Judd McIlvain had been in radio and TV for more than 35 years. Judd was first on TV when he was 12 years old and hosted a television show called “Children’s Digest.” The show was 15 minutes long on WBLN-TV in Bloomington, IL. The show was sponsored by Blue Star Potato Chips of Chicago. Judd did radio shows as a disc jockey in Columbia, Missouri at KBIA and KFRU when he was 15 and 16 years of age.
At 17, he produced and hosted a television show called “TV Dance Party” at the Jefferson City, Missouri TV station. Teenagers from area schools would come to the studios each week and dance to rock-n-roll on television. The show was sponsored by Pepsi Cola and was 90 minutes long.
Judd was the first TV producer to fight for African American teenagers to dance on a so-called white TV show and win. A week later the Ku Klux Klan showed up at the studios and demanded that the white teenagers not dance on the show if black teenagers were permitted to dance.
It was 1959 and the white kids danced with white kids and the black kids danced with black kids, but for some members of the community that was too much integration. Pepsi did not give in and cancel the show and it continued until the end of the 13 week contract. However, Judd had to have one show with black dancers, and one show with white dancers. Therefore, on the black show, Judd was the first white host of a black dance party TV show. After the 13 week contract, and many protests from the Klan, the show was not renewed.
After high school Judd joined the National Guard and immediately went on active duty with the U.S. Army. Judd graduated as a Military Police Officer, served out his active duty, and then returned to serve four years active reserve. He was one of the youngest Military Police to reach the rank of Sergeant.
Judd worked part-time in radio and TV news reporting when he went to the University of Missouri School of Journalism at Columbia. During his college studies he studied a summer semester in Monterrey, Mexico where he learned Spanish.
After getting his Bachelor of Journalism (BJ), Judd headed for Central America to be a freelance news reporter. If there was a riot or a small war, Judd was there covering it and trying to find customers in the U.S. who would take his stories. He did some live feeds for ABC News from the riots in Panama City in 1965.
He was paid $20 per radio story. While working for United Press International ( UPI), Judd was arrested in Venezuela for taking pictures of the secret police beating demonstrators and the dictator Peres Jimenez Trial. Judd was released on bond and UPI’s bureau chief suggested it would be a great idea for Judd to flee the country because the penalty he was facing was six years in jail. Judd took the advice and was out of Venezuela the next morning. He never returned.
Judd worked at eight different TV stations in this country and was at the CBS-TV affiliate in Houston, Texas, for 18 years. He was the assignment editor, producer, general reporter, and investigative reporter. It was there that he created the investigative series “The McIlvain Files.”
In 1986 Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox-TV, brought Judd to L.A. to be the Troubleshooter on the Fox TV station, KTTV.
In 1988 Judd was hired by KCBS-TV and moved his Troubleshooter operation to CBS. He was at KCBS for 10 years.
Judd did stories on CBS’ 48 Hours with Dan Rather. He worked with Dan in Houston, Texas in the late 60’s. Judd also helped produce stories for Geraldo Rivera at ABC’s 20/20. He was often on Geraldo’s syndicated show until the fighting and chair throwing began.
He set legal precedent in a landmark Texas Supreme Court case, McIlvain vs. Jacobs, which established the definition of “substantial truth” in libel law for many years.
Judd won two L.A. Emmys, eight Golden Mikes, and four L.A. Press Club awards for outstanding TV reporting. One was for outstanding reporting during the LA riots. He also received Texas’ highest award for investigative reporting, the Headliners Award.
Judd McIlvain died on March 9, 2015 and his legacy is being carried on by his Troubleshooter Team and volunteer support group that keeps this site alive and well maintained. He is missed by his many, many fans and colleagues