Paul Norton, a Broadcast Pioneer

Paul Norton is a graduate of Georgetown University, a combat Artillery Officer with the 2nd Infantry Division in the Korean War, and a member of the Hall of Fame of Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers. Paul Norton was continuously employed for 51 years in broadcasting. He began at his hometown radio station, WHDL, in Olean, New York as announcer in 1946 while in high school. He went on to WKBW, Buffalo as the Crosley Reporter until he was drafted in 1950.

Returning from Korea, Paul Norton was employed at WGR in Buffalo, 560AM as newscaster and disc jockey. He was co-host of a game show called "A Shower for the Bride" with Helen Neville that was heard nightly on the station. When the WGR-TV2 went on the air in 1954, Paul Norton was the first announcer and was employed by the station as weekend weatherman, co-host on a cooking show, clown on a children's program and general announcing duties including a number of live commercials.

Paul Norton went to WTOP-AM and TV, CBS in Washington in 1956, where, while working full time he completed his degree at Georgetown. He was employed as a disc jockey, and weatherman. While at CBS his duties included being network announcer for many programs including commentaries by Eric Severeid and Howard K. Smith. He was also a contract employee with Voice of America doing news and Music U.S.A., a world wide jazz program (weekends).

Norton's career in Philadelphia began in 1960 as a disc jockey on WFIL. While there he was also on TV with the weekend weather, and as his duties expanded he did news, weather and sports at the TV station. There were a number of game shows which he hosted that included The Money Movie, The Morning Movie, Racing Time (sponsored by Penn Fruit), The Street Where You Live with his long-time friend Larry Ferrari, with Al Meltzer he hosted "Dolls and Dollars" and for a period co-hosted a morning show with Connie Roussin.

When Capital Cities took over the stations in 1972, Paul Norton began, in addition to his announcing duties, to host the Perspective interview shows on WPVI-TV6. His guests over a period of years included the Governors of New Jersey and Delaware and the United States Senators from those states. Pete DuPont, Joe Biden, Bill Bradley, Jim Florio and Tom Kean were regulars on the programs during their tours in office.

His duties also included doing the religion programs on the station with clergy of all faiths as regular guests. He would tape at studios in Delaware and New Jersey and at the studios in Philadelphia for these various shows. He was producer for many years of the popular Sunday morning show, "Inside Story" with Marc Howard.

Through the years, Paul Norton was busy with work in various civic associations, serving as President of the Glenside Kiwanis in 1972, and President of the Broadcast Pioneers in 1986. For 20 years, Paul Norton has written the Broadcast Pioneers Newsletter.

Paul Norton has continued to be active in his retirement in Lewes, Delaware. In 2002 he was appointed to a term on the Board of Elections of Delaware, by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, for which position he was unanimously approved by the Delaware Senate. He was President (2002-2004) of the MOAA (Military Officers Association of Southern Delaware). He taught Communications at Delaware Technical and Community College, and was guest lecturer at Wilmington College. He is on the Boards of the Sussex Family YMCA, Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia, Rotary Club of Lewes Rehoboth, and a member of the Ad Hoc Radio Theatre Group of Possum Point Players and the Thursday Morning Breakfast Club of Pilottown Village. He and his wife, Nancy, bicycle daily to Cape Henlopen Park, and enjoy having their five children (four sons, and a daughter), and two grandsons visit.

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Known Time Periods

Saturday, July 16, 1960 - 7 pm to 8 pm - WFIL Radio - The Paul Norton Show (At 8 pm, Phillies vs. Milwaukee Braves)

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