Old Walla Walla Radio Remembered 42--KTEL Becomes Area Seahawks Station
in 1976, dreams across Washington came true when Seattle Seahawks joined the NFL. Seattle was actually awarded the franchise in 1974.
In Walla Walla, KTEL won the rights to broadcast the games.
My brother Steve found this article in the UB archives. Written by the sports editor at the time, the late Jim Reding
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Anonymous
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Great Mike on the mighty KTEL radio network in the glory days of their sports overage. You can point out how special it was that KTEL was right there on day one. When the Seahawks took the field for their very first expansion season in 1976, KTEL was one of the proud, original charter members of the Seahawks Radio Network. Long before the era of modern streaming, satellite, or expansive sports television packages, KTEL served as the vital bridge that brought NFL football across the Cascades directly into the living rooms, backyards, and garages of the Walla Walla Valley. Think about how comforting it was to tune into 1490 AM on a crisp autumn afternoon to hear the legendary, energetic voice of Pete Gross calling the plays for Jim Zorn and Steve Largent. KTEL gave local fans a front-row seat to the franchise’s formative years, capturing every exciting scramble, trick play, and hard-fought victory of those beloved, scrappy early teams. Bringing the Seahawks to town cemented KTEL’s legacy as the ultimate home for local sports lovers. Led by passionate local broadcasting figures like Bevan Roth—who famously loved regional sports and was known for building personal connections with the flagship crews over in Seattle—the station made professional sports feel like an intimate, community affair right alongside their beloved Wa-Hi Blue Devils coverage. The generation of passionate Seahawks fans in Walla Walla today was largely built on the foundation laid by KTEL in the late 1970s. By taking a chance on a brand-new expansion franchise from its very first snap, the station helped weave the blue and green into the fabric of the community, creating a beautiful, shared local tradition that has lasted for decades.
1 comment:
Great Mike on the mighty KTEL radio network in the glory days of their sports overage. You can point out how special it was that KTEL was right there on day one. When the Seahawks took the field for their very first expansion season in 1976, KTEL was one of the proud, original charter members of the Seahawks Radio Network. Long before the era of modern streaming, satellite, or expansive sports television packages, KTEL served as the vital bridge that brought NFL football across the Cascades directly into the living rooms, backyards, and garages of the Walla Walla Valley. Think about how comforting it was to tune into 1490 AM on a crisp autumn afternoon to hear the legendary, energetic voice of Pete Gross calling the plays for Jim Zorn and Steve Largent. KTEL gave local fans a front-row seat to the franchise’s formative years, capturing every exciting scramble, trick play, and hard-fought victory of those beloved, scrappy early teams. Bringing the Seahawks to town cemented KTEL’s legacy as the ultimate home for local sports lovers. Led by passionate local broadcasting figures like Bevan Roth—who famously loved regional sports and was known for building personal connections with the flagship crews over in Seattle—the station made professional sports feel like an intimate, community affair right alongside their beloved Wa-Hi Blue Devils coverage. The generation of passionate Seahawks fans in Walla Walla today was largely built on the foundation laid by KTEL in the late 1970s. By taking a chance on a brand-new expansion franchise from its very first snap, the station helped weave the blue and green into the fabric of the community, creating a beautiful, shared local tradition that has lasted for decades.
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