Stanley E. Hubbard

Stanley E. Hubbard

Stanley E. Hubbard, founder of Hubbard Broadcasting, one of the most successful and innovative companies in the history of the industry, was a true pioneer. He signed on his first station, WAMD Minneapolis, in 1923. It was the first station ever put on the air with the intention of surviving solely from advertising sales, and the first ever to air a 15-minute daily newscast. He founded KSTP Saint Paul/ Minneapolis, one of the country's most powerful stations, in 1928. Thanks to a deal he made with the Saint Paul Orpheum Theater, KSTP was the first station to put stars like Eddie Cantor, the Marx Brothers, and Jack Benny on the air. In 1938 he bought the first television camera RCA ever sold, and began closed circuit television productions. The television station he founded, KSTP TV, began regular broadcasting in April 1948, the northwest's first television station, and the first to bring local news coverage to television. It was the nation's first NBC TV affiliate and became the nation's first all-color TV station. For his many achievements, the Minnesota Broadcasters Association honored him with its first ever Pioneer Broadcaster award in 1970. He died in 1992.

Halsey Hall

The first person ever to use the expression "Holy Cow!" on a baseball broadcast was one of the region's best loved sportscasters and storytellers, Halsey Hall. Remembered today as a broadcaster, he was also an accomplished journalist whose first newspaper byline appeared in 1919. In 1933 he began broadcasting Minneapolis Millers baseball games on WCCO Minneapolis/Saint Paul. He moved to KSTP Saint Paul/Minneapolis in 1935, and returned to WCCO in 1944. Besides play-by-play announcing for baseball games and University of Minnesota football games, he hosted nightly sportscasts as well. He became a member of the original Minnesota Twins baseball broadcast team for WCCO in 1961, and continued until 1972, when he was presented with a lifetime pass by the American League. He was known for his love of green onions, cigars, and good stories. He died in 1977, but he was not forgotten. In a poll taken two years later, he was voted top Minnesota sportscaster of the 1970s.

Harry Linder

Harry Linder got a late start in radio, but that did not stop him from becoming one of Minnesota's most successful broadcasters. Born in Minneapolis in 1892, he worked in various businesses until 1940, when, at the age of 48, he decided to find the largest town in Minnesota that did not yet have a radio station, and start one there. The town was Willmar, and the station he founded there was KWLM. The city quickly saw the value that radio's instant communication and information could provide in a rural area, especially after the station's important service during the Armistice Day blizzard of November 11, 1940. He went on to build other stations throughout the state, including KMHL Marshall, KDMA Montevideo, KTOE Mankato, and KLGR Redwood Falls. Throughout his career he was active in community and fraternal affairs, and was recognized by his peers for his pioneering achievements in showing the importance of small market radio to rural Minnesota and rural America. He died in 1980.

Carl "Cully" Bloomquist

Carl "Cully" Bloomquist was a pioneer in radio and television in northern Minnesota. Born in Superior, Wisconsin, in 1907, he began his career in broadcasting when he joined the sales force of the new station WDSM Duluth/Superior in 1939. He was promoted to sales manager, and returned to that position at WDSM in 1944, after serving three years in the US Navy. He realized his dream of owning a radio station in 1951, when he purchased WEVE Eveleth, which he owned and operated for more than 30 years, building a tradition of excellence in broadcasting and service to the community. He also founded the Iron Range's first television station, WIRT TV Hibbing, in 1967, and later helped develop cable television systems in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and in Virginia, Minnesota. He died in Florida in 1983.

Robert B. Ridder

Robert B. Ridder's many achievements in broadcasting made him stand out, even in his famous media and publishing family. Born in New York City in 1919, he attended Harvard University and served in the US Coast Guard during World War II before entering the family newspaper business. His broadcasting career began shortly thereafter when he reported news from the Duluth newspapers he worked for on WEBC. He bought WDSM Duluth in 1948. Though some in the company were skeptical about television, he brought the family successfully into the new medium, serving as president of what became WCCO TV Minneapolis/Saint Paul when it went on the air in 1949. In 1952 he became president of WCCO Radio as well. He is remembered not just as a pioneer in radio, television, and media, but also for his many community activities, including the American Red Cross, the Saint Paul Urban League, and the Saint Paul United Fund. He was also a passionate hockey enthusiast who managed the US Olympic hockey team and co-founded the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association. He died in 2000.

Milford C. Jensen

Milford C. Jensen was so eager to begin his career in radio that when he entered Saint Olaf College as a freshman in 1926, the first thing he did after dropping his bags in his dormitory room was to run to the college's radio station and ask for a job. The station was WCAL Northfield. He got the job, and after graduating from Saint Olaf and completing further studies at the University of Minnesota and Columbia University, he returned to WCAL, becoming manager in 1934, a post he held for thirty years. During his tenure he expanded the station's reach by overseeing the establishment of WCAL-FM in 1968. Under his leadership WCAL became a founding member of National Public Radio and helped make Minnesota a leader in high-quality listener-supported radio broadcasting. He retired in 1974. A well respected engineer as well as manager, he was a member of the Institute of Radio Engineers, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and Sigma Pi Sigma, the National Physics Honor Society. He died in 1991.

