Obit: Ron Smith, 70

[DToTheJ]

Baltimore radio talk show host Ron Smith lost his battle with cancer on Monday. But did you know the broadcaster had local roots? Not only was he born in Troy, NY, but one of his early broadcasting jobs was at a station in Albany, though this piece doesn't say... anybody know?
http://wbal.com/article/83881/21/template-story/Ron-Smith-1941-2011

 

[Bro]

I believe he was an anchor/reporter at WTEN in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

 

[W2JUV_AL]

Ron Smith was a newscaster at WPTR in the mid-60's before his stint at Channel 10.

 

[DToTheJ]

... and I was able to confirm that. Actually, the Baltimore Sun credits him with "a radio and TV reporting job at WTEN [for] five years" [the Sun doesn't refer to WPTR as W2JUV_AL does above] until joining WBAL-TV as a weekend anchor and reporter in 1973, moving up to main news anchor in 1977 before being let go in 1980. He would eventually join WBAL on the radio side in 1984 after a stockbroking career. The Sun article can be found here. There, you'll also find a passage where Smith "started working in community theater in Albany, N.Y., near his hometown of Troy, while he "tried to figure out" what he wanted to do." He'd join the Marines before embarking on his broadcasting career.