Spoiler : The spelling of this individual here would be Pat *Connell*, the first African-American to have been hired by a major network as a staff announcer (by CBS, in 1961 [Jet, March 16, 1961], one year after he was initially hired by them [in April 1960, per Billboard, April 4, 1960] as a summer-replacement fill-in). Before that, he had been a disc jockey for WNJR in Newark, NJ, where he went by the handle "Pat the Cat." A licensed pilot, he later owned an aircraft and was spotlighted along with other black pilots in an article, "Can A Black Man Fly?," in the July 1969 issue of Flying magazine.

Spoiler : I WAS JUST A KID WHEN I LIVED IN UNION NJ...I MET PAT CONNEL WHEN HE WORKED FOR WNJR AS A DJ. I KNEW HE WAS HIRED AS THE 1ST BLACK ANNOUNCER FOR WCBS. HE WAS A GOOD GUY WHO GREW UP IN MONTANA. ID LOVE TO FIND MORE HISTORY OF PAT CONNEL

Spoiler : He worked at CBS as a network announcer till his retirement around 1990. He loved flying and owned 2 World War 2 vintage aircraft. I became an airline pilot ( go figure) and retired in 2020. My older brother who had some spots on NJR became an emergency room doctor ( my dad had great respiratory for Doc’s) Upon his retirement from CBS he retired to Daytona Beach Fla. ( where most New YorkersGo) and lived a quiet life until his passing in 2015.

Spoiler : I seem to remember hearing your dad on CBS-TV as late as 1991. But thanks for advising on when he passed. He was one of those voices you couldn't forget.

Spoiler : Pat the Cat Connell had a 10-15 minute radio show on WNJR in Newark, a channel with a brokered station concept, in which the individual dj's had to raise their own commercial money. I listened to it almost daily for a year, fascinated by Pat the Cat's flawlessly smooth delivery and researched knowledge.

Spoiler : I’m Pat the Cat’s youngest son. I appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments He was a “tough act to follow “ I became an airline pilot- flying was a great passion of my Dad’s