Author
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Topic: Bill Larson, ABC Radio journalist (1933-2017)
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-04-2017 06:33 PM
Bill Larson, a communicator, broadcast journalist and news director whose work covering the space program earned him a place among "The Chroniclers" at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, died on Wednesday (Oct. 4), according to fellow journalist Jim Banke. Larson was 84.From NASA's profile: Possessing a rich, dramatic voice it was only natural for him to go to work in radio, television and movies. WKKO in Cocoa was the first of a string of stations and the place where he had the chance to cover the very early rocket launches of 1957. After brief sojourns to stations in Colorado Springs, Omaha and Amarillo, he was hired as news director for WMEG in Melbourne, Fla., where he helped set up a news service called CKSN to supply stations throughout the southeast with launch coverage of manned missions beginning with Gemini. The service also helped newsmen get needed rest by providing space mission coverage every 15 minutes. Following the demise of CKSN Larson worked for other area radio stations providing the same type of coverage through the Apollo 11 moon landing. That meant news people, with the exception of Larson and his partners, could go home or back to the motel and still keep track of the latest happenings.Larson's nose for news was not simply confined to the space program. In the mid-1960s he knew Disney was quietly buying up land outside of Orlando but was closed-mouth about the project. Based on research underway into potential living quarters on the moon and on some trips being taken by county commissioners, Larson reported that Disney had a "domed city" of the future on the drawing boards. None of the other media, with the exception of the Melbourne Times, picked up the story since Disney was not announcing it... but two years later Disney had a big press conference in Orlando to announce just such a project. On the other hand, Larson refuses to divulge the identity of the hapless radio broadcaster who could not ad lib. As a result the unnamed news announcer always read from a prepared script. When the engines on one Titan rocket during Gemini were ignited, he read his "lift-off" as though the manned rocket was soaring skyward. Unfortunately the engines had shut down before liftoff... so thinking quickly and recalling he had seen something about hold-down arms, he smoothly continued, reporting that two giant hold down arms had reached up and brought the rocket safely back to the pad. By 1970, Larson's expert broadcast reporting of America's space program had reached ears in New York and he was hired by ABC Radio to anchor their regular news broadcasts and continue coverage of the space program. During his 10 years at ABC News in New York he provided live "pool" coverage of "splashdown" recovery operations in the South Pacific for two of the Skylab missions and the Apollo 14 mission for the major broadcast networks and anchored other Apollo launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center for ABC. Serving as ABC co-anchor with Merrill Mueller, Larson provided continuous coverage of the second inauguration of President Nixon. Larson also anchored 20 newscasts per week on the ABC Radio Network. |
GACspaceguy Member Posts: 2476 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 10-04-2017 07:50 PM
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randy Member Posts: 2176 From: West Jordan, Utah USA Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 10-04-2017 10:05 PM
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Wehaveliftoff Member Posts: 2343 From: Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 10-05-2017 12:32 AM
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Panther494 Member Posts: 402 From: London UK Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 10-05-2017 02:46 AM
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Jeff Member Posts: 474 From: Fayetteville, NC, USA Registered: May 2009
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posted 10-05-2017 05:01 AM
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capoetc Member Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 10-05-2017 06:43 AM
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rjurek349 Member Posts: 1190 From: Northwest Indiana Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 10-05-2017 10:36 AM
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Kite Member Posts: 831 From: Northampton UK Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 10-05-2017 11:34 AM
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gareth89 Member Posts: 298 From: Ireland Registered: May 2014
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posted 10-05-2017 01:33 PM
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star51L Member Posts: 340 From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 10-05-2017 06:08 PM
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Ken Havekotte Member Posts: 2915 From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-05-2017 06:55 PM
So sad to hear of Bill's passing as our paths crossed on several occasions, especially when working together on a new space organization nearly 20 years ago. Bill was a veteran space pioneer journalist of a long-time career as a local and national radio-news broadcaster and director. He first started covering space shots here at the Cape during the late 1950's. Rest in peace my friend. |
413 is in Member Posts: 628 From: Alexandria, VA USA Registered: May 2006
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posted 10-06-2017 03:35 AM
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mode1charlie Member Posts: 1169 From: Honolulu, HI Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 10-06-2017 05:39 AM
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hlbjr Member Posts: 475 From: Delray Beach Florida USA Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 10-06-2017 05:41 PM
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Skyforce1 Member Posts: 200 From: Vineland NJ, USA Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 10-06-2017 09:01 PM
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jasonelam Member Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 10-06-2017 11:16 PM
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dss65 Member Posts: 1156 From: Sandpoint, ID, USA Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 10-08-2017 08:53 PM
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Ronpur Member Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
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posted 10-08-2017 09:08 PM
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