American television announcer
Primarily known for covering sports and the Tournament of Roses parade for Los Angeles television. Also known for his civic activities for Hollywood.
A staple of Los Angeles television for more than 40 years, past president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and one of the driving forces behind the redevelopment of the Hollywood area. Welsh, one of the catalysts behind redevelopment in Hollywood, raised $150,000 to launch a project with the Community Redevelopment Agency. That was the genesis of the current revitalization program.
In 1951, he joined KTTV where he was director of sports and special events for many years. He is best remembered for broadcasting 48 consecutive Rose Parades.
His first television announcing assignment was an ice hockey telecast from the Pan-Pacific Auditorium on December 10, 1946. At that time, there were only 300 television sets all over Southern California.
In April 1949, while working as a news reporter for KTLA, he covered the story of three-year-old Kathy Fiscus fall down a well in the Los Angeles suburb of San Marino, California and the subsequent unsuccessful rescue attempt. This broadcast, shared with legendary reporter Stan Chambers (1923-2015), lasted nearly 40 straight hours and was considered the first live television event. It became a national story and became a template for how live news events should be covered. It also compelled the purchase of thousands of television sets in the Los Angeles area.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6362 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 24, 1980.
Bill Welsh passed away on February 27, 2000, two months away from what would have been his 89th birthday on April 25.
