Bill Hanrahan
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William A. (Bill) Hanrahan (born September 14, 1918 – died August 7, 1996)[1] [2] [3], was an American radio and television announcer, perhaps best known as the "Voice of NBC News."
Hanrahan's broadcasting career dated back to the 1940s, when he worked at WELI radio in New Haven, Connecticut. [4] By the early 1950s, he joined the announcing staff of NBC in New York. [5] His radio announcing credits included Inheritance, The Eternal Light, Monitor, and a 1976 special called The First Fabulous Fifty [6] which was a companion to the network's 50th anniversary television special, The First Fifty Years.
Hanrahan's early television credits include The Nat King Cole Show, for which he was one of the announcers during its short-lived 1956–57 run. He also did a few other entertainment-based shows over the years, including the December 5, 1981 and December 12, 1981 editions of Saturday Night Live on which he substituted for that season's announcer, Mel Brandt. [7] [8]
But Hanrahan's biggest claim to fame was as announcer for numerous NBC News programs, including the Huntley-Brinkley Report and its successor, NBC Nightly News, up until his retirement in 1983. He handled announcing duties for the network's coverage of political conventions, space launches, assassinations, and other major stories during his tenure. His voice became as familiar to a generation of viewers as those of fellow staff announcers Don Pardo, Bill Wendell, Wayne Howell, and Hanrahan's eventual successor as Nightly News announcer, Howard Reig.
Hanrahan died on August 7, 1996 in Fairfield, Connecticut at age 77.
| Preceded by None |
Announcer on NBC Nightly News August 1, 1970-1983 |
Succeeded by Howard Reig |
[edit] References
- ^ Social Security Death Index
- ^ Obituary on NBC Nightly News, August 9, 1996.
- ^ Monitor Guestbook "I just finished your terrific book on Monitor (Take Two) . . . "
- ^ "Out of the the Mouth of Radio Legend Bud Finch," by J.R. Morton. Hamden Daily News, December 19, 2005. Retrieved on May 22, 2008. (See also [1].)
- ^ Copyright 2008 J. David Goldin
- ^ Monitor Audio Downloads (with audio from The First Fabulous Fifty)
- ^ Saturday Night Live "Not-So-FAQ - The Cast and Crew" ("Q: How many announcers have there been?")
- ^ Saturday Night Live FAQ: General Questions ("Subject: Didn't somebody else announce in the early 80's?")
