William Dilday Jr Obituary, Death Cause: A Pioneer in Television and Journalism Dies at 85

William Dilday Jr was the first Black person to run a commercial TV station in the United States and a co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists.

A Trailblazer in TV

William H. Dilday Jr., who broke racial barriers in television and journalism as the first Black general manager of a network-affiliate station in the country and a co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, died on July 27 at a hospital in Newton, Massachusetts. William Dilday Jr was 85.

The cause was complications from a fall, his daughter Erika Dilday said.

Mr. Dilday was born on June 2, 1938, in Boston, Massachusetts, to William H. Dilday Sr., a postal worker, and Mary (Johnson) Dilday, a homemaker. He grew up in Roxbury, a predominantly Black neighborhood, where he attended public schools and developed an interest in radio and television.

William Dilday Jr graduated from Boston University. He studied business administration and received his bachelor’s degree in 1960. Later, he served in the Army for two years. He then worked at IBM as a personnel manager before joining WHDH-TV, a CBS affiliate station in Boston, as the director of personnel in 1969.

He was also involved in the Boston Broadcasters Association, an organization that aimed to increase the diversity and representation of Black people in the media industry.

In 1972, he received a phone call from Frank Stanton, the president of CBS, who offered him an opportunity to make history at WLBT-TV, an NBC-affiliate station in Jackson, Mississippi.

WLBT-TV had been under the control of a nonprofit group called Communications Improvement Inc., which was formed by the United Church of Christ and local civil rights activists after they successfully challenged the station’s license renewal in court.

The station had been accused of discriminating against Black employees and viewers, censoring news coverage of the civil rights movement, and airing racist propaganda.

Mr. Stanton asked Mr. Dilday if he would be interested in becoming the general manager of WLBT-TV, which would make him the first Black person to run a commercial TV station in the United States.

William Dilday Jr accepted the offer, despite having reservations about moving to the South, where he had faced segregation and racism during his childhood visits to relatives.

William Dilday Jr moved to Jackson with his wife, Barbara (Hill) Dilday, and their three children: Erika, William III, and Jonathan.

A Leader in Journalism

As the general manager of WLBT-TV, William Dilday Jr transformed the station’s culture and content. He hired more Black staff members, reporters, and anchors; he created new programs that reflected the diversity and interests of the local community; he increased the station’s ratings and revenues; and he won several awards for excellence in journalism.

One of William Dilday Jr’s most notable achievements was launching Probe, an investigative series that exposed political corruption and social injustice in Mississippi. The series won a Peabody Award in 1976 for its “courageous reporting.”

Mr. Dilday also co-founded the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 1975 with 43 other journalists who wanted to advocate for more Black representation and perspectives in the media industry.

William Dilday Jr served as the vice president of broadcast for NABJ from 1977 to 1979 and remained an active member throughout his career.

In addition to running WLBT-TV, Mr. Dilday also became a buying investor of WSVI-TV/WZVI-TV in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, in 1973. It was the first Black-owned commercial TV station in the country.

He left WLBT-TV in 1984 and moved back to Boston, where he worked as a consultant for various media organizations and projects.

William Dilday Jr also taught courses on media management and diversity at Emerson College and Boston University.

He retired in 2010 and moved to Waltham with his wife.

A Legacy of Inspiration

Mr. Dilday was widely respected and admired by his colleagues and peers for his pioneering role and leadership in television and journalism.

William Dilday Jr was honored with several awards and recognitions throughout his career, including induction into the NABJ Hall of Fame in 2016.

He was also featured in several books and documentaries that chronicled the history and impact of Black journalists and media professionals.

His daughter Erika said that her father was humble and modest about his accomplishments but proud of his contributions to society. She said

He always said that he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to use his skills and talents to inform, educate, and empower people. He wanted to make the world a better place.

Mr. Dilday is survived by his wife of 60 years, Barbara; his daughter Erika, a documentary filmmaker and executive director of the Futuro Media Group; his sons William III, a lawyer, and Jonathan, a software engineer; his sister Mary Dilday; and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Some Interesting Facts

• William H. Dilday Jr. was the first Black general manager of a network-affiliate TV station in the U.S. and a co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists.
• He transformed WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, from a station that discriminated against Black people and censored civil rights news to a station that reflected the diversity and interests of the local community and won awards for excellence in journalism.
• William Dilday Jr also co-founded WSVI-TV/WZVI-TV in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, the first Black-owned commercial TV station in the country.
• He was honored with several awards and recognitions throughout his career, including induction into the NABJ Hall of Fame in 2016.
• William Dilday Jr was a leader and mentor for many Black journalists and media professionals who followed in his footsteps.

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