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Greenville/Spartanburg, SC TV Personalites of the Past/Present

S

spencerkarter85

Inactive
Inactive User
Here's some of my favorite TV personalites from the Western Carolinas area (including Asheville, NC which serves the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC market) of the past and present.

Present:

WYFF 4 (NBC): Michael Cogdill*, Carol Goldsmith* (formerly Carol Anderson), Nigel Robertson, Gabby Komorwski, John Cessarich, Dale Gilbert*, Beth Brotherton, Geoff Hart, Tim "Looking out 4 You" Waller, Keisha Kirkland (just like WCBD-TV Charleston's Rob Fowler, a cancer survivor), Kim Quintero, Angela Rodriguez, and Kesha Foster.

*They were around during the "Arrow 4 logo" era, I don't know that the Arrow 4 logo was still used when John Cessarich replaced the late Charlie Gertz after his retirement on March 8, 1991.

WSPA 7 (CBS): Tom Crabtree, Amy Wood (formerly Amy Marsh), Jack Roper, Pete Yanity, Christy Henderson, and Fred Cunningham.

WLOS 13 (ABC): Darcell Grimes, Stan Pamfilis, Sherill Barber, Jason Boyer, Tammy Wafford, John Le.

The first three people at WLOS-TV have been around for more than 30 years.

WHNS 21 (FOX): Diana Watson, Kendra Kent, Alexandra Wilson, (those two female weatherladies have great legs) Trent Butler.

Past:

WFBC/WYFF 4 (NBC): Monty DuPuy, Stoyle Howle, Kenn Sparks, Dave Partridge, Carl Clark, J.D. Hayworth (later a ex-GOP US Congressman from Arizona), future Weather Channel personality Mike Seidel, Lizz Walker (later went to rival WHNS 21, now at Charter Communications I heard), Chuck Bell (now at Washington, DC's NBC O&O WRC-TV), Jeff Abell (now at FOX station WBFF-TV in Baltimore, MD), Jennifer Valdez (now at eye network affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta, GA), Gordon Dill (now at rival eye network affiliate WSPA-TV), Kim McCrea, Valerie Voss, Jennene Wahl, Stephanie Fischer (also with Valdez at WGCL), Chris Ciffate, Bob Milhalic (later left the TV sports business), Kelly Coakley (now at peacock affiliate WIS-TV in Columbia, SC), Kris Allen (I don't what happend to him, he replaced Hayworth around 1986 I think), Fred Steppe, Paul Johnson, Jim Wogan (now at Knoxville's ABC station WATE-TV), Judy Booker (who's recently at rival eye affiliate WSPA-TV), and the late greats Charlie Gertz, Jim Phillips, Marv Starks, and Norvin Duncan.

WSPA 7 (CBS): Pamela Graham (What ever happpend to her after she dissapeared from TV years ago), Jane Robelot (now at rival peacock station WYFF-TV after working at then-CBS O&O/now NBC O&O WCAU-TV in Philly before going to CBS network), Leeza Gibbons, Susan McGinnis (now at CBS), Cordel Whitlock (who was the godson of the late CBS reporter Ed Bradley), Don Dudley (which Tom Crabtree didn't get along with him), Julie Philips, Tony Dale, Stan Olenik (later went to rival 4), Annette Estes (later went to 4 after her infamous f-bomb inncodent in the mid-1980s), Allen Denton (now working in San Diego), Scott Palmer, Dave Handy, Kathy Foster, Brian Foote, Bob Juback (now at WSPA's sister station in Myrtle Beach WBTW), Johanthan Carlson (now at WSPA's sister station in Raleigh WNCN-TV), John Gallows (later became an actor I think), BeBe Burns (I think), and the late Paul Jackson.

WLOS 13 (ABC): Ken Bostic, Bob Williams (what ever happend to that dude?), Jon Griener (last seen anchoring at Pittsburgh ABC's station WTAE-TV), Mike Bettes (now at The Weather Channel along with former GSP TV personality Mike Seidel), Bob Caldwell, Bill Norwood, Donna Foreman, Gary Stephenson (now at Time Warner's regional news channel News 14 Carolina), Keith Taylor, Mark Pompillio (last seen anchoring in Dayton, OH), Jenny Dunn (also worked at rival 4 and became the area's first female sports anchor on local TV, last seen working at Orlando's ABC station WFTV before leaving the TV business), Brenda Burch, and the late greats Arthur Whiteside and Mimi Page.

WHNS 21 (FOX): Connie LeGrand, Craig Smith, David Moran, Cree Craig, Rich Noonan.

The first three were there when WHNS' newscasts were produced by WSPA-TV from 1996-1999, after WHNS has it's own news divison Connie LeGrand remain there until she went to SpeedChannel. Then came back to GSP at rival WSPA where she got her start in the mid-1990s before leaving again.

