In This Section
April, 2006
Local DCB in Wide National Release
The documentary film, Dayton Codebreakers began airing on public television stations throughout the country April 2, 2006. The film tells the story of Joseph Desch, NCR engineer, and a top secret codebreaking operations in Dayton during WWII. It was presented to the recent American Public Television marketplace and a remarkable 101 Licensees across the country signed up to broadcast it. This represents over 80% of US households and includes markets from New York to LA, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Seattle. Also in the group are 14 statewide networks including Kentucky, North Carolina, Connecticut, Mississippi, and Georgia.
“This is a clear and resounding affirmation that the story is of interest far outside of Dayton and Ohio,” said Aileen LeBlanc a Yellow Springs resident who directed the film. She co-produced it along with Deborah Anderson of Kettering, the daughter of the late Joseph Desch.
Anderson adds “Because of his oath of secrecy, my father could not speak of his work. I think he’d be pleased with the way we tell the story, honestly yet respectfully. And he’d be fascinated by people’s interest and the way the story resonates today.”
Joseph Desch was an engineer at NCR in 1942, a pioneer in electronics. The Navy needed his expertise to design codebreaking machines which were used against the German Enigma machine. This top secret operation remained classified for more than fifty years. The film Local DCB tells this virtually unknown piece of history.
ThinkTV/WPTD of Dayton is the presenting station for American Public Television and has worked with LeBlanc and Anderson since they began making the film in 2002. Jim Weiner, Program manager for think TV remarks “Just when you think all the World War II stories have been mined, this gem emerges. And it came to light because a daughter played detective in hunting down the top secret answer to what her father did during the war.”
- The all local crew includes :
- Mike King, Director of Photography
- Music Composition and Performance by Sandy and Michael Bashaw
- Audio, Tom Mayor and John Mays
- Archival Footage, Brian Springer
- Editorial Consultant, Jim Klein
* Due to problems getting broadcast times, we’ve stopped updating our list of specific stations and dates.
Please consult local listings or call your station to ask for broadcast times. Thanks.
Markets *
WNET | New York NY |
KVCR | San Bernardino CA |
KOCE | Huntington Beach CA |
WHYY | Philadelphia PA |
NEWH | Durham NH |
WGBH | Boston MA |
KCSM | San Mateo CA |
KTEH | San Jose CA |
KQED | San Francisco CA |
KERA | Dallas TX |
WPBA | Atlanta GA |
GEOR | Atlanta GA |
WTVS | Detroit MI |
KUHT | Houston TX |
KCTS | Seattle WA |
WEDU | Tampa FL |
KAWE | Bemidji MN |
KTCA | St. Paul MN |
KAET | Tempe AZ |
WPBT | North Miami FL |
WLRN | Miami FL |
KBDI | Denver CO |
KRMA | Denver CO |
WMFE | Orlando FL |
KETC | St. Louis MO |
OREG | Portland OR |
WTIU | Bloomington IN |
WIPB | Muncie IN |
WFYI | Indianapolis IN |
CONN | Hartford CT |
NCAR | Triangle Park NC |
WTVI | Charlotte NC |
WNPT | Nashville TN |
KCPT | Kansas City MO |
WMVS | Milwaukee WI |
WCET | Cincinnati OH |
WPTO | Dayton OH |
SCAR | Columbia SC |
KUED | Salt Lake City UT |
KLRN | San Antonio TX |
WGVU | Grand Rapids MI |
ALAB | Birmingham AL |
WHRO | Norfolk VA |
WITF | Harrisburg PA |
WLAE | Metairie LA |
WKNO | Memphis TN |
MISS | Jackson MS |
OKLA | Oklahoma City OK |
WNED | Buffalo NY |
WSBE | Providence RI |
KENT | Lexington KY |
WJCT | Jacksonville FL |
WMHT | Troy NY |
WPTD | Dayton OH |
ARKA | Conway AR |
KVPT | Fresno CA |
WETP | Knoxville TN |
KRSC | Claremore OK |
WOUB | Athens OH |
WVIR | Beaver WV |
WSRE | Pensacola FL |
WDCQ | University Center MI |
KPTS | Wichita KS |
WBRA | Roanoke VA |
WGTE | Toledo OH |
KUAT | Tucson AZ |
MAIN | Bangor ME |
WXXI | Rochester NY |
NEBR | Lincoln NE |
WCNY | Syracuse NY |
WSIU | Carbondale IL |
KWSU | Pullman WA |
KSPS | Spokane WA |
WILL | Urbana IL |
WEIU | Charleston IL |
WCFE | Plattsburgh NY |
KWBU | Waco TX |
KNCT | Killeen TX |
WNIN | Evansville IN |
WNEO | Kent OH |
WFWA | Fort Wayne IN |
WGBY | Springfield MA |
WKAR | East Lansing MI |
KNPB | Reno NV |
SDAK | Vermillion SD |
NDAK | Fargo ND |
KEDT | Corpus Christi TX |
KIXE | Redding CA |
KTWU | Topeka KS |
WQLN | Erie PA |
KTXT | Lubbock TX |
KSMQ | Austin MN |
KUSM | Bozeman MT |
WPBS | Watertown NY |
WNMU | Marquette MI |
WVPT | Harrisonburg VA |
WBGU | Bowling Green OH |
KCWC | Riverton WY |