When Bill Carlson began working at WCCO-TV in 1959 after starting out at WCCO Radio a few years earlier, it wasn't unusual for anyone in the business to do a little bit of everything. If you weren't delivering the news or hosting a show, you were doing commercials, handled station breaks, worked in sales, swept floors, etc.
Carlson handled many of those things, including teen dance shows (as the local version of Dick Clark, you might say), weather, parade coverage, Minnesota State Fair appearances, "Midday" and the late-night "This Must Be The Place". All that experience led him to his later role as an arts and entertainment reporter, interviewing celebrities and reviewing the latest movies.
Carlson anchored the noon news for many years until station management removed him in 2003, not realizing how popular he was with viewers. He was reinstated later in the year under different management
As Carlson developed prostate cancer, his appearances on the noon news dwindled as he was getting treatment. On February 29, at the age of 73, he died at his home in Eden Prairie surrounded by family including his wife Nancy Nelson, a local TV personality in her own right.
The first ten minutes of WCCO's 10 p.m. newscast that night was devoted to Carlson's life and career.
Bill Carlson was considered a class act by those who watched him and those who worked with him. He also represented something we'll never see again: The broadcaster who mastered just about anything he did.
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