Halls of Fame

Henry Hampton – 2017

Henry Hampton is a St. Louis native whose prominence came in recognition of his documentary work. One, in particular, was said by critics to be “the definitive look at the nation’s early struggle over civil rights.” It was Hampton’s 1987 production, “Eyes on the Prize,” which received four national Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for excellence in journalism. His follow-up three years later, “Eyes on the Prize II,” won two Emmys. He was recognized in 1990 by President George Bush for his documentary work.

Jim Kirchherr – 2017

Jim Kirchherr began his career in St. Louis television on election night, 1978, embarking on a career of video storytelling in St. Louis that spanned several decades. He spent four years as a producer/reporter for KTVI, then left the market briefly for a job at Radio Free Europe in Munich. When he returned he settled in at KETC and rose to the position of the station’s Senior Director of Content. He received numerous awards for his work there on public affairs programs and on “Living St. Louis.” He was a William Benton Fellow at the University of Chicago, where he taught broadcast journalism in the early ‘80s, and has served the local chapter of the National Association of TV Arts and Sciences in many capacities.

Keith Gunther – 2007

Keith Gunther began his broadcast career immediately after graduating from St. Louis University in 1940. After a short stint in New York and four years in the Navy, he moved to St. Louis to help put KSD-TV, the nation’s first post-war television station, on the air. He worked there as program buyer, production manager, public affairs director, and producer before being promoted to Program Manager, later becoming VP of Program Development for the Pulitzer stations. Gunther was a founding member of the St. Louis branch of NATAS, which later presented him with its Governor’s Award. He also received a national Emmy for the documentary “Operation Challenge.”

Clif St. James – 2013

After coming to St. Louis as a radio host on KWK with his wife Nance, Clif caught the attention of Pulitzer Broadcasting. His subsequent move gave him the chance to appear on both radio and television. From 1956 to 1988, viewers watched him on Channel 5 performing a variety of tasks, hosting shows, presenting the weather and taking on the persona of a clown when he hosted children’s shows.

“Corky” had two different kids’ shows in his career, “Corky the Clown” and “Corky’s Colorama,” the latter a nod to its position as one of the first local kids’ shows to be broadcast in color. At one point, St. James appeared daily in the clown clothes and then magically transformed into a weather presenter in a coat and tie.

Ray Hoffstetter – 2011

Ray Hoffstetter joined KSD-TV as a stagehand in February, 1948, when the station was only a year old.  He moved up through the positions of film crew sound man, film cameraman, video cameraman and creative services tape editor. His video of Lou Brock’s record-setting stolen base is used in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Ray’s shooting assignments included Operation Desert Shield, riding on the Battleship Missouri to the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary, Hurricane Camille, the Knoxville World’s Fair, Baseball and Football Hall of Fame inductions, and Presidential interviews. Even after retirement in 1992, Hoffstetter continued with KSDK working with the station’s video archives.

Chris Condon – 2013

Chris Condon joined KSD-TV in 1961 to anchor the station’s 10-minute news broadcast and stayed for 23 years. The Fordham University graduate had served in the Army Signal Corps and Armed Forces Radio in World War II, and had worked in Kansas City television prior to coming to St. Louis. Those initial 10-minute broadcasts, which included weather, were produced with one camera team shooting on film, and Condon as expected to do most of the reporting and writing, as well as anchoring the broadcast.

Throughout his career at Channel 5, Condon became known for his take-no-prisoners interviewing style and no-nonsense presentation, which he said was inspired by pre-war broadcasts of Raymond Gram Swing and Elmer Davis.