Lin Mason, A Cincinnati Broadcasting Pioneer

I received this email today about the passing of Lin Mason, formerly of WKRC-AM and WLWT-TV, from local broadcast historian Mike Martini of WMKV-FM and Media Heritage:

"I just found out that Lin Mason passed away last Friday in Jupiter, Fla. He was 91.

Lin was the last of the "old guard" at WKRC, starting there in 1938 at the end of its CBS "O&O" (owned and operated) period before Taft bought it. He was hired by then Program Director Ruth (and told a great story about how he met her curling her hair in the lobby of the old Alms Hotel.)

AT 'KRC, Lin was a vocalist (a tenor), an announcer (for Jimmy Scribner's "Johnson Family") and producer. He left KRC around 1943 to work as a PD at a station near Dayton. Lin also produced Singin' Sam's nationally syndicated Coca-Cola show in the mid-1940's.

He came back to be one of the first Program Directors at fledgling WLWT in the early 1950’s. He ended up in Miami working on LB Wilson’s TV station there and got out of the business in the 1960’s.

Lin was a great storyteller who had to overcome some tragedies. Lin (who was a pilot himself) had his only son die in a experimental plane crash. His first wife died when they were both struck by a car while walking on a sidewalk near Miami in the 1990s. His second wife, Oneida, survives him and lives near Jupiter, FL. His daughter, Niki, lives on Lin's olf farm near Hillsboro.

Lin was born May 24, 1916, near Zanesville and graduated from Muskingum College in 1937. He had four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Just thought you should know. Lin was an important part of Cincinnati’s broadcast history.

-Mike

Anyone out there remember Lin Mason, or have a story to share?