Halls of Fame

Harry Gibbs – 2007

Having grown up in the Southwest, Harry Gibbs was a natural to play a cowboy on television. KSD-TV hired him to host their children’s show as “Texas Bruce” in the early ‘50s, initially for Dean’s Milk, but later, for a much longer run, Adams’ Dairy. He’d had a little experience in front of the camera co-hosting “Telequiz Calls” on Channel 5. Harry and his trick horse “Trusty” were huge draws of local kids to parades and other personal appearances in the region, and thousands of kids came to the studios to appear on the program. Harry hung up his spurs after 13 years as Texas Bruce and worked as a free-lance commercial talent until the year 2000.

Jack Buck – 2006

For several generations of baseball fans, Jack Buck’s voice was permanently linked to the St. Louis Cardinals. He came to St. Louis to be a play-by-play announcer for the team in 1954. In addition to his work in the booth for the Redbirds, he held many more jobs. At KMOX, listeners heard him doing play-by-play for St. Louis Cardinals football, University of Missouri basketball and football, and, for a short time, St. Louis Blues hockey. He also did Monday Night Football for CBS Radio and broadcast numerous Superbowls and World Series games. For several years in succession, he logged over 200,000 air miles annually. He is a member of the broadcast wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame and was given the Pete Rozell Award by the National Football League. Jack Buck also established himself as a strong team member at KMOX. He was a disc jockey in the late 50s, and was the host of the first “At Your Service” program February 29, 1960. He hosted Christmas morning programs from his home every year, and, in the ultimate indication of community involvement, was known to host up to 250 civic and charitable events a year. Although Buck was revered in St. Louis as the radio voice of the Cardinals, his television sports career made him known to the nation’s sports fans. His voice was heard on telecasts of 17 Super Bowls, 11 World Series and four Major League All-Star Games. He was in the TV booth for ABC’s baseball Game of the Week during the 1960 season and for the CBS broadcasts of NFL Football in 1963. Buck was also a regular on many Cardinal baseball telecasts originating in St. Louis over the team’s TV network.

Harold “Hod” Grams – 2007

Harold “Hod” Grams came to St. Louis after working at a couple Iowa radio stations. His first job here was at KSD radio in 1938.as an announcer, becoming program director in 1943. In 1947 he was named to the same position at the market’s first television station, co-owned KSD-TV. After 10 years, Grams was promoted to general manager of the radio and TV stations. Ten years after that he became vice president in charge of all Pulitzer radio and television stations. He was also active in the NBC affiliates’ group, and was elected chairman of their board of delegates. Grams retired from broadcasting in 1979.

George Burbach – 2006

Burbach started out as ad manager for the Post-Dispatch and in 1922, moved to KSD radio as general manager. While on vacation in London in 1936 he was the first person from St. Louis to see television in its early form. He is said to have vowed that his company would be the first to broadcast television in the US, and was ready to do so in 1941 when WWII halted all development. He became KSD-TV GM when it signed on in 1947 and remained there until his death in early ‘60s.

Charles Guggenheim – 2006

Charles Guggenheim was the first general manager of St. Louis public television station KETC in 1953. A television producer and director, Guggenheim got his training at CBS in New York. By 1954 he had founded his own small film production studio in St. Louis. The company’s first feature film, “The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery,” helped launch the career of actor Steve McQueen. In the early 1960s, Guggenheim went on to form a partnership with TV and documentary film producer Shelby Storck for several documentaries which were nominated for and/or won Academy Awards. Guggenheim received his first Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject for 1964’s “Nine from Little Rock.” He received 12 Oscar nominations in total, and also won subsequent Oscars for “Robert Kennedy Remembered” (1968), “The Johnstown Flood” (1989) and “A Time for Justice” (1995).

Fred Burrows – 2008

Fred Burrows grew up in St. Louis and didn’t always plan to be in the news business. He originally attended Washington University in St. Louis with intentions of pursuing a career in engineering. To help pay his way through school, he got a job at KWK-TV (KMOX-TV) Channel 4. He did a stint at KPLR before returning to KMOX in 1960. While there, he directed the first live regional broadcast and the station was one of the first to transition from news film to electronic news gathering. After leaving KMOX-TV in 1986, Fred went to CNN where he devised what are now industry standards: generic line shots, archival services and affiliate seminars. While at CNN, he also produced and managed such events as the first national convention coverage for CNN’s affiliates, the terrorist attacks of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina.