. The Journal has trusted him for their coverage of the Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo. His insight into the sport and the contestants adds a dimension that readers appreciate.
Whether at the microphone, the news desk, a rodeo crows nest, or at the podium where Jim brings entertaining and inspiration commentary to a wide variety of audiences, his is a style and voice that commands attention – and has garnered the respect of three generations of listeners and readers.
