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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Local TV History: KDAL Rules!

Well maybe not local to my neck of the woods....
Believe it or not, I found this ruler at the same sale as the pencil box.  Wondering around, we were looking for something to justify our time searching, and nothing was presenting itself, until I saw this.  I work in local TV (The local-est of TV) and having studied it and appreciated it enough to have a Ph.D in it - seeing this made me immediately sympathetic for the team of broadcasters here.
There must have been a real appeal for this broadcasting company to present the bulk of their talent combined on one ruler. "The measure of News-Sports-Entertainment"  is written across the center of this plastic ruler. I had to find out more about these venerable-looking caricatures. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in my search for who these guys were, and when they were on the air. TV and Radio personalities and their biographies can usually be pieced together from several web searches, but little exists except for some of the stations' history here.(Wiki-P)
Looks like these 2 teams were faces and voices of KDAL-TV and KDAL 610-Radio via Duluth Minnesota through much of the 50's and 60's, and some even into the 70's. I was hoping to find a photo of each, but was only able to find 2.
John Russell from the TV side must have been filling in for the
AM side with a couple of friends
Dick Anthony From the AM side
 Eventually, mergers and acquisitions took their toll on every station. Try to follow the history of any broadcasting company from the 50's through today and I dare you to keep from getting dizzy. I think this ruler is in amazing shape for being over 40 years old.

1 comment:

  1. Several of those guys are listed in a 1948 WDAL listening guide, but I think all the photos and links on the page are broken:
    http://history.twinportsbroadcasting.com/kdal/kdal-48.html )

    KDAL TV3 came on the air in 1954. Weatherman Gordy Paymar came over from the then-recently-failed WFTV. Here's a two pics of Paymar at channel 38:
    http://attic.areavoices.com/2011/06/02/duluths-first-television-station-wftv/

    Marsh Nelson was a sportscaster on KDAL-
    TV from the 50's into the 90's. Died in '97.
    Here's a good photo:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marsh-Nelson-Sportscaster-Announcer-Bio-1991SEE-/330580283782

    Pat Caddigan is actually STILL on the air at KDAL Radio. He worked there from '61 to '74, and returned in '82 to do the morning show, and he is still on the air. Here's the show's website:
    http://kdal610.com/kdal-morning-show/ and here's Pat Caddington's blog:
    http://kdal610.com/blogs/pats-blog/.

    Earl Henton is in the Minnesota Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Here's his bio and photo:
    http://www.pavekmuseum.org/Henton.htm

    I'm guessing that ruler is from early/mid 60s. Bet he'd like to see a good photo of it...maybe he could pin down the year.

    I love this stuff. Big fan of local radio and 50's TV (anywhere) from WWII thru about 1970. Nice catch.

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