Who's your favorite ones?
 
WFBC-TV's BILLY POWELL was true charismatic Broadcast talent in both Radio & TV, +plus Ring Announcer of Pro Wrestling events from 1962-1985; All Star Wrestling 62-74, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 74-85. He was also my mentor for the latter, as I would take the Wrestling mic, in February of '86 to 1993. I was good at it, but I didn't eclipse what he had perfected!
Prior to his retirement, Billy would finish-out his career, as an executive with Leslie Advertising, and (for years!) the voice talent
for BILO. For anyone that ever approached Billy, he was a Gentleman,...that listened, and then...politely answered.
Good Will...from Great Talent!
 
spencerkarter85 said:
WLOS 13 (ABC): Brenda Burch
Click to expand...

Lucky that you mentioned Brenda Burch. She worked at WTVK 26 in Knoxville back in the early to mid 1980s. In fact, I do have a DVD of a 6pm newscast that she anchored with Allen Denton in 1985 or 1986.
 
Scooter, Amen on Billy Powell. I still have some Leslie reel tapes around somewhere with his Bi-Lo spots and the few guys left from the early days of Crockett wrestling always speak very highly of him.
Can anyone tell me who is the longest running veteran in the GSP market? It's got to be between Dale Gilbert, who transitioned from working with Monty on WFBC radio to the tv side many years ago and Jack Roper, who came back to the upstate from a radio gig and became an instant favorite weatherman (and competition was tough at the time with Charlie Gertz and Stowe Hoyle was still on the air as well). Tom Crabtree could be in the running too. I think he was a reporter for WSPA radio long before going to the evil tv side.
Saw a "bathfitter" spot the other night with Jack Roper AND Bob Caldwell....kinda uncomfortable. When I see Russ Cassell doing a promo for 107.3 WANS or Ken D. Dockins talk about how awesome WORD was then I'll know the rapture is near.
 
First off, I worked 8-years for WANS. Russ Cassell never worked there. If he recorded a promo, it was for the WANS tribute website mastered by former ANS alum, Jeff Hayes.
Without any deep research, Dale Gilbert would be the veteran winner. He is also in the running for "The Nicest Guy On Earth" award. I have Top Shelf respect for him. We were on the same Air Staff ('85) at Lite 104 WTLT-FM.
Unless...you wanna include Bill Drake. I respect him too, even though his 3rd ticket is engraved in stone. He is still on the air, doing it his way; with paid advertisers! I'm not sayin' that the guy is old, but...do you remember when Moses parted the Red Sea? He prayed to God, and the Lord instructed him to raise both arms, holding a large wooden staff.
Bill Drake grew the tree that...the staff...came from!
 
Scooter Lesley said:
First off, I worked 8-years for WANS. Russ Cassell never worked there. If he recorded a promo, it was for the WANS tribute website mastered by former ANS alum, Jeff Hayes.
Without any deep research, Dale Gilbert would be the veteran winner. He is also in the running for "The Nicest Guy On Earth" award. I have Top Shelf respect for him. We were on the same Air Staff ('85) at Lite 104 WTLT-FM.
Unless...you wanna include Bill Drake. I respect him too, even though his 3rd ticket is engraved in stone. He is still on the air, doing it his way; with paid advertisers! I'm not sayin' that the guy is old, but...do you remember when Moses parted the Red Sea? He prayed to God, and the Lord instructed him to raise both arms, holding a large wooden staff.
Bill Drake grew the tree that...the staff...came from!
Click to expand...

Scooter I know you worked there. Studio on Woods Lake rd. with a lpb signature console if my memory serves correctly. Great radio guys like you were the reason I wanted to be in the business and have spent the last 20 years earning my living in radio. The Russ comment was sarcasm. Seeing Bob and Jack in a commercial together was weird and would be like Russ doing a promo for WANS. My point being he was on the other side of the dial every morning. And you are right about Dale. Great guy and good family man. He emails our weather every morning and his voice on air brings that warmth because it is instantly recognizable. As for Drake. God bless him. He still managed to find a frequency to run his legendary three hour infomercial from. I hope he stays on the air forever but I'm wondering about his demographic getting smaller and smaller every day.
 
Spencer mentioned Ken Bostic at WLOS. Is Bostic still on the air? If he is, he is in a dead heat w/ Gilbert as most senior. Bostic got his TV start at WSPA doing weather and sports - don't remember which was first. He was also on WSPA AM & FM. Back in the '70's, SPA FM had automated music and live announcers. Bostic was one of those. I started working at SPA in '72; Bostic was an icon even then.

BTW, I was working the overnight shift at WSPA AM the first morning Bill Drake went on the air.

Cheers!
 
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