Bob Snyder grew up in sports talk radio as a general manager of stations in Washington and Chicago, among other jobs. Now a radio consultant, he and his wife Michele want to honor the genre that has changed the dynamic in sports.

They are the driving forces behind the 2012 National Sports Radio Awards Show at the Chicago Theater on Oct. 6. The event will celebrate 25 years of the sports talk format, which began with the founding of WFAN in 1987. Fittingly, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Emmis Chairman and WFAN Founder Jeff Smulyan.

All told there will be 11 awards. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon have been named the honorary chairman of the event.

For the Snyders, the event is personal in another way. Proceeds will benefit the Parent Heart Watch, a national organization committed to preventing sudden cardiac arrest among youth; the number one cause of death of young athletes. In 2008, they lost their daughter Jenny when she died suddenly on a soccer field.

Here’s the link with more information. I’ll have more posts leading up to the event. It promises to be a memorable evening.