Charles B. Persons

Charles B. Persons got a vacuum tube for his birthday in 1924. He used it to build a radio, and tuned in WEBC Duluth. Two years later, as soon as he had finished high school, he was working for WEBC. Thus began the career of a true pioneer, one of the most colorful characters in Minnesota radio and cable television. He spent 28 years at WEBC, eventually becoming chief engineer, and helping link WEBC with other Minnesota and Wisconsin stations into the Arrowhead Radio Network. He also pioneered FM broadcasting in the region, building experimental station W9XYH in the late 1930s. The station, which eventually became WEBC-FM, was claimed to be the first FM station west of Chicago. After helping develop radar technology in the Signal Corps during World War II, he returned to Duluth in 1945, and married his wife June, herself a member of the Hall of Fame. He helped build over a dozen radio stations, including WELY Ely and KVBR Brainerd, which he and June owned and operated, as well as cable television systems in Minnesota and Wisconsin. They retired in 1982, grew restless, bought back KVBR, and operated it for another eight years. He died in 1998.

George Brooks

George Brooks used the drive that put him on the air at age 16 at KOVC Valley City, North Dakota, to become a master of broadcast management and a leader in the community. After his first appearance in 1940, he worked his way up and became the KOVC's program director. He later served as program director and news director at KDIX Dickinson, North Dakota, and at KFGO, Fargo, North Dakota. In 1952 he moved to Minnesota and became news director at KSUM Fairmont. In 1956 he became general manager of KMRS Morris, moving to KOTE Fergus Falls in 1959. In 1962 he acquired KCUE Red Wing and made it one of the most successful in the region. He added sister FM station KWNG in 1965, and owned and operated the two stations until selling them in 1981. He has served as a director of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association and the National Association of Broadcasters, and as president of both the Minnesota and North Dakota Associated Press organizations. He is recognized as the most prolific writer of resolutions in Minnesota broadcasting history, and was also instrumental in establishing Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Don Olson & Sylvia Olson-Christensen

Sylvia Olson-Christensen and her late husband Don Olson are the only couple to receive the Minnesota Broadcasters Association's Pioneer Broadcaster award. He entered the broadcasting business in 1949, working as an accountant at KTRF Thief River Falls. He soon became involved in all aspects of the operation, and he and three associates purchased the station in 1954. She joined the station in 1960, hosting "Sylvia's Coffee Time" for 22 years. Their son Jim also entered the business, and is now a television news anchor. They put KOSN FM, a companion but separately programmed FM station, on the air in 1976, and operated and managed the stations until they sold them and retired in 1982. Both were active in community affairs. He served as a county commissioner and as president of the Minnesota Association of Counties, and she has been active in many school, church, and community organizations. He died in 1992.

Henry "Hank" Sampson

Hank Sampson has enjoyed success not only in broadcasting but in business as well. He began his broadcasting career as a student at Saint Olaf College in Northfield, where he worked for three years as an announcer at WCAL. After completing his studies he joined the air staff at WSHB Stillwater in 1953, where he spent four years on the air. He spent the next seven years in the insurance business, but he continued part-time at the station, known then as WAVN, gaining valuable business experience. This served him well, and in 1966, he returned full-time to WAVN and became general manager and part owner of the station. He sold the station, by then operating as WVLE, in 1982, and brought his business expertise to the banking industry, serving as vice president for marketing with the Stillwater-based Washington Federal Savings and Loan. He has served on the Minnesota Broadcasters Association board of directors, and has been a leader in community affairs.

G. David Gentling

G. David Gentling and the Gentling family pioneered radio and television in southern Minnesota. His distinguished broadcasting career began in 1937, when, after attending the University of Minnesota, he joined the sales staff at KROC Rochester, which was owned by his father, Gregory P. Gentling, and had just begun broadcasting in 1935. He served in the US Navy as a flight instructor during World War II. After the war, he returned to KROC and took over as general manager when his father passed away. He put Rochester's first television station, KROC TV, on the air in 1953. He took full control of the Southern Minnesota Broadcasting Company in the middle 1960s, and put KROC FM on the air in 1967. The company sold its television station (now KTTC TV) in 1976 but expanded its radio operations, which now include three stations in Rochester and six in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Always active and respected in the industry and the community, he co-founded the Minnesota Broadcasters Association and was one of its first presidents. He died in 1991.

Jerry Dahlberg

Although he was born and raised in Minneapolis, Jerry Dahlberg enjoyed a long and distinguished career in radio in northwest Minnesota. He spent nearly all of his five decades in broadcasting at KROX Crookston.

