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KNX Newsman Harry Birrell Has Died

T

Thomps2525

Guest
The link to this CBS story about the death of Harry Birrell is almost as long as the story itself:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/05/26/longtime-radio-broadcaster-harry-birrell-dies-at-85/

Birrell was a KNX news reporter from 1968 to 1993, then spent six more years as Ventura County correspondent. He began in radio in 1949 at WBVP in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He also worked at WEIR in Weirton, WSTV in Stubenville, KLIF in Dallas, WNOE in New Orleans, KCBQ in San Diego, WINW in Canton, and WGBB in Freeport, New York.
 
ReelRadio.com has a 1993 Shotgun Tom Kelly "Salute To San Diego Radio" tribute that aired on KCBQ-FM in 1993. Among the voices is "Jerry Walker." That was the name that Harry Birrell used when he was on KCBQ, 1958-65:

http://www.reelradio.com/tk/

Birrell also worked at KFWB for a short time in 1968 before joining KNX.
 
I agree. Some former KFWB newsmen are now on KNX and every time I hear them, they sound out of place because I still associate them with KFWB...and they spent much less time on KFWB than Harry Birrell (31 years!) spent on KNX.
 
The May 27 Los Angeles Times will surely have a big story about Harry Birrell---"It will...and don't call me Shirley"---but right now the Internet doesn't seem to have much information about his life and career. I found that he anchored the 4 pm news on KCBS-Channel 2 but I can't find any specific time period. He was the overnight jock at KLIF for only a few weeks.
 
Huh! His real name was Henry but he went by Harry. I wonder why.

Another little fact I found out: After Birrell was at KLIF for only a month, Gordon McLendon, who owned the station, moved him to WNOE, which McLendon also owned. (I know---that's an awkward sentence.) Birrell is listed on this page of legendary New Orleans radio stations:

http://www.walkerpub.com/radio_memories_gen.html
 
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