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In 1961, Helen
Duhamel was elected president of the South Dakota Broadcasters Association. She was not only the first woman to hold that position, but the first woman in the United States to hold the comparable top post in any state broadcasting association.
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Marrying Bud introduced her to the
Duhamel family business, which had started as a hardware store in Rapid City in the early twentieth century. Selling everything except groceries and threshing machines, the Duhamel Trading Post specialized in
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With this and other expansions, Duhamel
Broadcasting Enterprises came to operate the original AM radio station, an FM radio station, and four television stations, with a transmission area that extended into eastern Wyoming and Montana.
203:) and began buying its stock. At the time, KOBH was the only radio station in western South Dakota, and it was located directly across the street from the Duhamel Trading Post in Rapid City. Its studios were on the 10th floor of the
96:(November 26, 1904 – November 8, 1991) was an American businesswoman and broadcaster, best known for saving the Duhamel Company from bankruptcy and establishing a cluster of radio and television stations in western
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In 1953–1954, an out-of-state investor was maneuvering to buy KOTA. To counter this, Duhamel bought all outstanding stock and established
Duhamel Broadcasting Enterprises as the corporate entity.
295:. She was selected for the South Dakota Broadcasters' Association Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Nebraska Broadcasters' Association Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2002, she was inducted into the
230:. With Pentagon backing, Case convinced the FCC to grant the more powerful license effective January 1, 1945. The call letters changed to KOTA, the last two syllables of "Dakota".
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Golden Mike Award (1957), and a letter of commendation from the
President of the United States for the public service work of the Duhamel stations during the June
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to bring live TV signals to Rapid City for broadcast over KOTA-TV. Upon completion it was then "the world's longest privately owned microwave system."
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In the same year that she and Bud celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary, Helen
Duhamel died in Rapid City on November 8, 1991.
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Helen
Duhamel received numerous awards, including the Alfred P. Sloan Radio-Television Award for Distinguished Public Service, the
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187:, Mrs. Duhamel became the company's bookkeeper, and her business acumen is credited with keeping the company out of bankruptcy.
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In 1943, aware of the use she had made of radio advertising for the family business, Duhamel took an interest in radio station
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about expanding television coverage there, she decided to expand to the south. Although she originally established it in
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to move up to 5000 watts, which would dramatically expand the territory it could reach. Asked to help, U.S. Congressman
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Her son, Bill
Duhamel, succeeded her as president and general manager of Duhamel Broadcasting Enterprises. After
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Originally broadcasting with a very limited licensed power of 150 watts, in 1944 KOBH sought approval from the
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airplanes based at the recently established Rapid City Army Air Base (later renamed
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acquired KOTA-TV in 2014, the
Duhamel radio stations were sold on January 1, 2019.
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594:"Duhamel Broadcasting sale 'bittersweet' after 75-year history in the Black Hills"
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The Museum of
Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Radio Vol 1: Entries A-E
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In 1966, Duhamel became a partner in South Dakota Cable, and began installing
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442:. Omaha, Nebraska: Nebraska Broadcasters' Association. 1992. Archived from
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Helen Duhamel completed her formal education at St. Agnes Academy in
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226:) used KOBH as a navigation beacon while training for European
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Switzer, Mary Kay (2004). Sterling, Christopher H. (ed.).
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making, becoming the largest U.S. supplier of saddles by
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The Association for Women in Communications Hall of Fame
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349:"Legacy Helen S. Duhamel - SD Hall of Fame Programs"
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155:In 1920 at age 15, Helen moved with her mother to
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207:, while the station's offices were on the 11th.
124:Helen Duhamel was born on November 26, 1904, in
440:Nebraska Broadcasters' Association Hall of Fame
582:Arcane Radio Trivia. Retrieved Jan. 13, 2023.
259:Approached by rural residents of the western
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474:. Rapid City. November 10, 1991. pp. C2
218:sought military support. He discovered that
397:. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 813.
148:, and was completed at St. Agnes Academy,
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466:"Obituary for Helen S. Duhamel (Aged 86)"
241:In 1955, Duhamel oversaw the creation of
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297:Association for Women in Communications
497:. Rapid City Journal. pp. A9–A10
493:Duhamel, Helene (December 28, 1999).
228:strategic bombing during World War II
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707:20th-century American businesspeople
687:People from Rapid City, South Dakota
662:American television company founders
652:American women television executives
592:Zionts, Arielle (January 10, 2019).
87:Francis A. "Bud" Duhamel (1902–2000)
712:20th-century American businesswomen
551:"Helen S. Duhamel - 2002 Inductee"
436:"Helen Duhamel: Hall of Fame 1992"
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212:Federal Communications Commission
619:Helen Duhamel, Hall of Fame 1992
702:American women company founders
657:American radio company founders
647:American television executives
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672:People from Windsor, Missouri
682:Businesspeople from Missouri
677:Businesspeople from Nebraska
667:American women in television
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142:St. Mary's Catholic School
79:businesswoman, broadcaster
67:St. Mary's Catholic School
526:"Duhamel Company History"
256:in western South Dakota.
140:. Her schooling began at
495:"Knowledge of a Century"
224:Ellsworth Air Force Base
157:Rapid City, South Dakota
55:Rapid City, South Dakota
267:, she moved KDUH-TV to
293:1972 Black Hills flood
279:Recognition and awards
247:microwave transmitters
161:Rapid City High School
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104:in the United States.
580:"Golden Mike Awards,"
312:Schurz Communications
269:Scottsbluff, Nebraska
265:Hay Springs, Nebraska
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596:. Rapid City Journal
16:American broadcaster
446:on October 16, 2013
220:U.S. Army Air Corps
167:The Duhamel Company
624:2013-10-16 at the
471:Rapid City Journal
261:Nebraska Panhandle
205:Hotel Alex Johnson
150:Alliance, Nebraska
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118:Alliance, Nebraska
561:on April 23, 2014
404:978-1-57958-431-3
303:End and successor
146:O'Neill, Nebraska
126:Windsor, Missouri
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71:St. Agnes Academy
36:Windsor, Missouri
32:November 26, 1904
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598:. Retrieved
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49:(1991-11-08)
697:1991 deaths
692:1904 births
271:, in 1981.
183:During the
178:World War I
134:White River
636:Categories
358:2020-05-04
335:References
237:Television
108:Early life
565:April 10,
532:April 10,
450:April 10,
324:KOTA (AM)
163:in 1922.
136:north of
63:Education
622:Archived
501:June 23,
478:March 5,
318:See also
289:McCall's
102:Nebraska
600:20 July
243:KOTA-TV
138:Chadron
132:on the
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199:(1380
174:saddle
84:Spouse
191:Radio
602:2020
567:2012
534:2012
503:2023
480:2022
452:2012
399:ISBN
329:KHME
197:KOBH
100:and
57:, US
44:Died
38:, US
29:Born
144:in
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201:AM
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