CINCINNATI — Four WCPO 9 veteran journalists have been named to the Greater Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ) Hall of Fame as a part of the 2024 class — including long-running sports duo John Popovich and Dennis Janson.
Popovich was often referred to as the "voice" of Cincinnati sports for 40 years. For more than 33 years, Popo talked sports, interviewed sports celebs and took calls on the longest-running sports talk show on TV, "Sports Of All Sorts."
"I didn't start thinking I was going to do that,” Popo said about working four decades at WCPO. “I was like everyone else – thinking I would go to Davenport, Iowa, to Cincinnati to New York. You know. But they kept giving me things to do – new things, interesting things.”
Popovich interviewed several celebrities over the years, including Muhammad Ali while he was getting a haircut at an Avondale barbershop. But he didn't care if you were a legend. He loved telling stories about anyone, from kids playing street hockey to a local rugby team to an 86-year-old high jumper.
“I probably got just as much satisfaction from talking about the everyday Joe who could spin a ball on his finger or do something interesting,” Popo said.
Popo was joined most nights by fellow sports anchor Dennis "DJ" Janson. DJ was with the station for 30 years himself. Janson will also be inducted in the SPJ Hall of Fame.
From breaking the news of Johnny Bench's retirement to his many candid interviews with Bengals founder Paul Brown, DJ also made his mark on Cincinnati's sports scene.
The full list of WCPO 9 alumni being inducted is the following:
- Ken Broo | WCPO-TV sports anchor/reporter
- Dennis Janson | WCPO-TV sports anchor
- John Popovich | WCPO-TV sports director
- Betsy Ross | WCPO anchor; the first female sports reporter in Cincinnati
All of the journalists will be inducted at a gala on Sept. 16 held at the Great American Ball Park's Bally Sports Club.
Click here to learn more about the honorees.
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