Patrick Gottsch

Born and raised in Elkhorn, Nebraska, Patrick grew up on his family's farm and cattle feeding operation and learned first-hand the importance rural America plays in the everyday lives of Americans. After attending college at Sam Houston State University in Texas, he moved to Chicago in 1977 and worked as a commodity broker on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange until 1982. Patrick then returned to his home state of Nebraska where he started E.T. Installations, a company that sold and installed C-band home satellites. Working with Birdview Satellite Broadcast and Communication Association (SBCA), E.T. Installations introduced over 2,000 satellites into the Midwest and was recognized as the nation's largest privately owned home satellite retailer in 1987.

In March 1991, Patrick moved to Fort Worth, Texas and served as the Director of Sales for Superior Livestock Auction from 1992 to 1996. Superior Livestock Auction was the first to introduce satellite video marketing to the livestock industry and has since grown to become the largest livestock auction enterprise in the United States.

Pulling all of these experiences together, Patrick decided to dedicate himself full-time to creating a 24-hour rural television network. In December 2000, Rural Free Delivery Television (RFD-TV) was successfully launched on DISH Network. Distribution of this one-of-a-kind station expanded to DIRECTV in March 2002 with all major cable agreements quickly to follow including Mediacom, Charter, Optimum, Suddenlink, Comcast, AT&T/U-verse, Time Warner Cable, Bright House, and Cox. Today, RFD-TV is available in more than 50 million homes nationwide. Rural Media Group, Inc. has since expanded to include RFD-TV The Magazine (2003), RFD HD (2008), RURAL TV (2009), and most recently RURAL RADIO (2013) on SiriusXM channel 147.

Patrick lives in his hometown of Elkhorn where his brother continues to raise corn and soybeans. Patrick has three daughters—Raquel, Gatsby and Rose. Raquel currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications for Rural Media Group, Inc. and both Raquel and Gatsby currently serve on the Company's Board of Directors.

Jake Tapper

CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joined the network in January 2013. His one-hour weekday program The Lead with Jake Tapper debuted in March 2013. Tapper was named host of the network's Sunday morning show, State of the Union in June 2015.  Tapper imparts his political expertise on State of the Union by conducting interviews with top newsmakers on politics and policy, covering Washington, the country and the world. The Lead seeks to examine and advance stories that demonstrate Tapper's own curiosities and interests with headlines from around the country and the globe, from politics to money, and sports to popular culture.  Tapper has been a widely-respected reporter in the nation's capital for more than 14 years. His most recent book, The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, debuted in the top 10 on The New York Times best seller list.

"Bo-Monday" with Bo Dietl

Richard “Bo” Dietl was a New York City Police Officer and Detective from June 1969 until he retired in 1985.  Bo was one of the most highly decorated detectives in the history of the police department, with several thousand arrests to his credit.  There were two particular cases that represent his career highlights.  The first was what former New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch labeled “...the most vicious crime in New York City history” (1981) which involved a nun who was raped and tortured in an East Harlem convent as 27 crosses were carved into her by two men, who later confessed and were convicted.  The second was the Palm Sunday Massacre in 1984, which was one of New York City’s most bloody mass slayings, of ten people.  Bo was instrumental in the arrest and conviction of the suspects in both cases.

In 1986, Bo was nominated for the U.S. Congress by the Republican and Conservative parties of New York State for the 6th Congressional District (to fill the seat of the late Joseph Addabbo). In a 7-1 Democratic District, the Rev. Floyd Flake edged out Bo by a mere 2,500 votes - one of the closest races in New York history. 

President George Bush appointed Bo as Co-Chairman of the National Crime Commission.  Governor George E. Pataki appointed Bo Chairman of the New York State Security Guard Advisory Council.  He served as Security Consultant to the National Republican Convention and as Director of Security for the New York State Republican Convention

Richard “Bo” Dietl is the Founder & Chairman of Beau Dietl & Associates. Founded in 1985, Beau Dietl & Associates has grown to become one of the premier investigative and security firms in the nation and is a full service organization providing a wide

Congressman Peter King

Congressman Peter T. King, a Republican, is serving his thirteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, being reelected in November 2016 with 62.5% of the vote.

Rep. King is a member of the Homeland Security Committee and Chairman of the Sub-Committee on [Counterterrorism and Intelligence]. He also serves on the Financial Services Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Congressman King, who previously served as Chairman of the Committee in 2005-2006 and again in 2011-2012, has been a leader in homeland security and is a strong supporter of the war against international terrorism, both at home and abroad. As Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, he stood up to the pressure from special interest groups and the media to hold a series of hearings on Islamic radicalization. Chairman King led the fight to continue funding to the Secure the Cities Program to protect the New York-Long Island region from nuclear dirty bomb attacks.

During his years in Congress, Rep. King has attained a reputation for being well-informed and independent. Following the ravages of Superstorm Sandy, Rep. King led the successful fight in Congress to obtain $60.4 billion in emergency funding for the victims of the storm. Even Newsday has admitted that Congressman King is a "stand-up guy who isn’t shy about tangling with the powerful, even those in his own party. King has become a national figure who delivers for the region and his district."

Rep. King is a strong supporter of law enforcement, our military and has fought hard to bring veterans’ benefits into the 21st century. Congressman King is also a strong supporter of funding to combat deadly illnesses such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. He has also received the AARP's Legislative Leadership Award for combating elder abuse and exploitation.

Prior to serving in Congress, Pete King was elected to three terms as the Comptroller of Nassau County. Before serving in county government, Rep. King had extensive experience as a practicing attorney and civic leader. He began his political career in November 1977 by winning election to the Hempstead Town Council. Rep. King is a member of numerous civic organizations including the Knights of Columbus, Knights of Pythias, AMVETS and the Fighting 69th Veterans Corps.

Pete King was born on April 5, 1944 in Manhattan and was raised in Queens. He is a graduate of St. Francis College, Brooklyn, and the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is a lifelong resident of New York and has lived in Nassau County for almost 50 years. Rep. King and his wife, Rosemary, reside in Seaford. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Ed O'Bannon

Ed O'Bannon led the UCLA men's basketball team to the 1995 NCAA Basketball Championship. He received the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award and won numerous other awards, including the John Wooden Award, which recognizes the best college basketball player in the country. O'Bannon was the ninth player selected in the 1995 NBA Draft and enjoyed a 10-year professional basketball career. After retiring from the game, O'Bannon entered the car dealership industry. In 2009, O'Bannon filed a federal lawsuit against the NCAA and Electronic Arts. In a landmark decision, which was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals, O'Bannon defeated the NCAA. O'Bannon received no compensation from the case. O'Bannon, who is from Los Angeles, now resides in Henderson, Nevada with his wife, Rosa. They have three children.