Richard (Dick) Biddle was owner and Chief Executive Officer of Biddle Broadcasting for almost fifty years. His WOWL radio station is perhaps most noted for introducing Mark Thompson (Mark and Brian) to the world of broadcasting. In 1957, Biddle expanded his operations by opening the first television station in the Quad-Cities. Located on Cypress Mill Road in Florence, the building still houses equipment and offices for WHDF, the successor to WOWL television.
Dick Biddle took great pride in the Shoals area and was noted for his involvement in numerous civic endeavors. In 1982, he was named Alabama Broadcaster of the Year, as well as winning the Shoals Citizen of the Year in 1992. Biddle helped initiate the annual Jaycees' auction, offering the group free air time each year. He also composed and read a daily televised editorial, always signing off with the words, "Be a good American; be an informed American."
After Biddle died in 1995 at the age of 76, his family sold the television station. WOWL radio station continues to operate out of Iuka, Mississippi. Certainly, Dick Biddle's legacy is secure. There is no actual need for any tangible reminder of the good he did for this community. Still, if the OWL sign could be located and restored, it would be fitting to do so in Mr. Biddle's honor.
What's up with this: Alabama has the third highest rate of uninsured drivers in the U.S. Why is this not surprising?
Shoalanda 
It's fitting while remembering Florence artist Bryon Wilkes that we also remember an element of his most famous creation. Beginning in 1957, WOWL radio station brought television broadcasting to the Shoals area. With the call letters of WOWL, an owl was certainly an obvious and appropriate mascot. Richard (Dick) Biddle owned the small broadcasting company and was known for his sense of civic responsibility. In an era before seat belts and airbags, traffic fatalities were a huge problem. In order to remind Shoals citizens to drive safely, Biddle created what became a local icon for decades.WOWL Broadcasting placed a metal Owl at each end of O'Neal Bridge. If there had been no traffic fatalities within the past 24 hours, one eye of the Owl glowed green; a red eye indicated that someone had lost his or her life during the past day. After remodeling to the bridge in the 1980s, the twin Owls were removed, with one being installed on South Court Street adjacent to what was then the Holiday Inn.Dick Biddle died in 1995, his television station sold, and his broadcasting company moved to Mississippi. There are conflicting accounts as to the disposition of the famous Owl(s). If any of our readers have information, please forward it to us.
Tomorrow: Richard Biddle, a concerned American
What's up with this: Be sure to check out a new local blog: DOGed PURRsuit. A nation is judged by its treatment of animals and the infirm elderly. We would shudder to think how Alabama rates in either category.Shoalanda
How do you get the news? Perhaps you get most of it from great-aunt Freida who never met a stranger or kept a secret, but for most of us it seems our main source of "news" is now the Internet.Our recent unscientific poll indicated our readers utilize the following:Radio - 4%Newspaper - 12%Television - 32%Internet - 52%Certainly radio, at least in the Shoals, no longer provides a great deal of local reports. The same could be said for television, with the three major affiliates being located in the Huntsville metropolitan area.Fast breaking news, a home invasion or coach firing, is certainly more easily followed on the Internet. One caveat: Even though I write an Internet column, not all news tidbits posted on the Internet can be verified; therefore, the safest source of news remains the local newspaper.Newspapers provide a wider variety of stories than are found on the Internet, and have the ability to be stored away for future reading at a more convenient time. I hope that all of us consult all the news sources available to us. I've quoted Dick Biddle before, but his words bear repeating:Be a good American; be an informed America.What's up with This: For the readers who asked, yes Holland Elkins' father is Billy Elkins. Billy can't be with his son and family until his release in August 2009. Please pray for all involved in this terrible crime, and remember that children need guidance in order to mature into responsible citizens.
The late broadcaster Dick Biddle would end his editorials each weekday with the following: Be a good American; be an informed American. One of the best ways to gauge events and political activity in the Shoals is to read the local forums. The Shoals area is blessed with several, five of which were recently featured in a poll on this site.The Shoals Forum on Al.com received no votes as a favorite forum--that does not mean no one reads it. Each forum has unique posters; therefore this site should be bookmarked along with the more popular forums/blogs in order to obtain a complete picture of the Shoals. Al.com forums are among the oldest and don't offer the more sophisticated formats or ease of navigation; but, again, don't pass up on this particular venue, especially if you're a sports fan.What's up with this: Lauderdale Commissioner-elect Rhea Fulmer describes herself as a self-employed photographer, yet the TimesDaily has repeatedly referred to her as a homemaker...
