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Why Wink Martindale was a "never give up" guy
05/05/2025
Why Wink Martindale was a "never give up" guy
TVC 688.1: TV Confidential remembers longtime radio host, author, recording artist, and game show legend (, , , Winking at Life, “”) with a special program-length tribute to the man who became synonymous with the words “emcee” and “host.” Wink Martindale passed away on Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2025 at the age of ninety-one. In this segment, , retired professor of broadcast journalism at Union University in Jackson, TN (the hometown of Wink Martindale), game show historian, and the host of , talks to Ed about how Martindale developed his skills as a “quality ad-libber” early in his career by doing play-by-play for high school sports broadcasts; how he was often a de facto producer on the set of his game shows, always adapting to changing conditions in the format of the game (particularly in moments when things when awry); and why, unlike most broadcasters, Martindale was never afraid to take a risk by going to a bigger market. recently re-aired Wink Comes Home, a 90-minute special that he hosted in November 2007 at Union University in which Wink discussed his life and career and took questions from the studio audience, as part of . That episode is now available for viewing on demand on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop by going to or, if you have the PBS app, typing in , where you’ll find on the drop-down menu of Local Shows.
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