Kenneth R. Giddens (September 10, 1908 – May 7, 1993) was an

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and movie theater owner, but most notably the broadcaster who put two

radio stations Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio sta ...

and one

television station A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the eart ...

based in Mobile, Alabama on the air, all at one point in time bearing the call sign ''WKRG'' (only the TV station still has that callsign today). Giddens also served as director of the

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

longer than any other person in the broadcast service's history.

Life

Giddens was born in Pine Apple, Alabama in 1908. He attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now known as Auburn University) in 1928, studying architecture before graduating in 1931. Giddens used his newfound knowledge in the creation of a chain of movie theaters spanning three states, which would become the foundation of his journey into the young broadcasting industry. Kenneth's interest in broadcasting peaked when buying radio

advertisements Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

for his Giddens & Rester theaters. Giddens and his family would start up Mobile's new broadcast operation WKRG-TV, Inc. in 1946. Under Giddens' direction, radio station

WKRG WKRG-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Mobile, Alabama, United States, serving southwest Alabama and northwest Florida as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Gulf Shores, Alabama–licensed The CW, ...

went on the air on September 26, 1946, followed by WKRG-FM in 1947, and

WKRG-TV WKRG-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Mobile, Alabama, United States, serving southwest Alabama and northwest Florida as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Gulf Shores, Alabama–licensed The CW, ...

on September 5, 1955. While in Mobile, Giddens partnered in the construction of the city's first air-conditioned enclosed

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

called

Bel Air Mall The Shoppes at Bel Air, formerly Bel Air Mall, is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of . It is the oldest continuously operating enclosed super-regional mall in Alabama ...

. Giddens contributions to broadcasting and his fellow man would not end in southwest Alabama and its surrounding areas, but continue in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

as the new director of the Voice of America starting in September 1969 until April 1977. Giddens also served as president of the Alabama Broadcasters Association and the National Broadcasters Association, where he was also part of its international committee. After Kenneth's death on May 7, 1993, the Giddens family continued his broadcast legacy until the WKRG radio stations were sold in 1994, and the TV station was sold in 1998; the former WKRG-AM is now WNTM, and WKRG-FM is now WMXC.

Recognition

Kenneth Giddens was among the first inductees in the Communication Hall of Fame at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

's College of Communication and Information Sciences. The college now recognizes Giddens as someone who has brought lasting fame to the state of Alabama, as said in the following statement: “Kenneth Giddens will be remembered for his many contributions to Alabama and the nation through his outstanding leadership as a businessman, broadcaster, and public servant.”

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Giddens, Kenneth R. American television executives People from Wilcox County, Alabama 1908 births 1993 deaths Auburn University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople Voice of America people