Edward D. "Ned" Champion, veteran and renowned North Carolina broadcaster, has died at the age of 77.
He attended public schools in Raleigh, Cary, Greenville, and Salisbury. He graduated from Goldsboro High School, and attended Wake Forest College (now University).
Most of his working life was as a radio announcer beginning at WSTP, Salisbury, NC in 1944. He later announced at WGBR, Goldsboro; WRAL, Raleigh; WSAT, Salisbury; WDLP, Panama City, Florida; and WNAO, Raleigh.
During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army as chief of the Radio-TV Section of the Public Information Office at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
He joined the staff of WPTF, Raleigh in 1953, and in the 1950s and 1960s he established himself there as a popular and highly entertaining radio star. His program "Champion's Corner" became a staple of family musical entertainment.
He returned to WPTF in 1973, after a hiatus from broadcasting. During that time, he was supervisor of the Finer Carolina Program of Carolina Power & Light Co.; served the Dunn Chamber of Commerce as manager; was in sales work in Atlanta, Nashville, and the Southeastern US; and was a trust officer for First Union Bank in Lumberton and Raleigh.
After leaving WPTF in 1980, he joined the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation as Director of Broadcast Services where he supervised and produced radio and TV broadcasts for stations all over North Carolina. He retired from there in 1993.
He was survived by Page, his wife of 54 years, and their children: daughters Lynne, Cheryle Blue, and Joye, and son Doug (and their families).
