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July 9: Happy Birthday, Radio News Reporter HV Kaltenborn

July 9, 1878 was the entrance of Hans von Kaltenborn, or better known as HV Kaltenborn.

his American radio commentator had the intellectual mind and the voice for diction. He was destined to be a top choice for radio news reporting. Growing up in Wisconsin, Kaltenborn planned on a career in news reporting starting out as a newspaper reporter. His ability to retain information and keen understanding for world affairs would profit him greatly in the years to come. CBS radio was keen to bring kaltenborn aboard as a radio reporter covering Europe and the Far East. Besides reporting the news, he would offer commentary and analysis to the situations; making him one of the first in his field.

One radio historian said this of Kaltenborn, “Kaltenborn was known as a commentator who never read from a script. His "talks" were extemporaneous created from notes he had previously written.” In 1940, he moved over to NBC and in 1948 had one of his first gaffes in reporting. Kaltenborn predicted Dewey the winner in the Presidential elections;although Harry S Truman would eventually receive the victory. He handle his mistake with class and decorum. He left broadcasting in 1953; still adding color commentary at times for upcoming elections. HV kaltenborn would portray himself in two motion pictures; including James Stewart’s lead in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

In June of 1965, Kaltenborn passed away. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2011.

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  2. HV Kaltenborn, a renowned American radio commentator, was known for his intellectual mind and diction. He started his career as a newspaper reporter and later joined CBS radio to cover Europe and the Far East. His ability to retain information and offer commentary on world affairs made him a pioneer in his field. One of his unique qualities was that he never read from a script, and his "talks" were extemporaneous. In 1948, he famously predicted Dewey to win the Presidential elections, but Truman ended up winning. Despite his mistake, he handled it with class and decorum. Kaltenborn left broadcasting in 1953 but continued to add color commentary at times. He even portrayed himself in two motion pictures, including James Stewart's lead in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. HV Kaltenborn passed away in 1965 and was posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2011.

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  3. Hans von Kaltenborn, or HV Kaltenborn, was a prominent American radio commentator who made a name for himself through his intellectual mind and exceptional diction. Born in Wisconsin, Kaltenborn began his career as a newspaper reporter before joining CBS radio as a reporter covering Europe and the Far East. He was one of the first commentators to offer analysis and commentary on news events, making him a top choice for radio news reporting. Despite a gaffe in predicting the winner of the 1948 Presidential elections, Kaltenborn handled his mistake with class and decorum. He continued to add color commentary to upcoming elections until his retirement in 1953. Kaltenborn's legacy lives on, and he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2011. His contributions to the field of journalism and broadcasting continue to inspire and wonderinspire future generations.

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