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OT/TV: Youngstown TV Anchor Icon Dies

O

OldAkronite

For many viewers in the Youngstown TV market, he's the only anchor they knew, watched or trusted. WKBN-TV 27 anchor and market icon Tom Holden died over the weekend after a short illness.

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.wkbn.com/Global/story.asp?S=3463555>http://www.wkbn.com/Global/story.asp?S=3463555</a>

Tom recently stepped down from the 6 and 11 PM newscasts to ease his way towards retirement. Former sports director Robb Schmitt now does those newscasts. I believe Mr. Holden was still doing some anchoring at noon and 5 PM.

It's almost not an overstatement to say that Tom Holden OWNED that TV market. He's the primary reason TV 27 was the dominant force in the market for many, many years.

When I worked in radio over there, WKBN (CBS, then co-owned with the Williamson Family's WKBN/570) was always first, WFMJ/21 (NBC) was the scrappy second-place station, and WYTV/33 (ABC) couldn't find its own building with a roadmap. Now, it's a much more competitive market...but not with Tom Holden at the anchor desk it wasn't.

-OA
 
> It's almost not an overstatement to say that Tom Holden
> OWNED that TV market. He's the primary reason TV 27 was the
> dominant force in the market for many, many years.
>
> When I worked in radio over there, WKBN (CBS, then co-owned
> with the Williamson Family's WKBN/570) was always first,
> WFMJ/21 (NBC) was the scrappy second-place station, and
> WYTV/33 (ABC) couldn't find its own building with a roadmap.
> Now, it's a much more competitive market...but not with Tom
> Holden at the anchor desk it wasn't.
>

A lot of regard is held to Tom by the folks in valley radio and television. This has been a major story on both 21 and 33 last night and this morning. Channel 27 mentioned this morning that Tom Holden will be the only topic on WKBN radio from 6:00 am to 10:00 am this morning.



By the way OA, the subject line isn't off topic at all... don't forget about the 1 year at WHOT and 18 years he worked at WBBW before joining WKBN-TV for his next 31 years.
 
> > He definitely was the most familiar face in Youngstown news. I grew up in the Mahoning valley and even worked at a competing station. I know how admired he was in the community. He will be missed.


It's almost not an overstatement to say that Tom Holden
> > OWNED that TV market. He's the primary reason TV 27 was
> the
> > dominant force in the market for many, many years.
> >
> > When I worked in radio over there, WKBN (CBS, then
> co-owned
> > with the Williamson Family's WKBN/570) was always first,
> > WFMJ/21 (NBC) was the scrappy second-place station, and
> > WYTV/33 (ABC) couldn't find its own building with a
> roadmap.
> > Now, it's a much more competitive market...but not with
> Tom
> > Holden at the anchor desk it wasn't.
> >
>
> A lot of regard is held to Tom by the folks in valley radio
> and television. This has been a major story on both 21 and
> 33 last night and this morning. Channel 27 mentioned this
> morning that Tom Holden will be the only topic on WKBN radio
> from 6:00 am to 10:00 am this morning.
>
>
>
> By the way OA, the subject line isn't off topic at all...
> don't forget about the 1 year at WHOT and 18 years he worked
> at WBBW before joining WKBN-TV for his next 31 years.
>
 
happened to be within earshot.....WKBN radio did an outstanding job having the market talk about Tom Holden. What a great service to the market......WKBN Radio get it and still connects to the local community.....
more need to follow suit


> > > He definitely was the most familiar face in Youngstown
> news. I grew up in the Mahoning valley and even worked at a
> competing station. I know how admired he was in the
> community. He will be missed.
>
>
> It's almost not an overstatement to say that Tom Holden
> > > OWNED that TV market. He's the primary reason TV 27 was
>
> > the
> > > dominant force in the market for many, many years.
> > >
> > > When I worked in radio over there, WKBN (CBS, then
> > co-owned
> > > with the Williamson Family's WKBN/570) was always first,
>
> > > WFMJ/21 (NBC) was the scrappy second-place station, and
> > > WYTV/33 (ABC) couldn't find its own building with a
> > roadmap.
> > > Now, it's a much more competitive market...but not with
>
> > Tom
> > > Holden at the anchor desk it wasn't.
> > >
> >
> > A lot of regard is held to Tom by the folks in valley
> radio
> > and television. This has been a major story on both 21
> and
> > 33 last night and this morning. Channel 27 mentioned this
>
> > morning that Tom Holden will be the only topic on WKBN
> radio
> > from 6:00 am to 10:00 am this morning.
> >
> >
> >
> > By the way OA, the subject line isn't off topic at all...
> > don't forget about the 1 year at WHOT and 18 years he
> worked
> > at WBBW before joining WKBN-TV for his next 31 years.
> >
>
 
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