Durward Kirby, Television Pioneer
Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Famous Television Pioneer. 1911 birthplace of Durward Kirby. Spent childhood days on Greenup St. Attended St. Benedict School. Moved to nearby Ft. Thomas during adolescence. Later became nationally known broadcaster. Started at WLW radio where he reported news about 1937 Ohio River flood. Also host of big-band broadcasts from area nightclubs like the Lookout House.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
The broadcaster Durward Kirby was born in Covington in 1911 and spent his childhood on Greenup Street, attending St. Benedict School before his family moved to nearby Fort Thomas. He got his start at WLW radio, reporting on the devastating 1937 Ohio River flood and hosting big-band broadcasts from area nightclubs like the Lookout House. From those Cincinnati-area roots he rose to national fame in the early decades of television.
Why it matters
Kirby's career traces the leap from regional radio to national television, the medium that reshaped American life after mid-century.
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