Born in Wisconsin in 1918, Doug Pledger started his radio career as
a sportcaster at KABC in Los Angeles. Moving to the Bay Area, he hosted
the popular "Doug Pledger Show" in the 1950s on KNBC 680. When
the polka and marching band music that Mr. Pledger played on KNBC was
replaced by rock 'n' roll, he moved over to classical station KKHI,
where his taped programs were syndicated all over the country.
Pledger died in 2008 at the age of 89.\
CENTER: The staff that produced The Doug Pledger Show on
KNBR in the 1950's.
Seated, left to right: Clarence Leisure, announcer; Doug Pledger;
John Grover, announcer.
Standing, left to right: Budd Heyde, announcer; Jack Van Wart, engineer;
Mrs. Doug Pledger; Oscar Berg, engineer; Lee Kolm, engineering supervisor;
Shahan Alexanian, engineer. (Magazine photo from the collection of Lee
Kolm, deceased - courtesy of Rich Kolm.)
RIGHT: Doug Pledger and his staff, probably from the mid
1950's. Standing, Left-Right: Oscar Berg, engineer; Jack
Van Wart, engineer; Ed Brady, announcer. Seated, Left to
Right: Ann Pledger, Doug Pledger. As a side
business,, Brady and Van Wart partnered to form Aero Photographers,
Inc., in 1954, producing more than 10,000 California aerial photographs. Their image collection was later bequeathed to the Marin History Museum
