Tom Becka and Jeff Koterba discuss their craft, and how, when the dust settles at the end of the day, they can agree to disagree as friends.

You’ve seen Tom Becka on TV and have heard him on radio. Larger-than- life personality, trademarked voice espousing his opinions on the latest controversy. You’ve seen Jeff Koterba’s cartoons, pen and ink arrows quietly sharpened at his drawing table and directed at newsmakers. Different mediums. With sometimes differing points of view. But through their words and images they tell a story in the form of commentary—concise and to the point. How do they do it, day after day? Where do they get their ideas? Competitors with Omaha’s—and the country’s—best interest at heart.

Tom Becka
Tom Becka can be seen every night during Omaha’s Fox 42 News at 9 giving his unique views on what’s happening in Omaha and the rest of the world. His Becka’s Beat can be humorous, poignant, serious, or whimsical. But they are always informative, entertaining and on point. Becka’s Beat is also available on demand at Fox42KPTM.com. He is also a nationally-recognized radio talk show host currently heard Monday-Friday on legendary Kansas City radio station KCMO. Formerly of KFAB and KOIL in Omaha, Tom has been named one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in America ten times by Talkers magazine and one of the Top 25 local hosts in America by Newsmax magazine. He has also been a fill-in host for nationally-syndicated radio shows and on WLS in Chicago and many others.
Prior to his career in radio and TV, Tom spent a number of years traveling the country telling stories as a stand up comic. He performed with such greats as Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, Sam Kinnison, Darrel Hammond, Drew Carey, and the rock band, Chicago to name a few. He is also author of the Amazon bestselling book, There’s No Business Without The Show, where he applies the communication skills he learned as a stand up comic to the world of sales and business. A man with varied accomplishments and life experiences, Tom is not afraid to speak out when others remain silent.

Jeff Koterba
Since joining the Omaha World-Herald in 1989, Jeff Koterba has been a finalist for Editorial Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society—2002—and has twice placed second in the National Headliner Awards—2000 and 2012. In 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2016, he won first place for editorial cartooning in the Great Plains Journalism Awards. His cartoons are distributed through King Features Syndicate to 400 newspapers nationwide, and have appeared in such publications as The New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today, and on CNN. In 2010, two of Koterba’s original drawings flew aboard space shuttle Discovery. His memoir, Inklings (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) traces Koterba’s path on his journey to become a cartoonist, and more so, to rediscover the love of his family that was there from the start. Inklings was named a Chicago Tribune Favorite Nonfiction book of 2009. Entertainment Weekly called Inklings ”…a powerful and moving portrait of an artist.” Koterba’s band, Prairie Cats, has performed at the South by Southwest music festival, The Derby in Hollywood, Windows on the World at the World Trade Center, and at the National Cartoonists Society Reuben awards.