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| Jim Gerard |
He brought music, celebrity interviews, and a little humor into your daily lives in the 60s and 70s.
According to The Indy Star, he began his broadcasting career in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, as an announcer and disc jockey for WBBW. In 1952 he transferred to WLW-D television in Dayton, where he was an announcer and on-air personality. From there he went to KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, where he hosted a variety show. Before Indianapolis, which would be his last stop, he was at KYW-TV and WJW-TV in Cleveland.
When Gerard landed in Indianapolis in 1962, he hosted the award-winning Sounds of the City Program on WFBM radio.
In 1966, The Jim Gerard Show launched on WRTV and ran for ten years. In 1976, Hook’s Drug Stores became the sponsor and briefly moved the program to Channel 40 and eventually to WTTV-4. The program was often a stop for stars of stage and screen who were in town for a local theater or to promote their movies. The program was produced in front of a live studio audience with a small orchestra led by George Nicoloff.
The program featured a wide variety of guests — from high school students to Bob Hope, Ringo Starr, Liberace, Jose Ferrer and Betty White.
Hook's canceled the program in 1986, but Gerard remained a spokesman for the company and made public appearances on their behalf.
Gerard won several awards while at Channel 6, including a Casper Award for public service. He is a member of the Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
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