After serving in the US Army during World War II, he attended Brown Institute in 1946 and 1947. He started his broadcasting career in July 1947 as an announcer at KTRF Thief River Falls. In 1952 he and his three partners bought KROX, where he continued until selling his interests in the station in 1995. Well known and respected as a broadcaster and a community leader, he has also been honored for his outstanding contributions to high school and college athletics. In 1984 he was inducted into the Red River Valley Winter Shows Hall of Fame, and in 1985 he was named an honorary member of the Mayville State College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rod Hurd

One of the industry's most colorful characters, Rod Hurd was a pioneer and a leader in southeastern Minnesota broadcasting. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, he began his broadcasting career as an announcer and salesman for stations in Iowa, South Dakota, and later managed KFJB Marshalltown, Iowa, and KSFH FM San Francisco, California. He came to KWNO Winona in 1950. He became co-owner in 1961 and served as president and general manager until retiring in 1986. He was a member of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association board of directors for many years, enjoyed tennis and golf, and was active in many civic organizations. He was also known for his unfettered and unconventional editorials about local issues, one of which even appeared in the national press in the "Dear Abby" column. He died in 1992.

Odin S. Ramsland

Odin S. Ramsland was a pioneer in Minnesota television and enjoyed a long and distinguished career as one of northern Minnesota's most successful and most respected broadcasters. He entered broadcasting in 1937 when he joined the sales staff at KDAL Duluth. In 1941 he became the station's commercial manager, and was named vice president and commercial manager in 1945. He helped the station develop its new television operation, now KDHL TV, in 1954. In 1957 he became vice president and general manager of both the radio and television stations, becoming president and general manager in 1974. He retired in 1977. He was a leader in many Duluth community and civic organizations, and was also a leader among his peers, serving as a director for such organizations as Broadcast Music, Inc., and the Minnesota Broadcasters Association. He also served as president of the CBS Radio Board of Affiliates. He died in 1997.

Ned Goodwin

In his long and distinguished career, Ned Goodwin has gained recognition not only for his many achievements in northern Minnesota broadcasting but for his involvement in the community as well. After serving in the military and studying at the University of Minnesota and at Brown Institute, he began his broadcasting career at KMHL Marshall in 1958. In 1959 he moved to KBUN Bemidji, working the overnight shift at first, then afternoons and mornings. He quickly became involved in all aspects of the station's operations. He was named sports director in 1960, news director in 1962, and also worked in sales. He became general manager in 1964, and vice president and general manager in 1967. He built sister FM station KBHP Bemidji in 1972, and served as vice president and general manager until his retirement in 1990. He served for many years as a director and officer of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association. He also served as mayor of Bemidji and has been active in many other community organizations.

Larry Bentson

In his six decades in broadcasting, Larry Bentson has been a leader in virtually every aspect of the industry, from radio to television to cable television to satellite communications. He worked as an engineer/announcer at WMIN Minneapolis/Saint Paul from 1939 to 1943. He returned to WMIN after serving in the US Navy in the Pacific, and by 1950 had become its president. He built one of the Twin Cities' first television stations, WMIN TV Channel 11; South Dakota's first television station, KELO TV Channel 11 Sioux Falls, and three other stations that encompassed that state; and three television stations in Wisconsin. Pioneering Twin Cities FM broadcasting, he coordinated the multi-station antenna complex on the IDS Center in Minneapolis. He built, owned, and operated radio and television stations and cable television systems throughout the Midwest, and introduced cellular telephone service to the area. A past president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, he has served as a director of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Pavek Museum, the University Hospital, and the Variety Club Children's Hospital, and is active in many other broadcasting and charitable organizations.

Glenn Flint

Glenn Flint enjoyed a distinguished career in radio and brought television to central Minnesota. He entered broadcasting in 1941, playing in the house orchestra at WDAY Fargo, North Dakota. After serving in the US Army Corps of Engineers, he returned to WDAY and joined the news department as writer and director. He entered television in 1953 as news director and anchor for the new station WDAY TV. In 1958 he became vice president and general manager for KCMT TV Alexandria (now KCCO TV), the first television station in central Minnesota. He served as the station's general manager until 1987, and also built a sister FM station, KCMT FM Alexandria (now KIKV FM) in 1970. In 1979 he became chairman of North American Communications of Fargo, North Dakota. He was also a past president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association and the Northwest Radio-TV News Association. He died in 1999.

Donald E. Swartz

Don Swartz is a true pioneer in broadcasting and entertainment, one of the first television syndicators and later the leader of one of the country's most successful independent television stations. His career began in the film distribution business in the late 1930s. He entered television in its beginnings in the early 1950s when he began distributing films and other programming to television stations. In 1957 he joined with National Telefilm Associates in acquiring what is now KMSP TV Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and later became president of United Television, which owned stations in Salt Lake City, Utah, San Antonio, Texas, and San Francisco, California, as well as KMSP. Under his leadership, the station acquired an ABC affiliation in 1960. When it became an independent again in 1979, he helped it become one of the best known and most successful independents, reaching eight states over cable systems. He also has been very active in the community, serving as president of the University of Minnesota Heart Hospital, coaching little league baseball, and volunteering in many other organizations.