Harold Johnson

Year Inducted: 2016

Harold Johnson started his broadcast career at WSIC radio in Statesville, where he hosted a music program called "The HaJo Show." While at WSIC, he met Jim Thacker of WBTV and was hired as weekend sports anchor. He also served as morning co-host with Bob Lacey and the play-by-play announcer and pre-game host for the Charlotte Hornets and the World Football League. He also covered The Masters for ABC radio.

Late in 1979, Johnson moved to WSOC-TV. In 1980, Johnson became the station's sports director. During his 26 years there, "The Big Guy" covered the NBA Hornets and Bobcats, NASCAR, the NFL Carolina Panthers and college basketball teams from North Carolina that reached the Final Four. In 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1995, Johnson received the Emmy for Outstanding Sportscasting . He was also nominated in 1997 and 1999. Johnson also played a role in moving WSOC-TV from a distant second in the TV news ratings to first place. He was also noted for being the first to announce that Charlotte had its first NBA team. In 2000, Sports Illustrated referred to Johnson as "the dean of Charlotte sportscasters.” In 2009, The Charlotte Observer named Johnson as Number One on its list of top sportscasters in Charlotte. The Observer’s Langston Wertz Jr. said " He was once as a big a celebrity locally as many of the people he interviewed. His 'Big Guy' persona was ESPN before there was ESPN."

At the inaugural Iredell County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2016, Johnson was honored as the namesake and given its first Harold Johnson Community Partner Award established to recognize citizens who have contributed to athletics in Iredell County.