Encore:Dick Goddard:Cleveland TV's Weather Icon

Hello Folks:
I thought that in light of Dick Goddard's 79th Birthday (Feb. 24, 2010)..We'd present this encore post..A tribute to Dick we posted in November 2008..Finally had a chance to meet Dick at the 2009 Ghoulardifest...Very personable, nice man..

Happy Birthday Dick!!






TV Guide ad promoting the premiere of KYW-TV 3 Eyewitness News on May 1, 1961..
Pictured are Bud Dancy, who would leave KYW/WKYC for NBC New York in 1966
Jim Graner, Sportscaster at TV 3 from 1957-74 and radio voice of the Browns
Dick Goddard who would be at TV 3 till 1965..Then after a brief time in Philadelphia, come to WJW-TV 8 in 1966.. Where he still is 42 years later



First TV Guide listing for KYW-TV 3 Eyewitness News at Noon Monday, May 1, 1961. One of the first, if not the first, full 30 minute local TV Newscast in the USA. The name "Eyewitness News" had been used at KYW-TV since April, 1959..They were the first station in the Country to use that title for a Newscast..

Dick's Triumphant return to Cleveland-March 28, 1966 as the main weather forecaster at CBS affiliate WJW-TV 8 after several months at KYW-TV 3 in Philadelphia..

Cleveland Weather forecasting has had as interesting a history as the Cleveland Weather itself..As in most TV markets, Cleveland has had an assortment of personalities doing weather foreccasts dating from the early 1950's. Most early weather forecasters, were doing weather as a sideline to other duties on TV and radio. Joe Finan, "The Atlantic Weatherman" was doing his thing on WNBK while doing radio on WTAM in the early 1950's..as was Captain Glenn Rowell, also on WNBK even earlier than Finan..WEWS-TV had "Weathergirls" such as "Sunny" Day, Susan Sadler and Miss Barbara Plummer, who was also doing "Romper Room". TV 5 also had Ron Penfound "Captain Penny" as weekend and sometime weeknight weatherman in the 1960s. The main Weatherman at WJW through the 1950's was Announcer Howard Hoffman, although Jim Doney and Doug Adair had done weather forecasts as well..Hoffman remained at TV 8 from 1949 into the 1980's.

May 1, 1961 would bring a number of firsts to KYW-TV 3.Possibly the first half hour local newscast in the USA..As well as possibly the first AMS Seal (No. 45) weatherman in Cleveland TV History,,Dick Goddard..

Dick was born February 24, 1931 in Akron, Ohio. After serving in weather related duties in the US Air Force in the early 1950's, Goddard graduated in 1960 from Kent State, majoring in Drama and Broadcasting..

Dick is also an avid cartoonist. He turned down an invitation to interview at Disney Studios in California, opting to stay in Cleveland and try his hand at TV on KYW-TV 3 with Eyewitness News starting Monday, May 1, 1961. Station staffers told him later that they had a pool going to see how long he would last..

Dick tells the story of his first day on the air, when he decided to tell a weather interest story about a Croaking Frog..Only he was so nervous, it came out "Froaking Crog"

After Dick got settled in, he became the most popular weatherman in Cleveland up to that time. The Other TV 3 newscasts in May 1961 included Bill Jorgensen at 6:30 and 11PM, Big Wilson doing Weather at 6:40 and Jim Gerard on Weather at 11:10..Jim Graner with Sports at 11:15..

Becasue of the forced return of Westinghouse's KYW to Philadelphia and NBC's WRCV (WKYC) to Cleveland, Dick Goddard went with Westinghouse to Philadelphia in June, 1965. He and his wife never felt comfortable in Philly. Thoiugh he says they were treated well, it was never "home" to them.. His replacement in Cleveland, Wally Kinnan, had been very popular in Philadelphia..

In early 1966, Goddard entertained offers from all 3 Cleveland Stations, electing to go to WJW-TV 8 because he was a big fan of the Browns and TV 8 sportscaster Ken Coleman, only Coleman left Cleveland a month later..He returned to Cleveland at Channel 8 March 28, 1966 as part of the City Camera News Team at 6 and 11PM with Doug Adair, Joel Daly and Coleman, later replaced by Frank Gleiber . Previous evening forecaster Bob "Hoolihan the Weatherman" Wells was moved to Noon and Weekend Weather before gaining even greater fame on the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show, replacing Ghoulardi Friday nights in December 1966.

Goddard became the most popular weatherman in Cleveland TV History over more than 42 years at Channel 8..Emceeing live shows all over town, Hosting the Woolybear festival for 35 years..The largest one day festival in Ohio. He also has served as Cleveland Browns Statistician for many years, as well as doing numerous skits for Big Chuck and Lil John..

If any weather forecaster could be called "beloved" it would be Dick Goddard, at least in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio..


