Halls of Fame

Bob Costas – 2006

Bob Costas left his radio job in St. Louis to join the NBC television network in the early 1980s, but he never really left St. Louis. Known for his smooth delivery, knowledge of sports, and his quick wit, Costas was a play-by-play announcer for the old Spirits of St. Louis of the American Basketball Association. He became a major presence at KMOX Radio, and was briefly employed by the CBS network before signing with NBC He won many National Sportcaster of the Year awards and nearly 20 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports announcing. Costas was a recipient of the Curt Gowdy Award, which is awarded to members of the electronic and print media for outstanding contributions to basketball. In 1988 he broke new ground and won praise for “Later with Bob Costas,” becoming the first sportscaster to host a nationally televised late-night talk show. NBC consistently turned to Costas to host its Olympic coverage. As an active citizen of St. Louis, he lent his time and support to many charitable and civic causes.

Dick Deeken – 2009

Dick Deeken worked as a news photographer at Channel 5 for 30 years. Known as one of the area’s runner and gunners, Dick would do what it took to get the shots and the story. Before he was hired, Deeken bought his own film camera and drove around the area at night after leaving his day job. He’d hang out with cops and firemen and get video, then sell his material to Channel 5 the following morning. This free-lance effort led to his hiring in 1965. He even survived a helicopter accident when it crashed into the Mississippi River as he was shooting video of a barge accident. He escaped from the wreckage by using his camera to smash through the helicopter’s bubble.

Howard DeMere – 2011

Howard DeMere began his career in broadcasting working as an office boy at a cousin’s Texas radio station during the Great Depression. After serving in the army he returned to Wichita Falls, TX, and ended up announcing at his school’s radio station. He transferred to the U. of Oklahoma journalism school where one of his professors helped him get a job at Oklahoma’s signature radio station, WKY. Later, in October 1949, he sought and got a job in St. Louis at KSD Radio and the fledgling KSD-TV where he worked until retiring in 1979. A true St. Louis television pioneer, he is remembered as a weather broadcaster at Channel 5 and signature sign-off “That’s all from here…Howard DeMere.”

Dan Dierdorf – 2008

From 1971 to 1983, Dan Dierdorf had a stellar career with the St. Louis Football Cardinals. He was named all-pro six times, selected as the National Football League’s top offensive lineman three times and was voted to the NFL Team of the Decade for the 1970s. Dierdorf’s broadcasting career began at KMOX radio, serving in a variety of capacities, including host of the nationally-acclaimed “Sports Open Line” program, St. Louis Blues hockey coverage and St. Louis Cardinals football broadcasts. Dierdorf joined CBS sports as a play-by-play announcer for the NFL telecasts in 1985 before switching to color analysis in 1986. In 1987, Dierdorf joined ABC Sports as an analyst of field events during the network’s exclusive coverage of the United States Olympic Trials. He returned to CBS Sports in 1999.

Frank Eschen – 2006

Frank Eschen began working at WIL in 1933, moving to KSD in 1935, so he was already a market broadcast veteran when Pulitzer signed on the market’s first television station. He was tapped to broadcast the TV station’s first news report February 8, 1947. He was appointed the station’s first news director. During his time working at KSD-TV, his work on KSD Radio continued, both as a news broadcaster and often as a dramatic player on broadcasts of “The Land We Live In.” Eschen was narrator for TV coverage of the Veiled Prophet Ball, U.S. Open Golf Championship, Little Symphony and Municipal Opera broadcasts, and even provided voice reports on KSD-TV of the elevation to Cardinal of Archbishop John Glennon from Rome, as well as Glennon’s death in Ireland a short time later.

Dick Ford – 2007

His 55-year television career began in Plattsburgh, NY, but when Dick Ford moved to St. Louis, he found his professional home. He spent 34 years as a news anchor here at KMOX-TV, KSDK and KTVI, during which he went to the White House to interview the president and to the Middle East to cover Desert Storm. He began at Channel 4 as a reporter/anchor in 1965. In 1969 he went to Channel 5, where his work included co-hosting “Newsbeat” with John Auble. He moved to Channel 2 in 1999. Ford retired in 2005.