Starr Yelland hosted Party Line on KOA, which the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado call the first radio talk show, and over his career he interviewed more than 5,000 people.
Career
Yelland started at WMT in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and joined KOA in Denver in 1940. He served in the South Pacific during World War II, including at Iwo Jima. He stayed with KOA until 1954, when he moved to KLZ. On KLZ-TV Channel 7 he was a sports anchor and hosted Starr’s Matinee and Dialing for Dollars. Future station owner Bill Stewart got his start writing news for him at KOA.
Yelland was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2001.
Sources
- Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado, 2001 Hall of Fame: Starr Yelland.
- Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado, 2000 Hall of Fame: Bill Stewart.
Stations They Worked At
FROM THE TIMELINE
Career Moments
1940: Starr Yelland joins KOA
1940 — Starr Yelland came to KOA from WMT in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At KOA he hosted Party Line, which the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado call the first radio talk show.
1954: Starr Yelland moves from KOA to KLZ
1954 — Starr Yelland left KOA after 14 years for KLZ, where he also became a Channel 7 sports anchor and host of Starr’s Matinee and Dialing for Dollars.
KEEP EXPLORING
Go further down the dial
HELP IMPROVE THE ARCHIVE
See something that needs a correction?
Suggest a correction or add information to this person. Nothing changes publicly until it is reviewed.