Richard B. “Dick ” Biddle (1918-1994) grew up in New York state and at an early age moved to Shamokin, PA. with his mother Dora Biddle. He graduated from Bucknell University. At Bucknell he was on the track team, the wrestling team, the debate team and a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Mr. Biddle started his career as an announcer in Shamokin, PA. and subsequently moved to WIP in Philadelphia and from there to Wheeling, West VA. where he became known as “Uncle Richard” of the Wheeling Jamboree. The Wheeling Jamboree was the pre-curser to the Grand Old Opry for witch Mr. Biddle was offered an MC position but due to extenuating circumstances he could not accept. He was transferred to WLAY in Sheffield, AL in 1946 and fell in love with the area; he did a short stint in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham before returning to the Shoals to purchase his first station.
In 1952, he purchased WMFT AM 1240 and changed the call letters to WOWL “The Owl” and subsequently that Owl became a famous trademark in the Shoals Area. He also owned WGAD in Gadsden from roughly 1954 to 1957. In 1957 he built WOWL T.V. 15 which in the early days was a partial affiliate to all three networks until the early 60`s when it became an exclusive NBC affiliate.
Among the many accomplishments in his life was being the person responsible for the Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals area being recognized as “The Shoals”. In the beginning It was the Tri-Cities then The Quad-cities. Mr. Biddle being a natural born promoter pointed out to other city leaders that there were many other “tri” and “quad’ cities areas in the country and due to its river coastline and Indian history it should promoted as “The Shoals” a name that could stand out as a recognizable single entity. As the debate continued he began running station I.D.`s promoting WOWL T.V. 15 “At The Shoals” and that moniker stands for the area today.
Dick Biddle was also a leader in education. He served on the board of trustees at the University of North Alabama where he was the “father of the fraternity system”. Having been a Kappa Sigma member at Bucknell he started the first fraternity house at UNA with the Kappa Sigma House. The House is now named “Biddle Hall” in his honor. As alumni advisor for the University of North Alabama’s Kappa Sigma chapter he was given the international fraternity’s highest award, “Distinguished Service Commendation.” He is only the 21st recipient of the award in the history of Kappa Sigma, which is the oldest collegiate fraternity. In 1994, the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama established a Broadcast Journalism Scholarship honoring him.
Civic & Industry Awards and Service
· Alabama Broadcaster of the Year 1982
· President of Alabama Broadcasting Association President, 1955
· Alabama Broadcasting Association Outstanding Service Award
· 1985 University of North Alabama Professional of the Year
· 1989 Executive of the Years by Professional Secretaries International
· 1992 Shoals Citizen of the Year
· 11 Alfred P Sloan Awards
· Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary
· Chairman of Associated Industry of Alabama
· President of Sheffield Rotary Club
· Board of Trustees at University of North Alabama
· “Dick Biddle Memorial Award” given by the Sheffield Rotary Club honoring local law enforcements Officer of the Year.
Dick had two children, Frederick A. “Rick” Biddle and Holly Biddle and three grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Sara.
From the Archives: Newsletter May-June, 1990
Transcript from WOWL-TV-NBC
by: Dick Biddle
“EDITORIAL: “There Ought to be a Law”
Air Date: May 8th, 1990
Under the heading “There Ought to be a Law”, this scenario
Your phone rings. You pick up the receiver. Hello, I’m Bertram Blah. How would you like to have a gold card with up to a $500 credit line? Well if you call the 800 number that I’ll give you in just a moment, ect, etc, etc.
When you’re sitting at home at night after a pleasant dinner watching your favorite TV show and you’re interrupted with an unwanted telephone solicitation, its enough to ruin your evening. It is even worse when Bertram Blah is a tape on the other end of the telephone. Telephone marketing is a big business now. Much of it is done by computer and recorders which automatically dial numbers and start up as soon as the one called picks up the receiver. The spiel then goes on and you think that hanging up the telephone get ride of the unwanted call ”au contrare.’ The tape continues ands your line is tied up. Sometimes long after you have hung up the receiver thus blocking out any other calls that you might get. I repeat, ‘THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW.’ In cases of emergency this could even be dangerous of life threatening.
Most communications come under interstate commerce laws so the problem should be attacked at the national level. Contact your legislators and tell them about how you feel about unwanted telephone calls, especially automated ones. It’s a minor problem now but it could assume enormous proportions in the months to come. ‘THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW.’
Be a good American, an informed American.”
