Dick Dudley

Who was Dick Dudley?

Richard Allen "Dick" Dudley was an American radio and television announcer.

Dudley's career began in 1925 on a children's radio program on WTNT radio in Nashville, Tennessee. Following graduation from high school, he started a repertory company in a renovated barn, and wrote plays, some of which featured a young Dinah Shore.

He later became an announcer on WSM, and in 1938 moved to New York City where, after holding several jobs, he joined NBC as a page, moving up the ranks to the position in staff announcer in 1940. He was among the first to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During World War II, Dudley was based in London, where he served as program director of the American Forces Network.

After the war, Dudley returned to NBC, where he announced on such radio shows as The Adventures of Archie Andrews, The Aldrich Family, The Catholic Hour, and The Eternal Light. His television announcing credits included the original 1949 TV version of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Arturo Toscanini's television concerts, the original 1950s version of The Price Is Right, The Today Show, and Not for Women Only. In addition, he also handled local booth announcing work, including public service announcements, for NBC's New York outlet WNBC-TV. He retired from NBC in 1985.