2023 Inductee Jeff Hite

For your kind and joyous spirit.

For igniting countless careers.

For decades of elevating product, people and purpose.

Thank you for 40+ years of brilliance at KHQ.

Jeff Hite is a cultivator of passion and potential. His entire 43-year broadcast career unfolded in his hometown of Spokane at the locally owned station, KHQ-TV. Jeff started as a part-time news photographer, progressing to Chief Photographer, and holding positions as operations manager, executive producer and assistant news director. He now serves as director of recruiting for 10 stations in Washington and Montana.

Jeff shot thousands of stories, from the Olympics to the Rose Bowl, to a sister city documentary taking his crew to Germany and an international manhunt that led him to Ireland. Jeff won an Emmy in 2014 for breaking news coverage of the Carlton Complex fires in central Washington.

Jeff has taught classes of middle and high school students about journalism and helped hundreds of young journalists launch their careers and grow their skills. Jeff holds special weekly “Office Hours” meetings to make sure he’s available for young journalists in the company. For years, he’s sent out a weekly “Tiny Tip Tuesday” on topics ranging from story ideas to screen direction.

For many years, Jeff was a volunteer firefighter, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He fought many wildfires and house fires. The experience gave him unique insight while working as a news photographer. Always a champion of the physically and intellectually challenged, Jeff worked as a coach with Special Kids basketball and soccer teams for years, and he was a ski instructor with an adaptive ski program for the physically challenged for over 20 years.