KALAHEO — Veteran Kaua‘i broadcast journalist William Gordon “Bill” Dahle, who was called “the Walter Cronkite of radio news” on the island, died at his home in Kalaheo Saturday. He was 69.
For 40 years, Kaua‘i listeners woke six days a week to Dahle’s familiar baritone voice on KUAI, the ‘Ele`ele radio station at which he was a part owner. His voice was known to radio listeners across the state for his broadcasts on statewide news networks.
“He was the respected voice of the truth in the news. I always respected him for the integrity with which he did his job, but most important, I considered him a friend,” said state Sen. Ron Kouchi, D-Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, calling Dahle “the Walter Cronkite of radio news” on the island.
“Kaua‘i was blessed to have him and we will miss him greatly. My deepest sympathies go out to his family and all who knew and loved him. He truly left a mark on our community,” said Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
“He was a first-class journalist, and he helped make democracy work on Kaua‘i,” said JoAnn Yukimura, a county council member and former mayor.
County Council Chair Jay Furfaro said Dahle was “a strong voice for the whole community, and he did it with such aloha. He was a real gentleman.”
Former County Attorney Michael Belles said Dahle was the “most ethnical, honest and competent reporter” he worked with during his 15 years in government positions.
“He asked the really hard questions, really wanted the minute details and told the story without being inflammatory,” Belles said.
Dahle was born March 23, 1942, in Duluth, Minn. He arrived on Kaua‘i in the early 1960s, leaving a Los Angeles radio career to help launch KUAI 720 along with business partners Ron Gay and John Short.
Dahle was the station’s anchor talent, and for decades was also the dean of Kaua`i’s small cadre of news reporters. He covered government and politics, business and the environment, and crime and the community while rising each morning well before dawn to spin records, take dedications and chat with listeners.
In the days before cellular phones, Dahle developed a code to send over the air waves messages to residents of the remote island of Ni‘ihau. In one example, the wording of a song dedication told Ni‘ihau residents which of their family members would be arriving on the next boat.
Dahle and Short also launched the cable television business that eventually became Kaua‘i’s Oceanic Time Warner Cable operation. Dahle retired in 2002 following the sale of KUAI.
He remained a favored host and moderator for community functions, including the biennial inauguration of Kaua‘i County elected officials, political debates and forums. He served on the Kaua‘i County Salary Commission and occasionally lent his voice to various community efforts.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Carveiro; daughter, Robin “Malu” Dahle; granddaughter Tiara Cummings Dahle; sister-in-law Yvonne Dahle of California; brother-in-law Charles (Sheri) Carveiro Jr.; sister-in-law Grace Carveiro, and parents-in-law Claire and Charles Carveiro Sr.
Services were pending. Garden Island Mortuary is handling the arrangements.
