Mike Pence: “this week the State of Indiana said farewell to a memorable Hoosier and a dear friend, Chris Duffy, a man whose impact…”

“this week the State of Indiana said farewell to a memorable Hoosier and a dear friend, Chris Duffy, a man whose impact on Indiana broadcasting in the 20th century can scarcely be overstated but whose impact on the lives of thousands of Hoosiers, myself included, was greater still. Chris Duffy was born in 1936 to George Christopher Duffy, who was himself a legendary band leader back in the days when traveling band leaders were the equivalent of rock stars today. Chris was born to a promoter and he was himself a born promoter. He came by it honestly. Long before arriving in Indianapolis where he would run or build three out of the five television stations in that city, Chris Duffy cut his teeth on the first successfully syndicated daytime television show in history, the Mike Douglas Show. Young Chris Duffy was a producer for the Mike Douglas Show and his energy and comic timing led not only to the show's success off the air but resulted in Mike Douglas actually routinely pulling a young Chris Duffy on-stage and turning him and his antics into a regular that contributed to that show and still contributes to quality daytime television today. From the time Chris Duffy moved to Indianapolis in 1975 to his retirement a few years back, he was not so much a business leader as a force of nature. He transformed Channel 13 into an NBC affiliate and turned it into one of the premier local news stations in America.”