, Professor/ Radio-Television
Office phone: (406) 243-4747

William L. (Bill) Knowles came to the UM School of Journalism in 1986 following a 22-year career as a television news producer and executive. He managed ABC News bureaus in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, was a Washington producer throughout Watergate and covered a number of historic events.

Knowles has taught courses across the broadcast news curriculum, including beginning and advanced reporting and newscast performance and production. Knowles teaches the popular Introduction to Mass Media course to more than 400 students annually. He co-founded the Student Documentary Unit with his late colleague and friend, Joe Durso Jr. Its programs on Montana PBS have won five regional Emmys and five national Mark of Excellence awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. Last year Knowles also developed a "Media Impact on Sports" experimental course.

From 1991 to 1997, Knowles was halftime host for Grizzly Sports Network football and basketball broadcasts.

Knowles is known for his student mentoring, including post-graduate career counseling and providing job and internship contacts to students.

Knowles is an amateur jazz historian and helped found the Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival. He's married to one of Montana's best-known music teachers, Sharon Weaver-Knowles. They live in Missoula's Farviews neighborhood with their dog Tipper, two pianos, three satellite dishes, two TiVos, three VCRs and more than a thousand media-related videotapes.