REPORTING LIVE IN TUSCALOOSA, KENDALL DUNCAN, WDSU NEWS. WELL, AS WE MARK 75 YEARS OF WJSU AS THE FIRST TELEVISION STATION AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, THE FIRST ON THE GULF COAST, WE ARE LOOKING BACK AT SOME TRAILBLAZING MOMENTS. AND IT WOULDN’T BE NEW ORLEANS WITHOUT TAKING YOU INTO THE KITCHEN WITH CHANNEL SIX COOKING UP THE VERY FIRST PROGRAM IN THE CITY DEDICATED TO OUR DELECTABLE DISHES AND WE MIXED IN SOME NOTABLE TALENT, SOME REMARKABLE WOMEN BREAKING BARRIERS. IN 1949, LENA RICHARDS BECAME THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO HOST A COOKING SHOW IN THE COUNTRY, AIRING TWICE EACH WEEK ON WDSU UNTIL SHE SUDDENLY PASSED AWAY A YEAR LATER, RICHARDS OPENED THE DOOR FOR THE LIKES OF AMANDA LEE AND MARIE MATTHEWS, WHO BECAME A MAINSTAY CHEF ON WDSU FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. AND IN ONE OF HER FINAL INTERVIEWS, MATTHEWS REMEMBERS THE KITCHEN AT THE STATION’S ROYAL STREET STUDIOS NOT EVEN COMPLETE YET. AND HOW MANY CHEFS HAD TO SPICE UP THEIR ROUTINE TO GET THEIR RECIPES ON THE AIR? WE HAD TO COOK ON A HOT PLATE AT AND THEN WATER. WE HAD GO OUT OF THE STUDIO, GO INTO THE BACK TO GET SOME WATER TO USE IN THE COOKING. WDSU ALSO WELCOMED OTHER NOTABLE NAMES LIKE PAUL PRUDHOMME AND EVEN SCRIPTED ITS OWN COOKBOOK OVER THE YEARS, KEEPING THE KITCHEN AS A FIXTURE ON THE MIDDAY SHOW FOR DECADES TO COME. ALL RIGHT. I LOVE COOKING SEGMENTS. ALL RIGHT. TO SEE MORE STORIES LIKE THIS AS WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE 75 YEARS OF WDSU ONLI