CT Journalism Hall of Fame: Walt Dibble

It’s a news anchor’s job to disseminate the information, fairly…with authority…Walt Dibble was a gift and fairest of them all.  He was hired on a handshake at WTIC in 1977, but Hartford had already heard the voice on “Earwitness News” for nearly 10 years at WDRC, 10 years before that in New Haven and before that, Walt was Bridgeport’s newsman, 50 years in Connecticut broadcast news all told.

Walt had graduated from Stamford High School and received his degree from The New England School of Radio in 1948.  Walt Dibble personally trained Hartford’s first flying traffic reporter.  As WTIC-AM News Director and Managing Editor, he brought the coveted Ohio State Award to WTIC, along with the national RTNDA (Radio & Television News Directors Association) Investigative Reporting Award and enough Associated Press Awards to fill a Gold Building.  Even though he was the boss, Walt Dibble was never afraid to pick up a microphone to hit the street and cover a breaking story. In 1995, the Hartford Associated Press presented Walt with the Abrams Award as Best Reporter in the state.  Walt was not only a great broadcasting voice and journalist, he was a great listener, and in his career, he interviewed the biggest names in Hollywood, presidents of the United States, and of course, the man on the street,

If Walt were to pick one story, it just might be the collapse of the Hartford Civic Center roof.  As usual, Walt won The A.P. Award that year for Continuous Coverage in the anchor chair.  What listeners didn’t know, is that Walt wasn’t reading from a script.

He taught at Southern Connecticut State University and the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, and instilled in many interns his work ethic and his desire to “get the story” and get it right.

Walt Dibble died in 1997 and left his wife Barbara, his sons, Rob, Lee and Chris, and his daughters, Laurie, Holly, and Sherry.