Nail was a journalist's journalist, covering the Washington media scene for Television Digest and Communications Daily. He was known as a penultimate Washington insider and an occasional prankster.
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DC Media Journalist Tack Nail Dies At 82
Dawson “Tack” Nail, 82, who spent more than 50 years as one of the most prominent reporters covering broadcasting and telecommunications in Washington, died Friday, March 25, due to complications from a fall at home in Virginia on March 24. He was the longtime executive editor of Warren Communications News’s Television Digest and Communications Daily.
His journalism honors included a long list of awards, among them the National Association of Broadcasters Spirit of Broadcasting Award. He was a former president of the D.C. chapter of SDX-Society of Professional Journalists, where he’s a member of the Hall of Fame. He’s also a long-time board member of the Broadcasters Foundation and a member of such groups as the Broadcast Pioneers and the National Press Club’s Silver Owls honor society.
He joined C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb on the first C-SPAN call-in show, in 1980, and was a regular panelist on other news shows, including NBC’s Meet the Press. He lectured at a long list of universities, including Temple, San Francisco State, American, Johns Hopkins, Howard, San Diego State, UCLA, Bowling Green and Oklahoma State, where he had received a master of science degree in journalism.
Nail was known throughout telecom and broadcasting circles both for his unequalled access to the powerful, and for his outrageousness. He once supposedly called an NAB official about typos in the official’s report to the NAB board, before the board members received it. Another time he called a public broadcasting lobbyist who had just left a meeting at the White House where he was told he had prevailed. Nail informed him, correctly, that the White House had changed its mind, and he had not. It took the lobbyist 24 hours to verify it.
When onetime CBS President Grant Tinker was at the peak of his considerable power, Nail was heard chewing Tinker out because his secretary had delayed putting Nail’s call through. Tinker apologized profusely.
Nail reciprocated the attentiveness of his sources: In 2008 he snuck onto the Capitol grounds to comply with the wishes of former Rep. Lionel van Deerlin that his ashes be spread on the Capitol grounds, after red tape prevented it. Nail knew the area well — for years he had been one of the very few journalists to have an assigned parking spot on the grounds.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
Nail was born in Oklahoma in 1928 and spent part of his childhood at the Masonic Boys Home, an orphanage in Guthrie. He was sports editor of his college paper at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree. He also had a weekly sports program on KWOE(AM) Clinton.
After college he spent two years in the Army, in Korea, riding in two-seat, unarmed propeller planes over the front lines as a forward artillery observer. He returned to Oklahoma after the war to earn his master’s degree, taught history and journalism in high school, and was an assistant wrestling and football coach.
He arrived in Washington in 1955 with Broadcasting magazine, then moved to Television Digest in 1964, where he stayed until his semi-retirement. The dean of reporters covering the communications industry, he continued as a regular contributor until his death. He remained active in several broadcast-related groups, including on the Broadcast Pioneers board.
He is survived by his wife, Joan, and six children. A memorial service will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington.
Reprinted with the permission of Warren Communications News.
Comments (8)
Korena Keys says:
March 25, 2011 at 5:31 pm
A fine journalist. If you wnated to know hat was happening on almost any communications issue a call to Tack brought the latest update. As a young program manager at WMAL/WJLA TV in DC I had a question for a report no one in management could answer. Andy O. (many of you will know who that it) suggested I call a guy named “Tack” at TV Digest. I did, he called back, to my surprise, had the answer and thus began a career friendship.
My favorite Tack anecdote, was when he challenged the AWRT (American Women in Radio and Television) policy of female only membership. He was inducted that year into AWRT at a grand annual party at the Iranian Embassy (yes, the Shah’s days). There is more to the story, but it is better told over a drink or a coffee, in Tack’s honor!
Haven’t talked to him in several years, but already miss him.
Julie Hirschfeld Davis & David Espo says:
March 25, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Tack wanted to have lunch with FCC Chairman Fowler back in 1985 and I tagged along. It was great fun as always and, as Tack went to pay the bill (since he didn’t want to appear that we were buying “good press” (as if THAT would ever happen)), he pulled out this stuffed jalopy of a massive wallet, falling apart at the seams. Mark looked at it incredulously and blurted out, “what the hell is that?!” Tack shrugged it off and said, “what’s your problem – it still works.” We got back to the office and Fowler told me to go out and buy Tack a new wallet. I did. He was still using it when I saw him this past Christmas! — 26 years later!
We miss hinm already.
ahron Young says:
March 25, 2011 at 6:11 pm
I first met Tack at the 2005 NAB Show in Las Vegas. I was 23 years old and 3 months in to an entry-level PR job with NAB. I had been told about The Legendary Dawson B. Nail, and was directed to take good care of him, ensuring his computer worked and that he had access to email to file his stories. At the week’s end and the close of the convention, Tack left the newsroom headed for a plane bound for DC. “Jonesy,” he said. “I’ll see you back in D.C. if I don’t die first.” What a sense of humor. I’ll miss seeing him around D.C. and slowly walking down the halls of the NAB Show this year. He was a truly good man, particularly to a young kid who didn’t know what the hell he was doing.
