Harold McCarty

A pioneer of educational radio and television in Wisconsin, he was a major force behind the establishment of Madison’s WHA radio in the 1920’s and WHA-TV in the 1950’s. One of the first to visualize a state radio network, he served for 36 years as Director of the Wisconsin State Broadcasting System.

Harold McCarty passed away in September, 1987.

One Comment

Frank McClellan
03/17/2017 @ 9:06 PM · Reply

Mac, a friend and fraternity brother of my dad’s at the University of Illinois.
He is truly a man for the ages.

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The Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame was created in 1989 to honor those broadcasters who have devoted their careers to broadcasting and its development in Wisconsin, to recognize their outstanding service to broadcasting, their communities, and their state, over at least a fifteen-year career in the industry, at least ten of which were served in Wisconsin.The first twelve members of the Hall of Fame were inducted during the 1989 WBA Summer Conference. Inductees are chosen each year from among nominations by WBA members. Broadcasters who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame include managers, personalities, engineers, reporters and those broadcasting pioneers who were at once all of the above.

In October, 1989, Alfred C. Sykes, then Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, came to Wisconsin to formally dedicate a Hall of Fame display, including plaques honoring the inductees, at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library in Madison. In 2010, due to remodeling of the SHSW facility, the display was removed. The Hall of Fame exhibit was relocated to the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in 2015 and enhanced with a touchscreen display featuring all inductee commemorative videos.