Samantha 2895 Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Nothing has driven me crazy this decade like trying to identify that voice. You know, the one who did 20+ years of KFVS opens, a similar body of work for KWWL, and other stations from Idaho to Iowa to North Carolina to...lots more Iowa. "Really, given the volume of work he's done, it's amazing nothing has ever turned up on him, even so much as a name." –ChesapeakeTV "This was the VO for WQAD for many years up to 1997. Does anyone know the name of him?" –now-inactive @FirstNews8 in 2009 "The nameless voiceover" –the title of an email I sent the NMSA in 2010 I tried looking and decided my last chance to figure this long-running mystery out was to email KFVS. Years of searching ended in 23 minutes and vindicated my decision. This guy would never have turned up in any searches. So I feel extra special being able to give this man the credit he so deserved. Jeff Ellingson (1948-2008) lived in Cedar Rapids and did work for three AFLAC stations at the same time (KWWL, KFVS and WAFF). This is what KFVS Marketing Director Paul Keener had to say about Jeff in the email I got back from the station: Quote The man’s name was Jeff Ellingson and he worked out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was also cutting audio for our then AFLAC sister station KWWL in Waterloo. We all laughed that he may have had the two most difficult station call letters to pronounce in newscast opens and station promos (KWWL and KFVS12). Jeff was a fine gentleman, and a pleasure to work with. Back then we had to fax copy to him and he would over-night quarter-inch audio reels via FedEx. How times have changed! After we sold from AFLAC to Raycom, Jeff was taken out of our announcer pool, but I would hire him ala-cart on occasion because I really liked his voice. Coincidentally, I tried to contact him several years ago but was told he passed away. Ellingson's body of work, of course, was larger than just KWWL and KFVS. He should be credited with 68 different NMSA samples for 16 different stations when all is said and done. (Contemporaneously, he did a third AFLAC station, WAFF, and a fourth ex-AFLAC station after the insurer exited the television business, WITN.) Even though Ellingson died February 5, 2008 at the age of 59, his voice lingered around for a time longer at some of his final client stations. At KIMT, which had just had a new open series done not long before Ellingson passed, it took at least into 2009 for a new voiceover to be brought in for the opens. WABG Greenwood, MS, was using his voice on the air as late as 2010. I'm glad that, after all these years, we are able to finally put a name to the voice and give Ellingson the credit he so richly deserved for his voiceover career. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Info Junkie 1286 Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Sweeeet. Just saw this. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223319 Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnoxvilleTVFan 286 Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 I read your message too, and this reminds me of the time when I was looking for the person who did VO work for WLWT in Cincinnati (his home city) as well as WOKR in Rochester and KSBY in San Luis Obispo, and found his name in the credits on a WLWT special on Paul Dixon via YouTube. Let me tell you how thankful I am for you sharing your heart about Jeff Ellingson who did one of the finest jobs voicing opens for newscasts in the United States for so many years. It is a reason why I love TV News Talk, because you never know what you are going to find. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223322 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRolyPoly 2415 Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Wow what a find! Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223328 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brain 81 Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 This guy also did the voiceovers for WSEE in Erie during the 90s until his passing. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223569 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2895 Posted March 21, 2019 Author Share Posted March 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, VHS2004 said: This guy also did the voiceovers for WSEE in Erie during the 90s until his passing. Yeah, I forgot about those! 73 samples for 18 stations (can't forget KHIZ) total. So glad I was able to do this for Jeff. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223571 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJClementeFan69 477 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 Great find! Now if we can only figure out who the guy was who did VOs for various then-Young stations (WTEN, WTVO, WKBT), WFRV, and WPSD (PNP era) back in the 90s and early 2000s. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223648 Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnoxvilleTVFan 286 Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 I also want to mention that Jeff Ellingson did news opens for a Gray station in Lansing, Michigan. You can watch at 2:05 to hear his voice on the news intro. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-223821 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJClementeFan69 477 Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 On 3/26/2019 at 9:50 PM, KnoxvilleTVFan said: I also want to mention that Jeff Ellingson did news opens for a Gray station in Lansing, Michigan. You can watch at 2:05 to hear his voice on the news intro. And interestingly enough...the VO on the intro before it is the guy I mentioned in my previous post. What a coincidence. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-224034 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythdon 1 Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Jeff Ellingson had quite a voice. Every time I heard his voice whenever I listened to the KFVS and WQAD news opens, I'd always think to myself "Who in the world is that guy?". I always felt like he had such a commanding and authoritative voice. No wonder he stuck around KFVS12 for so long. I think Ellingson just didn't want to become famous for his work and that's why he always was the "nameless voiceover". Can't blame him for wanting a little privacy. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/16986-a-voice-finally-identified/#findComment-238885 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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