SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 18, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Legendary Utah news anchor Dick Nourse, who was the face and voice of KSL TV news for 43 years until his 2007 retirement, has died. He was 83.
Nourse, a Colorado native, started his broadcast career at KRAX radio, in Grand Junction, and was hired by KSL in 1964. He became a weekend reporter and anchor, but his deep, rich voice and strong reporting propelled him to weekday anchor within six month.
Within a year, Nourse was joined by weatherman Bob Welti and sports anchor Paul James. The power team propelled the news to No. 1 in the market, a lead it held for decades. The trio remained together until Welti and James both retired in 1991.
Over the years, Nourse shared the news desk with co-anchors including Bruce Lindsay, Shelley Thomas, Carole Mikita, Ruth Todd and Deanie Wimmer. He also worked with weathermen Mark Eubank and Kevin Eubank, and sports reporters Jim Nantz, Craig Bolerjack and Tom Kirkland.
Nourse was the only Utah television reporter to report from Vietnam during the war. He returned for another story in 1997. Other major stories he covered included the Ted Bundy murder trial, the Hi-Fi murders in Ogden, the Mark Hofmann forgery an murder case. Nourse covered his own cancer battles, and he was selected to carry the torch in the relay for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, in Salt Lake City.
Nourse was a three-time cancer survivor, and beat Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (1980), prostate cancer (1996) and throat cancer (2013). He shared his stories with viewers, and became a cancer research fundraiser.
He is survived by second wife Debi Nourse and their five children. His daughter from his first marriage preceded him in death.
KSL reporter Dan Rascon memorialized Nourse Thursday in a tweet.
“What a career and life he has lived,” Rascon wrote. “Our prayers (are) with his family at this time.”
