NorthEast Radio Watch 5/4/2026: Big Week for Noncomm FMs
In this week’s issue… K-Love adds in SE CT - OSM signs on 103.7 - GBH, NEPM move closer - Remembering PA's Kmetz, CHCH's McLean
NERW Year in Review 2016: Those We Lost
The Year in Obituaries
By SCOTT FYBUSH
It’s time once again for our Year in Review, the 23rd time we’ve gathered up our headlines from the previous 12 months and tried to sum it all up for you. Year in Review installments will appear daily through our wrap-up on Friday, December 30, so check back every day for a new installment. We’ll resume our regular NorthEast Radio Watch report on Monday, January 2, 2017. (And in the meantime, our own Twitter and Facebook feeds and RadioInsight will be here with any breaking news!)
As we do every year, we close out this final installment of our Year in Review (catch up on yesterday’s installment here) with a look at the broadcasters and media people our region lost in the last twelve months:
RALPH VARTIGIAN, 89, Albany kiddie TV host (Dec. 12, 2015)
STANLEY SIEGEL, 79, WABC-TV, “AM America” host (Jan. 2)
JACK MURPHY, 83, Olean/Wellsville station owner (Jan. 12)
JAMES POSPULA, WXXI-TV auction manager (Jan. 14)
LOU SCHRIVER, 86, WXRL owner (Jan. 17)
KRIS KELLEY, 45, former WAMO DJ (Jan.)
CHUCK GORDON, 86, Boston TV assignment editor (Jan. 20)
DAVE HANAHAN, 69, WMVL Meadville morning man (Jan. 23)
BUDDY CIANCI, 74, politician-turned-RI talk host (Jan. 28)
NICK NICKSON, 93, Rochester DJ (Jan. 28)
BOB SCHUMAN, 65, ex-WROR Boston ND (Jan. 30)
NORM JAGOLINZER, 83, WLKW Providence DJ (Feb. 1)
BOB ELLIOTT, 92, comedy legend, ex-WHDH Boston (Feb. 2)
GUNNAR RIEGER, 64, WSBE Providence CE (Feb. 7)
RICHARD GALE, 74, CKDS Hamilton announcer (Feb. 9)
BOB ANDERSON, 66, Long Island engineer (Feb. 13)
CHARLIE TUNA, 71, ex-WMEX Boston (Feb. 19)
ARTHUR “King Arthur Knight” OSTERHOUT, 79, RI jock (Feb. 26)
JOEL MAREINISS, 87, Syracuse U. broadcaster (Mar. 5)
BENJAMIN HERRERA, 75, Rochester Spanish newsman (Mar. 4)
BOB McINTYRE, 73, CKVR Barrie weatherman (Mar. 10)
MAL BORIGHT, 81, Vermont sportscaster (Mar. 18)
MARK WOLF, 80, Rochester TV anchor (Mar. 20)
JIM ROSELLE, 89, WJTN Jamestown legend (Mar. 23)
JOE GARAGIOLA, 90, ex-WNBC, “Monitor” (Mar. 23)
GEORGE MacLEAN, 92, CBC anchor (Mar.)
JEAN LAPIERRE, 59, Quebec radio commentator (Mar. 29)
WALLY CROUTER, 92, CFRB Toronto veteran (Mar. 28)
JOHN CARLSON, 82, Boston sportscaster (Apr. 5)
JOHN von SOOSTEN, 71, WNEW-TV, Sirius XM host (Apr. 13)
ELTON SPITZER, 84, ex-WLIR owner (Apr. 17)
MARTY WILSON, WNEW “Milkman’s Matinee” host (April)
JOHN W. “Bud” ANGST, 93, PA station owner (Apr. 26)
DOW CARNAHAN, 56, WCNS Latrobe PA host (Apr. 29)
PETER THOMAS, 91, ex-WCBS New York, VO artist (Apr. 30)
JOEL PALMER, 67, WTAG/WSRS Worcester (May 6)
JULIUS LaROSA, 86, WNEW NYC DJ (May 12)
IAIN BARRIE, 69, Canadian broadcaster/educator (May 14)
OREST HRYWNAK, 59, Rochester promotions director (June 2)
MARK PARENTEAU, 66, WBCN/XM jock (June 3)
TOM CONNOLLY, 57, WBEN overnight newsman (June 5)
