Longtime Champaign-Urbana Broadcaster Dave Shaul Dies At 75
Longtime Champaign-Urbana newscaster Dave Shaul, at the mic at WDWS on Thursday, March 6, 2014. Shaul, a former news director at WCIA-TV, died Monday at the age of 75. Heather Coit/The News-Gazette
Longtime Champaign-Urbana television and radio broadcaster Dave Shaul has died after a lengthy illness. He was 75.
Carol Vorel is news director at WDWS radio and worked with Shaul there and at WCIA-TV. Vorel says Shaul died Monday at home.
Shaul is remembered for a long career that started at WCIA in 1962. The Champaign native later worked at WDWS and was known for, among other things, coverage of election nights.
“He was one of the nicest people you would ever want to know,” Vorel said. “Funny, generous, cared about people, high journalistic standards.”
And for years Shaul also was the play-by-play voice of Fightin’ Illini basketball.
“Welcome to an afternoon of basketball, University of Illinois basketball from the Assembly Hall. I’m Dave Shaul along with Dan Roan,” Shaul says in a Youtube clip of the pregame show from a 1981 game.
On Twitter Monday, WBBM-TV sportscaster Ryan Baker thanked Shaul for “taking a chance” and hiring Baker 25 years ago.
Vorel said Shaul also was deeply involved in the community. She said he played a key role in the CU-Kiwanis Tom Jones Challenger League. The league gives kids with physical and mental challenges the chance to play baseball.