CLAMMY & FISHY BONUS EPISODE: Paul Dorpat Doubles Down on Ivar's "Underwatergate" Billboard Hoax

On this CLAMMY and FISHY BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel (clam)digs into the audio archives to tell the twisted tale of the Ivar’s Billboard Hoax, aka "Underwatergate." Though, once you've listened, it may have you wondering if there was ever hoax at all, or if it was actually some kind of elaborate coverup. In 2009, Seattle-based Ivar’s seafood restaurants released a series of videos documenting the search for and discovery of UNDERWATER BILLBOARDS in Puget Sound. As the story goes, they were placed in the 1950s by restaurateur and showman Ivar Haglund to reach burgeoning submarine traffic. The 2009 undersea search was all very exciting, and many were completely hooked. But then, Jim Dever, with KING 5's Evening Magazine at the time - and still a great friend of CASCADE OF HISTORY - had the exclusive exposé, produced in cooperation with Ivar’s, and featuring Ivar’s CEO Bob Donegan. As Dever's report made it seem, the whole thing was a brilliant stunt that fooled a lot of people - but it angered a few, too, who thought Ivar's had gone too far. Fast forward to November 2015, and naïve history radio correspondent Feliks Banel set out to tell the backstory with help from Paul Dorpat. Dorpat is a beloved historian - and friend and biographer of Ivar - who had served as official historian of the vintage underwater billboard hunt. When the hoax had been revealed in 2009, Dorpat – longtime author of the weekly “Now & Then” history column - was criticized by many, and even temporarily suspended by The Seattle Times for his role in the stunt. As you listen to Paul Dorpat's 2015 version of events, try to keep clam. CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.