Remembering Ed Dague, A Capital Region TV Icon

Sunday was a dreary and dark day weather wise in our listening area and by the early afternoon we got word that former News Channel 13 anchor and managing editor Ed Dague had passed away after a long suffering crippling and progressive form of arthritis. He was 76 years old.

The Buffalo, New York native headed east to the Albany area as he studied electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic institute in Troy. He began his career in radio as he was broadcasting at the school's station WRPI and was then hired to run the campus AM station, WHAZ.

He began his television career as a camera man and technician at WTEN in 1966 (his only TV job where he was not in front of the camera) and also spun records at WOKO and WPTR. He embarked on his first news oriented position as WOKO-AM's News Director and then headed to Schenectady as the main daytime news anchor on heritage radio station WGY-AM.

He then moved on to WGY's sister station, WRGB-TV in 1970 where he was the station's assignment editor and producer of the 6 pm newscast which he was instrumental in expanding the broadcast to a full 60 minutes. Dague became WRGB's weekend anchor and political reporter in 1973 and was then promoted to co-anchor the 6 o'clock news alongside another TV icon, Ernie Tetrault.

In 1984, Ed moved crosstown to Menands as anchor and managing editor at WNYT, News Channel 13. He shared the anchor desk for 11 years with NBC national reporter Chris Jansing, then known as Chris Kapostasy and after her departure, current channel 10 anchor Lydia Kulbida was alongside him until his retirement in 2003.

Dague is survived by his wife, Donna, their two children and five grandchildren. Funeral services have not yet been announced.

We all learned a lot from watching this consummate professional throughout the decades as our Berkshire county, Massachusetts and Eastern New York audience is well aware of what I am talking about. On a personal note, I met Ed during my days when working at K-LITE radio in Albany and he truly was a "gentleman's gentleman" who set an example of presenting top quality journalism in each and every one of his broadcasts throughout his four decade career. Ed Dague will be sorely missed and his memory will truly remain eternal and everlasting for those familiar with his on-air work.

(Some background information was obtained by WSBS via a press release from WNYT-TV for on-air and on-line usage)

(Photo of Ed Dague courtesy of WNYT-TV)