A birthday to celebrate

[kvahey@comcast.net]

Don Pardo is the last vestage of the WNBC staff announcer contact that
AFTRA had in New York. They would assign an announcer to a studio at
30 Rock and it would be that announcers domain no matter what the show
was. Pardo was assigned 8-H when Johnny
Olson relocated to LA in 1972.

Pardo told friends he planned to retire after this new show assigned
to 8-H folded in 1975. The show was SNL.

A footnote on the whacky system that NBC had.

Bill Wendell was assigned to be the booth announcer in I think 6-B at
30 Rock. He was there for Ernie K, and then forgotten game shows until
Letterman arrived. When Letterman moved to CBS he made sure that loyal
NBC employees had all benefits transferred.

On 2/19/08, Doug Drown <revdoug1@verizon.net> wrote:
> Westfield, Massachusetts native Don Pardo will be celebrating his 90th
> birthday this Friday.  I remember Don from his days as an announcer on NBC
> game shows back in the mid '50s.  He's been with the network since 1944.
> Amazing.  Hats off to him!  A true broadcasting legend.
>
> I've always found it a bit odd that Don is very, very seldom seen on
> Saturday Night Live, and I don't remember ever seeing him much on TV before
> that, despite the ubiquitousness of his voice.  Does anyone know if this is
> a personal choice on his part?
>
> -Doug
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