AL DAME, 85, station owner (June 5)
DAN DANIEL, 81, NY top-40 legend (June 21)
MARGO COBB, 86, WLBZ-TV GM (June 20)
LOUIS APPELL, Jr., 92, Susquehanna CEO (June 27)
TONI RANDOLPH, 53, former WBFO ND (July 3)
JEFF COGSWELL, 43, Maritimes DJ (July 7)
VAUGHN HARPER, 71, WBLS “Quiet Storm” jock (July 9)
JOE “Simpson” PASTERNAK, 66, ex-WYYY/WHCN DJ (July 14)
BILL “Chilly Billy” CARDILLE, 87, Pittsburgh horror icon (July 21)
CHARLIE MORGAN, 82, Susquehanna exec, WTLQ owner (July 30)
RAY WALKER, 56, Pittsburgh producer/DJ (July 31)
BOB CHATFIELD, 64, WQQQ/WKZE host (Aug. 4)
W. CARTER MERBRIER, 90, “Captain Noah” on WFIL-TV/WPVI (Aug. 9)
JOHN SAUNDERS, 61, Ontario broadcaster turned ESPN anchor (Aug. 10)
WALTER MAXWELL, 76, Kingston Community Radio founder (Aug. 12)
ERROL BRUCE-KNAPP, 73, Canadian broadcaster (Aug. 11)
Dr. JOY BROWNE, 71, radio advice talker (Aug. 27)
NEIL ROCKOFF, 78, WHN VP/GM (Sept. 7)
BILL NOJAY, 59, WYSL talk host/politician (Sept. 9)
MARK HANDLEY, 74, ex-NHPR GM (Sept. 11)
OSCAR BRAND, 96, WNYC folk music legend (Sept. 30)
DAN McBRIDE, ex-WBNY Buffalo GM (Sept. 21)
SID DOHERTY, 90, Philadelphia, NY announcer (Sept. 25)
SANDY COOK, 61, WMSA morning man (Sept. 29)
PETER ALLEN, 96, Met Opera announcer (Oct. 8)
LEO BERANEK, 102, WCVB co-founder (Oct. 10)
MIKE FELICE, 85, Derrick Publishing broadcast VP (Oct. 11)
JIM LeCORCHICK, 69, WJET Erie morning man (Oct. 13)
ANDRE “Katfish Morgan” MAISONNEUVE, 55, CILV Ottawa jock (Oct. 21)
MURRAY GREEN, Malrite executive (Oct. 24)
JOHN ZACHERLE, 98, horror host, WPLJ jock (Oct. 27)
JIM WATERMAN, 74, New England PD, Media Touch, Prophet sales (Oct. 30)
TOM HAMPSON, 87, WCMF co-founder, WXXI Rochester jazz DJ (Nov. 10)
DICK OLIVER, 77, WNYW newsman (Nov. 11)
LEN MAILLOUX, 64, WVBF/WROR newsman, educator (Nov. 16)
GEORGE COLAJEZZI Jr., 62, former WPEP owner, WSAR host (Nov. 16)
ISRAEL “Sruki” SWITZER, 87, CITY-TV founder (Nov. 17)
DON MULLALY, 87, WSTJ St. Johnsbury morning institution (Nov. 18)
DON LOGANA, 40, ex-Watertown anchor (Nov. 20)
DALE GEHMAN, 59, Pennsylvania engineer (Nov. 22)
BOB BENNETT, 89, WCVB co-founder, Hearst exec (Nov. 29)
GLENN CARDINAL, 67, WPVQ co-founder (Nov. 30)
THOMAS EARL, 57, WDLC Port Jervis morning man (Nov. 30)
JUNE PEOPLES, 52, North Country Public Radio membership director (Dec. 2)
BEN RUNNELS, 32, ex-WEQX DJ (Dec. 2)
HUGH McCARTNEY, 87, WCIB news director (Dec. 3)
JOHN BADHAM, 79, Canadian sports broadcaster (Dec. 8)
JENNIFER FOXX (McClintock), 50, WEZF DJ, PD (Dec. 10)
GIL DAVID, 85, WHLI morning host (Dec. 10)
JIM LOWE, 93, singer, NYC jock (Dec. 12)
MITCH “Mike Landry” ELKINS, 70, WBUD/WKXW Trenton talent (Dec. 16)
GILES THREADGOLD, 92, Howie Carr WRKO sidekick (Dec. 18)
JEAN PAUL “DJ Jinx Paul” GUERRERO, 39, WQHT NY DJ (Dec. 19)
ELIZABETH “Lisa Lipps” TEDESCO, 59, WXKS-FM jock (Dec. 20)
CARY SIMPSON, 89, Allegany Mountain Network founder (Dec. 25)
CAROL PERRY, 69, WATD Marshfield co-founder (Dec. 26)
BARRY ROBINSON, 81, WRUR Rochester founder (Dec. 27)
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