Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Christopher Schenkel was a television sportscaster who was the longtime voice of the Professional Bowlers Association. For 17 years, he broadcast the New York Giants NFL games, and he was the first to cover The Masters golf tournament on TV. Schenkel was also the first to broadcast a college football game coast-to-coast on ABC, and the first to anchor live Olympic coverage in 1968. 

Schenkel was born on a farm in Bippus, Indiana on August 21, 1923. He attended Purdue University where he worked at WBAA radio before serving in the military in World War II. 

In 1947, he tried his hand at television as the play-by-play voice for Harvard University. 

In 1956, Schenkel broadcasted Giants games, boxing and Triple Crown horse racing for CBS Sports. He became the voice of the Masters golf tournament. 

By 1965, when Schenkel began to work at ABC Sports, he was considered to be the top sportscaster in the country. He covered the MLB, NBA, Indianapolis 500 and nine summer and winter Olympic Games. He was ABC’s primary sports anchor for Mexico City in 1968 and Munich in 1972. 

He was notably known for his work in professional bowling, known as the voice of the Professional Bowlers Association. For 36 years, he called the Professional Bowlers Association Tour.  

Schenkel was widely recognized for his genuine positivity and professionalism. He was a very decorated broadcaster, having been inducted into 16 halls of fame, including the Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1981. He also won an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement in 1992 and was named National Sportscaster of the Year four times.  

Schenkel was also dedicated to aiding in Native American causes due to his upbringing around Native Americans in Huntington County. He served as vice president and director of the Eitljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art in Indianapolis.  

Schenkel passed away on September 11, 2005, at a hospital in Fort Wayne.  

February 2025

By Lily Saylor