Chris Valentini says:
March 27, 2011 at 10:22 pm
Our industry has truly lost a one-of-a-kind; a real gentleman who really called them how he saw them and embarrassed so many at the same time with his directness and TOTAL honesty. He will be REALLY missed. So long Tack, God Bless and RIP–Washingtonian bureaucrats will also rest a little easier with the vacuum you’ve left behind!!
Meagan Zickuhr says:
March 28, 2011 at 9:01 am
He will be missed. My prayers are with his family and friends at this time.
Michael Peschio says:
March 28, 2011 at 10:22 am
I had the pleasure of getting to know Tack at many NAB and ABA seminars over the last 20-plus years, and he deserved the kudos here and elsewhere he’s received. There will never be another like him…R.I.P.
Kathryn Miller says:
March 28, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I’m suprised to hear that Tack was only 82 at the time of his demise. He was legendary in the “communications regulation” community when I lived and worked in DC, and in the few times I talked with him, he seemed the true mensch. I hope this isn’t too controversial, but in my 8.5 years in DC, he was the closest thing to an honest journalist covering comm law. When I talked to him of deep, deep matters that had yet to appear in print, he knew what was going on, and hadn’t already formed up his positions. Unlike, sad to say, most of the staffers at a little weekly publication that came out of DeSales St, NW. I have Tack stories, but unfortunately the best ones are at least one step removed.
Ruth Windsor says:
March 28, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Dawson “Tack” Nail was “edgy” long before the term became part of the vernacular. He unquestionably qualified for the appellation an “original.” Excuse the cliché but let there be no doubt that he was indeed always as sharp as a tack!
The esteem in which Tack Nail was held was never more evident than when with great gusto he made his entrance at the annual NAB Convention BMI Dinner. Tack addressed nearly everyone in the room from FCC Commissioner to the newest invitee on a first name basis. His presence and stature in the industry was noted by everyone.
Many will praise his prowess as a reporter and remember him as a walking encyclopedia of the history of the radio and television industry. It was legendary that when Tack was on the hunt for a story nothing would deter him from both the source and the facts. I suspect that very few were “unavailable” for Tack Nail. To the un-initiated Tack was not unlike the television detective Colombo with his disarming approach.
He was an integral part of the early Broadcast Pioneers, and worked diligently during the 1990s on the transition to the new Broadcasters Foundation of America. He served on both boards of directors and was always passionate in support of preserving the heritage and history of the industry.
Tack also played an integral role together with the late Lucille Luongo in creating the annual Giants of Broadcasting Luncheon under the auspices of the Library of American Broadcasting. He also served as a member of the Library of American Broadcasting Board after it became a separate entity from the Broadcast Pioneers in the 1996. The Broadcasters Foundation of America honored Tack with a Pioneer Award at the NAB Convention in 2001.
I am proud to add my name to the list of those who were honored by Tack’s friendship. I will miss those telephone calls when you knew in an instant whose voice was on the other end and something important was about to be said.
Dawson “Tack” Nail was “edgy” long before the term became part of the vernacular. He unquestionably qualified for the appellation an “original.” Excuse the cliché but let there be no doubt that he was indeed always as sharp as a tack!
The esteem in which Tack Nail was held was never more evident than when with great gusto he made his entrance at the annual NAB Convention BMI Dinner. Tack addressed nearly everyone in the room from FCC Commissioner to the newest invitee on a first name basis. His presence and stature in the industry was noted by everyone.
Many will praise his prowess as a reporter and remember him as a walking encyclopedia of the history of the radio and television industry. It was legendary that when Tack was on the hunt for a story nothing would deter him from both the source and the facts. I suspect that very few were “unavailable” for Tack Nail. To the un-initiated Tack was not unlike the television detective Colombo with his disarming approach.
He was an integral part of the early Broadcast Pioneers, and worked diligently during the 1990s on the transition to the new Broadcasters Foundation of America. He served on both boards of directors and was always passionate in support of preserving the heritage and history of the industry.
Tack also played an integral role together with the late Lucille Luongo in creating the annual Giants of Broadcasting Luncheon under the auspices of the Library of American Broadcasting. He also served as a member of the Library of American Broadcasting Board after it became a separate entity from the Broadcast Pioneers in the 1996. The Broadcasters Foundation of America honored Tack with a Pioneer Award at the NAB Convention in 2001.
I am proud to add my name to the list of those who were honored by Tack’s friendship. I will miss those telephone calls when you knew in an instant whose voice was on the other end and something important was about to be said.