THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM DOUGQUICK.COM
An 18-minute video has been released tracing the participation of now 102-year-old Norlyn Willard Dossey of Danville in the building of one of the heritage TV stations across Mid-Illinois in 1953. The video looks at his life and the early days of WDAN-TV, Channel 24 in Danville, Illinois. WDAN-TV would later evolve into WICD, Channel 15.
He was one of the engineers and operators at WDAN-TV, Channel 24 in Danville during its construction in 1953. That makes the Danville TV station one of the heritage stations across Mid-Illinois that went on the air in 1953. Mr. Dossey is the last surviving person involved in the building of WDAN-TV.
In this video, he reflects on his life as a Marine Corps veteran during World War II, earning a Purple Heart in 1945. He returned to the Danville area for a while before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, to work on developing an FM station. He wanted to move into television, and when he learned that one was being approved for construction in Danville, near his hometown, he returned to take part in that massive project.
The video includes pictures from those early days at WDAN-TV, as well as Mr. Dossey’s memories of local TV productions and a video montage of the many ABC programs that aired on the station. There’s also a segment in which he remembers many of his co-workers at Channel 24 from the station’s very early days. He also talks about the station changing hands and losing its hometown identity in Danville.
Mr. Dossey follows up on what he did after leaving broadcasting, staying in Danville, raising a family, becoming a businessman, and supporting local auto racing. We also mention a special art piece he owns, created by a former WDAN-TV employee and a famous native son of Danville.
The video “Norlyn Dossey: The Final Broadcast Pioneer” was produced, written, and edited by long-time central Illinois broadcaster Doug Quick. It’s available on YouTube and on the Central Illinois’ On-Line Broadcast Museum website at dougquick.com.
He was one of the engineers and operators at WDAN-TV, Channel 24 in Danville during its construction in 1953. That makes the Danville TV station one of the heritage stations across Mid-Illinois that went on the air in 1953. Mr. Dossey is the last surviving person involved in the building of WDAN-TV.
In this video, he reflects on his life as a Marine Corps veteran during World War II, earning a Purple Heart in 1945. He returned to the Danville area for a while before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, to work on developing an FM station. He wanted to move into television, and when he learned that one was being approved for construction in Danville, near his hometown, he returned to take part in that massive project.
The video includes pictures from those early days at WDAN-TV, as well as Mr. Dossey’s memories of local TV productions and a video montage of the many ABC programs that aired on the station. There’s also a segment in which he remembers many of his co-workers at Channel 24 from the station’s very early days. He also talks about the station changing hands and losing its hometown identity in Danville.
Mr. Dossey follows up on what he did after leaving broadcasting, staying in Danville, raising a family, becoming a businessman, and supporting local auto racing. We also mention a special art piece he owns, created by a former WDAN-TV employee and a famous native son of Danville.
The video “Norlyn Dossey: The Final Broadcast Pioneer” was produced, written, and edited by long-time central Illinois broadcaster Doug Quick. It’s available on YouTube and on the Central Illinois’ On-Line Broadcast Museum website at dougquick.com.
LINK TO VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smI0ChBa0-M
