Walter E. Sickles

Walter E. Sickles (February 13, 1908 – February 11, 1997), also known as Uncle Walt, was an American children's television host, singer, producer and programming director at Way Down By Orlando (WDBO), now WKMG-TV, the first local television station in Orlando, Florida. His program, Adventures with Uncle Walt, which aired on WDBO from 1954 to 1967, was a popular local, afternoon children’s program.

Early life and military service Walter E. Sickles was born February 13, 1908, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At 12 years old, he sang a solo at the Pennsylvania governor's inauguration on the steps of the State Capitol in Harrisburg. He was a boy soprano and soloist for the choir at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. In the 1930s, he and his sister Lola Blackburn hosted a radio program, titled Jack and Jill, on WWSW.

By the 1940s, Sickles was program director at WWSW. In September 1942, he was narrator of Industry Presents, a radio series with Bill Cullen profiling industrial plants in Pittsburgh which were contributing to the war effort. He also served in World War II and returned to Pittsburgh following VE Day. He played host to events such as Central Florida Symphony Orchestra which performed at the Municipal Auditorium in Orlando. on the first day of broadcasting for WDBO, Adventures with Uncle Walt began airing at 5 p.m. every weekday.

Adventures with Uncle Walt featured segments like Crusader Rabbit, Flash Gordon, and Felix the Cat. However, the biggest attraction to the show was the live interviews with children, which attracted about 53,000 participants over its lifetime. They had two sons, Richard and Robin.