Bill Kuster
Encyclopedia
Bill Kuster was an American television meteorologist. He was a weather forecaster at KYW-TV
in Philadelphia
from 1963 to 1979 and KUSA
in Denver
from 1979 to 1996.
. The Kuster family later moved to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
, where he briefly attended Bloomsburg State College
. He served for four years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1956 from Pennsylvania State University
.
in Scranton
as a substitute game show host and weatherman. He next worked at WGAL
in Lancaster
as a weatherman and assistant news director.
In 1963, he moved to the Philadelphia
area and joined KYW-TV
as a weekend weatherman. He started a vegetable garden, dubbed Kuster's Garden, at the station in 1975.
After he left KYW in 1979, he moved to Denver, Colorado
station KUSA-TV
. He worked as KUSA's weekday and weekend weathercaster until his retirement in 1996. He continued the tradition of his Kuster Garden in Denver and expanded it to enlist a restaurateur to prepare meals with the annual harvest for Denver-area homeless shelters.
KYW-TV
KYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
from 1963 to 1979 and KUSA
KUSA-TV
KUSA, channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado. KUSA is owned by the Gannett Company, and is a sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate KTVD...
in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
from 1979 to 1996.
Early life and education
William E. Kuster was born on May 9, 1930 in Fernville, PennsylvaniaFernville, Pennsylvania
Fernville is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 488 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The Kuster family later moved to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg is a town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 40 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre along the Susquehanna River. In 1900, the population of Bloomsburg stood at 6,170; in 1910, 7,413; in 1940, 9,799, and in 1990, 12,439. The population was 14,855 at the 2010 census...
, where he briefly attended Bloomsburg State College
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly referred to as Bloomsburg, BU or Bloom, is a public university in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States...
. He served for four years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1956 from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
.
Career
Bill Kuster's broadcast career began with a six-month period at WARM (AM)WARM (AM)
WARM is a radio station licensed to the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The station is also known as "The True Oldies Station" with Oldies programming featuring music from 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media. The station is a Class B AM broadcasting station...
in Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
as a substitute game show host and weatherman. He next worked at WGAL
WGAL
WGAL is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania that is licensed to Lancaster. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter near U.S. 30 north of Hallam. The transmitter site and tower is also where WGAL's radio partner, WROZ "101.3...
in Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
as a weatherman and assistant news director.
In 1963, he moved to the Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
area and joined KYW-TV
KYW-TV
KYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
as a weekend weatherman. He started a vegetable garden, dubbed Kuster's Garden, at the station in 1975.
After he left KYW in 1979, he moved to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
station KUSA-TV
KUSA-TV
KUSA, channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado. KUSA is owned by the Gannett Company, and is a sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate KTVD...
. He worked as KUSA's weekday and weekend weathercaster until his retirement in 1996. He continued the tradition of his Kuster Garden in Denver and expanded it to enlist a restaurateur to prepare meals with the annual harvest for Denver-area homeless shelters.