Richard (Dick Scott) Pratz

Birthplace
Chicago, Illinois

Birthdate
July 6, 1937

First Media Job
1954-55 - CBS, Chicago, Illinois (Pageboy)

Photo Credit
Facebook


Richard Leon Pratz will be better known to the Sudbury area as Richard or Dick Scott. From 1969 to 1974 Richard would become an integral part of both AM and FM programming as well as Television. Cambrian Broadcasting was his fourth stop along the way in his career, but it was here he was given much opportunity to explore various parts of the industry rather than just news for which he was trained. Richard speaks fondly of CKSO and his days in the area. Wearing so many hats he learned so much about the entire broadcast industry, knowledge that would serve him very well in his coming years.

Richard was born in July of 1937 in a hospital located on Chicago’s lakefront. The hospital unfortunately burned down shortly after his birth. From his very early childhood days, Rich recalls the influence and impact AM radio played in his life. His career in the broadcast industry was initiated as a result of a pageboy position at CBS in Chicago in 1954. He was just seventeen. He would hold this position for about a year.

His next job in broadcasting was at WNMP in Evanston, Illinois in 1959 where he served as a Newscaster. He remained there until sometime in 1960. While getting some real hands-on experience, he also attended and graduated from Midwestern Broadcasting School of Chicago.

Richard was well on his way with his next stop at KBUR, Burlington, Iowa as News Director from 1960 to 1963. In 1963 he moved on to WOC AM, FM & TV, Davenport, Iowa as Radio Newscaster and TV News Anchor. He stayed there until 1969 when he decided to make his move, to what he called in his book, “The Great White North”!

In 1969 he arrived in Sudbury to join Cambrian Broadcasting Limited. He wrote and read all newscasts on the CKSO AM Morning Show. The listener would never have known it but Richard was the voice behind several character comedy bits with Morning Show Host Michael Cranston. He was the voice of ‘The Birthday Fairy’, ‘The Weatherman’ and the mailroom employee ‘Herman Trix’. The morning program was eventually called “The Morning Show with Michael Cranston and Dick Scott”.

Richard also hosted three classical music programs on what was then CKSO FM. He put together 18 hours of programming every week and quickly garnered a huge following. He would record his voice introducing and talking about the musical selections for the classical shows. An FM Operator would play back the taped Richard between the musical tracks. People must have thought that Richard never went home because his voice could be heard on AM, FM and on television throughout the entire day. Rich would voice ongoing promos for television.

Finally, Richard found himself doing live television hosting a live late-night talk show, five nights a week on CKSO TV. He would interview guests of all kinds. The show was called, “The Tonite Show”.

Richard would leave Cambrian Broadcasting and Sudbury with mixed feelings as he headed for Edmonton before the end of 1974 to continue his broadcasting career. He was employed by the University of Alberta from 1974 to 1976 where he worked as TV Producer. Picking up from his experience in Sudbury, he produced and hosted a total of seventy-three “In Touch With U” segments airing on ITV (now Global).

Staying in Edmonton, he was the Morning Newscaster at CFRN AM, FM & TV from 1976 to 1994. On his next and final stop he found himself at CHQT-CISN FM as Newscaster from 1995 to 1999. Richard and his wife Jill settled in at Sherwood Park of Alberta in 1999. Although Richard retired from the day-to-day activity of the broadcast industry, he continued to do some freelance work while Jill continued her nursing career until she retired in 2013.

Soon after retiring, Richard wrote and self-published a book about his career called, “GREAT SCOTT! 40 Years Behind A Mike”. Two chapters dedicated to his time in Sudbury were titled “The Great White North” and “Tonite Not Tonight”.

This web site will soon be featuring a variety of contributions from Richard Pratz including photos, stories, audio clips and the Sudbury chapters of his book!