Tom Haley describing NBC's return to Cleveland in 1965..With a brief Dick Goddard interview about the circumstances behind his coming back to Cleveland. Courtesy NBC/Gannett





From Fox 8's Wilma Smith and Gary Stromberg (Feb. 2008) Newly discovered footage of Dick's very early days at Channel 8..Late 60's/very early 70's..The actual footage has no audio..It had disintegrated from age.. From08country and myfoxcleveland.com


WJKW-TV8 - Cleveland - Big Chuck Skit with Dick Goddard!!
Uploaded by videohollic. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.
Dick Goddard Skit at the end of Big Chuck and Lil John's "PJ Party"


Dick's first day at Channel 3-Monday, May 1, 1961
TV Guide listings for KYW-TV 3

5:50 News
5:55 Farm Fare-Channel 3 had this program I think into the 1980's
6AM Tomorrow's Learning
6:30 Continental Classroom-COLOR
7AM Dave Garroway (Today Show)
9AM Funsville-Josie Carey was hostess of this program..similar to her earlier "Childrens Hour" at WQED-13 Pittsburgh, which she hosted with a young Fred Rogers before his fame as "Misterogers"..Funsville probably originated at KDKA-TV 2 in Pittsburgh, like KYW. a Westinghouse Station..

9:30 Life Of Riley
10AM Give N Take-Tom Haley
10:30 Play Your Hunch-COLOR-Merv Griffin
11AM Price Is Right-COLOR-Bob Kennedy begins a 2-week stint as host while Bill Cullen is on Vacation (Live)

11:30 Concentration-Hugh Downs
Noon News, Weather, Sports-DEBUT Bud Dancy, Jim Graner, Dick Goddard
12:30 It Could Be You-COLOR-Bill Leyden
12:55 NBC News-Ray Scherer
1PM Movie-Big's Party Line-Walk Softly, Stranger 1949-Big Wilson
2:30 Loretta Young
3PM Young Doctor Malone
3:30 From These Roots
4PM Make Room For Daddy-Dean Martin Guests
4:30 Barnaby, Popeye and Friends
5:05 Early Show-Wee Willie Winkie-1937
6:30 News-Bill Jorgenson
6:40 Weather-Big Wilson
6:45 Huntley Brinkley Report
7PM Huckleberry Hound
7:30 The Americans-Civil War drama-Guest stars Dick York, John McGiver and Lurene Tuttle
8:30 Wells Fargo
9PM May Day In Moscow-SPECIAL-Frank McGee
9:30 Concentration-COLOR-Hugh Downs
10PM Barbara Stanwyck Show
10:30 Ten-4-Syndicated Police Drama
11PM News-Bill Jorgenson
11:10 Weather-Jim Gerard
11:15 Sports-Jim Graner
11:20 Movie-This Land Is Mine-1943
1AM Movie-The Escape-1939

Dick's first day at Channel 8
Monday, March 28, 1966

6:40 News
6:45 Sunrise Semester
7:15 Rex Humbard
7:30 CBS News-Mike Wallace
7:55 Local News
8AM Captain Kangaroo
9AM Franz The Toymaker-COLOR-Ray Stawiarski
10AM Love Of Life
10:25 News-Howard Hoffman
10:30 McCoys-Guest:Hans Conreid
11AM Andy Griffith
11:30 Dick Van Dyke
Noon City Camera News-Martin Ross, Harry Jones, Bob "Hoolihan" Wells
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Bachelor Father
1:30 As The World Turns
2PM Password-Allen Ludden-Panel-Alan King, Phyllis Newman
2:30 House Party-COLOR-Art Linkletter
3PM To Tell The Truth-Bud Collyer
3:25 News
3:30 Edge Of Night
4PM Secret Storm
4:30 Highway Patrol
5PM Adventure Road-Jim Doney
6PM City Camera-Doug Adair, Joel Daly, Dick Goddard (debut) and Ken Coleman
6:30 CBS News-Walter Cronkite-COLOR
7PM Rifleman
7:30 To Tell The Truth-Collyer
8PM I've Got A Secret-Steve Allen-Panel:Henry Morgan, Bess Myerson,Bill Cullen, Betsy Palmer Guest:Wilt Chamberlain

8:30 Lucy Show-COLOR-Guest Wayne Newton
9PM Andy Griffith-COLOR
9:30 Hazel-COLOR
10PM Movie-COLOR-Black Widow-1954 (interrupted at 11PM for News)
11PM City Camera News-Adair, Daly
11:10 Sports-John Fitzgerald
11:15 Weather-COLOR-Dick Goddard
11:20 Movie-Black Widow-COLOR (1954) Continues
12:15 Movie-Rulers Of The Sea-1939-Time approximate

Some Information courtesy Wikipedia and WJW-TV 8..