The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Bill Gregory
KYW Newsradio Publicity Photo
1980

Born on November 11, 1927, William J. (Bill Gregory) Pashkowich, grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school, Bill didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do with his life. In 1945, he enlisted in the Army. Stationed in the Aleutian Islands. Pvt. Pashkowich was assigned to the base radio station.

After the Army, Bill enrolled at Columbia School in Philadelphia, studying Journalism. There he met his wife, Letitia. Upon graduation in 1949, armed with radio experience, a dynamic voice, and a degree in Journalism, he started his career in radio as Bill Gregory at WDOV in Dover, Delaware.

Around 1953, Bill moved his family back to Pottstown, PA and worked at radio station WPAZ. Another move in 1956 took Bill and his family to Binghamton, New York for another job in radio. While in Binghamton, Bill started his television career hosting an afternoon TV movie.

After a short stint back in radio at WPAZ in 1960, television beckoned at WKBW in Buffalo, New York a year later. Here Bill worked the evening newscasts as weatherman (televised weather forecasts outdoors during blizzards), sports (Go Bills!!!), and then lending his sonorous voice to the evening news as anchor.

Radio enticed Bill to Chicago in 1966 at WNUS. This was the first all news radio station in the country. To make news over the radio more up close and personal like television, Bill climbed to the top of his building to describe a tornado descending on the city, much to the consternation of his loved ones when the station went off the air right then.

Still in one piece, Bill came back to the Philadelphia area in 1967 to work in radio at KYW. Bill finished his career at KYW, retiring in 1992.

Unfortunately, Bill wasn’t able to enjoy retirement for any length of time, as he passed away in December, 1992. A beautiful voice silenced.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com