James Kent “Ken” Courtright, 74, of New Philadelphia, died peacefully April 3, 2010, at Union Hospital, Dover, in a room which overlooked the WJER radio station where his broadcasting career began.A son of the late William Ellsworth Courtright and Edith Marta Courtright Fankhauser, Ken was born Oct. 26, 1935, in Dover. He was proud of his Swiss heritage, being the first generation of his family to have been born in America. In the mid ‘50s, he began his radio career with WJER 1450 AM at Dover, where he had been influenced by the radio coverage of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the work of Carl Reese. In 1958, he relocated to Cleveland and began working for WERE 1300 AM and was also hired to present the news on KYW 1100 AM. Later, he was given the position as the news director at WCUE 1150 AM at Akron.In 1965, Ken returned to KYW 1100 AM and stayed there after the call letters were changed to WKYC. Long after his departure, Ken’s unique tone was still heard for EBS alert testing and the Sunday evening sign-offs.Ken served as the news director for WJW 850 AM and also held news positions with WSLR 1350 (Akron), WQKT (Wooster), WGAR 1220 AM (Cleveland), WKIS (Orlando, Fla.), WBGB 1580 (Mt. Dora, Fla.), WCER 900 AM (Canton), WDBN, 94.9 (Medina), and ultimately spent 27 years with the Tuscarawas Broadcasting Company, where he was the news director for WBTC 1540 AM and served as a news anchor for WNPQ 95.9 FM. It was with WBTC that Ken would originate the well-known morning program, Dial and Deal. In 1990, Ken would again return to the airwaves of 1100 AM, now WTAM, and would present the news for a fifth decade on one Cleveland radio frequency.Throughout his career, Ken covered some well-known news stories in Northeast Ohio, including the Sam Shepherd trial, the Kent State shootings, and the Ashby Leach hostage drama. He met many celebrities and politicians throughout his career, favorites being Don and Phil Everly, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Vail, Doris Day, Tina Louise, Gina Lollobrigida, Jayne Mansfield, Sophia Loren, Edward Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. Among his favorite stories is the time Tab Hunter (at the height of his popularity) hid in the back of Ken’s car to avoid throngs of screaming fans.Ken left a legacy within the Northeast Ohio broadcasting industry, one that has spanned more than 45 years. His voice can still be heard from time to time doing PSA commercials and top of the hour news intros for some radio stations, as well as sign-on and sign-off spots.Surviving are sons, Alan (Mary) Courtright of Medina, Sean (Peggy) Courtright of Wooster, and Les Middleton and Jeffrey (Leah) Courtright, both of Virginia Beach, Va.; daughters, Ellen Kay Courtright of Lakewood, Julie (Wilson) Haugh of Lorain, and Jillian Courtright of Cleveland; his former wife, Debra Durham Courtright of Vermillion; five grandchildren, James, Emily, Olivia, Cady, and Evan; and a great-granddaughter, Mary.He was preceded in death by a son, Robin Lee Courtright; brother, Bill Courtright; sister, Charlotte Allenbaugh; and stepfather, Gordon Fankhauser; and his first wife, Linette Courtright Boles.Ken’s longtime colleague and friend from the Tuscarawas Broadcasting Company, Kevin Baker, will lead a memorial service April 8, at 2 p.m., at the Linn-Hert-Geib chapel. Inurnment will follow in East Avenue Cemetery, New Philadelphia. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services.Family requests memorial contributions in his name be made to the Baseball Heritage Museum, Colonial Marketplace Arcade, 530 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland 44115; or the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio, 3380 Tremont Rd., Columbus 43221.