I admit it. I got a lump in my throat when I read this release from Learfield Communications about naming Studio D, the Derry Brownfield Studio. The first image that came to my mind was seeing Derry in his chair getting ready for his talk show. He would start snapping his fingers and bounce around in his chair saying, “Let’s get whomped up!” Yeah man. He used to whomp up a lot of people! Thank you Clyde Lear and company for doing this. Here’s Clyde pictured with Derry’s wife Verni at the naming ceremony. Thanks to Tom Steever for the photo. Sure wish I could have been there.
When Derry Brownfield and Clyde Lear teamed up to start a farm radio network nearly forty years ago, neither of them could have dreamed their brand new company would become what it is today: America’s largest agricultural radio network service and one of the country’s leading sports marketing firms. Brownfield died on March 12, 2011 and his contribution as a company founder is being commemorated by the naming of the Derry Brownfield Studio at Learfield Communications.
The company Lear and Brownfield started was called Missouri Network, Inc., which changed its name to Learfield Communications, Inc. in 1982. “Learfield” was a combination of the names of the two founders. Today, the Brownfield Ag News radio network is heard throughout the heartland on more than 320 radio stations and Learfield Sports owns the collegiate multi-media rights to over 50 major universities, including the University of Missouri.
The studio, where for years Brownfield hosted his daily talk show, is situated next to the newsrooms for Brownfield Ag News and the Missourinet, another Learfield-owned service. “Derry Brownfield was not only my business partner, but also my friend. It’s wonderful to be able to honor him and recognize not only his contribution to the formation of this company, but also his stature in the agriculture community as one of the country’s most-listened to farm broadcasters,” said Lear, Learfield Communications’ chairman.
The commemoration ceremony at the Learfield building was attended by members of the Brownfield family and employees of Learfield.
Here’s a video clip from the ceremony: