George Archibald "Arch/Archie" Presby (August 27, 1907 â€" January 22,
2007) was a Canadian-born, American radio and television
announcer.Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Presby began his announcing
career at CFDC in Vancouver in 1925, and remained with the station at
the point where its call letters changed to the current CKWX two years
later. Afterwards he moved to the U.S., and between 1928 and 1935 he
worked at KOMO in Seattle, Washington and KEX in Portland, Oregon.In
1935, Presby moved to San Francisco, California, where he became the
staff announcer for NBC on the West Coast, and also did local
announcing work for its Blue Network flagship station, KGO. He was the
announcer for years on the program Bughouse Rhythm, which showcased
leading jazz and swing musicians. After the network transferred its
West Coast programming operations to their newer Radio City studios in
Hollywood, Presby moved there in 1942 and remained in that base of
operations for the rest of his career (which included another move to
the network's Color City complex in Burbank, starting in the 1950s).
As NBC did not own a radio station in Los Angeles, he also handled
local announcing work for its affiliated station, KFI.After NBC
launched its Los Angeles television station, KNBH (later KRCA-TV and
now KNBC) in 1949, Presby became one of the station's first
announcers. His most famous television credit was as announcer, and
the voice of "Froggy the Gremlin," on Smilin' Ed's Gang (he had also
served in both capacities on the radio show) and its successor, Andy's
Gang. Later in the 1950s, he hosted a local children's show as "Uncle
Archie."
2007) was a Canadian-born, American radio and television
announcer.Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Presby began his announcing
career at CFDC in Vancouver in 1925, and remained with the station at
the point where its call letters changed to the current CKWX two years
later. Afterwards he moved to the U.S., and between 1928 and 1935 he
worked at KOMO in Seattle, Washington and KEX in Portland, Oregon.In
1935, Presby moved to San Francisco, California, where he became the
staff announcer for NBC on the West Coast, and also did local
announcing work for its Blue Network flagship station, KGO. He was the
announcer for years on the program Bughouse Rhythm, which showcased
leading jazz and swing musicians. After the network transferred its
West Coast programming operations to their newer Radio City studios in
Hollywood, Presby moved there in 1942 and remained in that base of
operations for the rest of his career (which included another move to
the network's Color City complex in Burbank, starting in the 1950s).
As NBC did not own a radio station in Los Angeles, he also handled
local announcing work for its affiliated station, KFI.After NBC
launched its Los Angeles television station, KNBH (later KRCA-TV and
now KNBC) in 1949, Presby became one of the station's first
announcers. His most famous television credit was as announcer, and
the voice of "Froggy the Gremlin," on Smilin' Ed's Gang (he had also
served in both capacities on the radio show) and its successor, Andy's
Gang. Later in the 1950s, he hosted a local children's show as "Uncle
Archie."
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