Former KSMU-AM Station Manager Dead at 61

[MrMustang1965]

Any of you who were at SMU in the early 1960s probably remember him.

from the DMN:

Michael Clarence Howe was sold on broadcasting from his start at a university radio station, and his career in Dallas radio and television spanned three decades.

Mr. Howe died Friday in Dallas of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 61.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas.

Born Nov. 5, 1944, in Dallas. Mr. Howe graduated from Highland Park High School, and he earned a bachelor's degree in broadcasting at Southern Methodist University.

While at SMU, Mr. Howe became involved with KSMU-FM, then the university's radio station. He earned the position of station manager. According to Mr. Howe's daughter, Lesley Howe Lorenz of Austin, he had no second thoughts about his chosen field.

"He was passionately committed to the broadcast industry," said Ms. Lorenz. "From the time he was station manager at KSMU, the entire span of his career was broadcast-related.

In the early 1970s, Mr. Howe was general sales manager at WFAA-TV. Patty O'Neil, retired general sales manager for KXAS-TV, worked in sales at WFAA-TV.

"He had an intensity about him," said Ms. O'Neil. "When I knew him on the TV side, his focus was success for the station."

In 1976, Mr. Howe was named acting manager at WFAA-AM radio. He later became station manager.

While Mr. Howe was at WFAA-AM, the station's format changed and went by the nickname "Newstalk 57." The program "At Issue" was one of the pioneering audience-participation radio shows in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Ms. Lorenz said that many who worked with him remember her father as a mentor.

"We've had a lot of former employees come forward and say he was fair and honest and he looked out for people," said Ms Lorenz. "If people wanted to work hard, he made sure the underdog got his day. The word 'mentor' comes up a lot."

Ms. O'Neil said that Mr. Howe's style put people at ease.

"He was warm and humorous. He had a way to make things fun and still be serious about getting the job done," said Ms. O'Neil. "There's an art."

In the late 1970s, Mr. Howe returned to television, joining national advertising sales representation firm Blair Television.

Mr. Howe retired from Blair Television in 1996 as vice president and general manager of the company's Dallas office.

In addition to his daughter, Mr. Howe is survived by his wife of 36 years, Patty; a son, Thomas Michael Howe of Oklahoma City; and two grandsons.

Memorials in Mr. Howe's name may be given to the Alzheimer's Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or the Center for Brain Health.