Yahoo Lifestyle Dick Block, Veteran TV Executive and USC Professor, Dies at 97
Richard “Dick” Block, the former president of Kaiser Broadcasting who went on to found Block Communications and teach at USC, died Sept. 30. He was 97.
As president of Kaiser Broadcasting, he built independent TV stations in top markets including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
As executive VP of the TV station division of Metromedia, he negotiated an agreement with Ted Turner’s CNN that would give his stations regular broadcast access to national and international video news coverage.
Block created a consortium of UHF broadcasters and lobbied the FCC for parity between UHF and VHF, which opened the door for a fourth network.
Block Communications Group worked with more than 100 clients including most of the Hollywood Studios. He helped launch the Travel Channel for Westinghouse and the Game Show Network for Sony. Block also oversaw distribution of the Pasadena Rose Parade to 230 countries and territories.
He was an adjunct assistant professor at USC School of Cinematic Arts until the time of his death, and had also taught at his alma mater Stanford and at UCLA. Until 2018, he produced College Career Day events around the country for the NATPE Educational Foundation.
After growing up in San Francisco, Block served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during WWII and in the Coast Guard during the Korean War.
He is survived by his two children, Julie Grunsky and Nick Block, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. For more information, or donations, contact dblockmemorial@gmail.com.
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