Reflections on Dan DiNicola: Critic, Columnist & Cultivator of the Arts

Dan DiNicola (credit: CBS6Albany.com; used with permission)

I was very sad to read yesterday the news of former television personality Dan DiNicola’s passing at the age of 68. See also: TU bogger Roger Green’s reflections on Dan (later in the post)

Like Roger, I can’t say I knew the man, but growing up in the Capital Region he was most definitely a presence.

For those who may be too young to remember him or are transplants to the area, Dan DiNicola was a local movie critic and entertainment reporter for WRGB. Unlike so many other critics I see and read (especially locally), DiNicola gave the impression that he not only knew what he was talking about but also carried with him a genuine love and interest in whatever he was covering.

As much of it was attributable to his abilities as an on-air talent as it was to his seemingly genuine nature. DiNicola had a very smooth, calm, and assertive air about him without coming across as smarmy. It’s a skill set most essayists – whether they be on radio, television, or online – seem to have lost. These days it’s all about taking an outrageous stance or exaggerating an emotional response for the sake of ramping up interest. Dan, like many others of his era, was much better than that. He had a presence and knew how to grab his audience’s attention without the aid of cheap, lowbrow hyperbole.

Off-camera, Dan was an avid supporter for the arts locally and a great mentor to many, including Glens Falls native Rachael Ray. He was also a beloved High School english teacher and three-time local Emmy winner.

Looking back, it seems as if my exposure to the arts was limited, and I can think of no other television personality that made such a sustained impression on me when it came to the local arts scene. As a child, local theater, film, and other forms of entertainment were synonymous with DiNicola.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he cultivated my interest in the very things I’m passionate about today, and for that I need to express my gratitude and thanks.