All Baltimore was held spellbound every year by "Toots" Barger as she finished first place. It was a match made in heaven for television. Her maddening consistency, accuracy and nerves of steel made her nearly unbeatable. Ms. Barger popularized the sport in the 1940s and 1950s. "It was Toots who helped create enthusiasm for the game and then help sustain it." said Michael Olesker of the Sunpapers.
Baltimore's first television station WMAR-TV, the CBS Sunpapers television started location telecasting the finals of the Evening Sun Bowling Tournament. After a week or so of bowling contests, the big finals came on a Sunday night. It was the only program on TV. No NFL or Sunday Night football. Guess who the sports announcer was? Jim McKay of ABC World of Sports. But that was before there was an ABC World of Sports. He was Jim McManus.
In 1947, the Sun's leadership invested in Baltimore's first TV station, WMAR-TV, and (McManus) McKay was chosen as that station's first on-camera personality. McKay did everything but run WMAR-TV--functioning as the station's producer, director, writer, and news and sports reporter.
His reputation as a hardworking and skillful journalist earned him an opportunity to host a New York City based CBS variety show and McKay became a strong presence in the largest media market in the world. Although CBS gave McKay his broadcasting break, it was ABC Sports, under the leadership of Roone Arledge, that provided McKay the opportunity to flourish.
(more coming)