NorthEast Radio Watch 3/16/2026: Ernie Anastos Dies
In this week’s issue… Hall sells WCTK, WNBH - Remembering NY's Anastos - WMEX sale withdrawn - Saga moves in western Mass - TikTok Radio launches on iHeart subs
NERW Year in Review 2018: Those We Lost
The Year in Obituaries
By SCOTT FYBUSH
It’s time once again for our Year in Review, the 25th time we’ve gathered up our headlines from the previous 12 months and tried to sum it all up for you. We’ll resume our regular NorthEast Radio Watch report with an update on Wednesday, Jan. 2, and a full column on Monday, Jan. 7. (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 Monday’s installment here) with a look at the broadcasters and media people our region lost in the last twelve months:
JOE FRANK, 79, former WBAI late-night host (Jan. 15)
ED McLAUGHLIN, 92, Rush Limbaugh syndicator (Jan. 18)
JOHN CORBY, 61, KDKA sports anchor (Jan. 20)
LANCE HOWELL, 75, Erie engineer (Jan. 21)
DENNIS CURLEY (Doug Christiansen), Maine owner (Jan.)
FRANK STICKLE, 85, WMCA “Good Guy” (Jan. 27)
TOM SIGLIN, 70, Binghamton engineer (Jan. 29)
JANET JEGHELIAN, 83, WRKO talk host (Feb. 3)
JUAN TEXIDOR, 92, Buffalo Spanish-language broadcaster (Feb. 7)
WAYNE FULLER, 70, Batavia sportscaster (Feb. 9)
JANET “From Another Planet” BATES, 58, Boston, Philly DJ (Feb. 12)
JACK HYNES, 88, Boston TV news legend (Feb. 13)
JERRY MURPHY, 61, WIOV-FM Reading morning man (Feb. 14)
GRETHE deSUZE, 82, Carl deSuze’s widow (Feb. 15)
BOB COLE, 82, WCME Maine owner (Feb. 18)
HELEN DUDMAN, 93, Maine radio owner (Feb. 19)
DON LEBRECHT, 80, WPAT/WDVR/CHFI OM (Feb. 22)
GENE WOOTEN, 63, WPLJ imaging voice (Feb. 25)
RAY ROSENBLUM, Pittsburgh owner/broker (Feb. 27)
ADAM LYNCH, 89, Pittsburgh newsman (Feb. 27)
BOB LEVY, 86, WOBM morning man (Mar. 1)
FRANK X. FELLER, 91, Philadelphia DJ, talk host (Mar. 8)
GEORGE TROUT, 88, York sportscaster (Mar. 11)
FRITZ ORZELEK (“Dave Anthony”), 61, Binghamton DJ, composer (Mar. 12)
BARBARA SOMMERS, 64, Philadelphia DJ (Mar. 14)
ERIC SMALL, 71, engineer/inventor (Mar. 16)
FRANK AVRUCH, 89, Boston TV “Bozo” and movie host (Mar. 20)
JEROME ISAACSON (“Jerry Sherwin”), 85, Rochester/Geneva host (Mar. 30)
VINCE LEONARD (Homer Venske), 92, Philadelphia newsman (Mar. 30)
CHARLES AUSTIN, 73, WBZ-TV reporter (April 10)
MIKE JOSEPH, 90, “Hot Hits” creator (April 14)
DON DAUER, 91, WSYR morning man (April 17)
KEN DOLAN, 75, WOR “The Dolans” co-host (April 17)
GIL SANTOS, 80, Boston sports legend (April 19)
REID COLLINS, 88, WHAM morning man turned NYC, CNN anchor (April 19)
CHARLES BLANDING, NJ engineer, broadcast historian (April 22)
LANA JONES, WBZ reporter (April 25)
DAVID “Digby” REYNOLDS, 49, Pittsburgh sports producer (May 1)
MIKE HEDEEN, 64, Rochester TV newsman (May 2)
DOUG COLE, 83, Albany DJ, PD (May 3)
JOHN VIDAVER, 70, NYC air talent (May 7)
DICK LEWIS, 94, WJLK morning host/GM (May 11)
WARREN FURBER, 83, CHLO London owner (May 17)
SAM HALL, 81, NYC newsman (May 17)
MARK (Hill) JAMES, 65, Dunkirk morning man/OM (May 18)
STEPHEN MINDICH, 74, WFNX/Phoenix owner (May 23)
JIM MADIGAN, 65, WGBY Springfield host (May 26)
PAUL SMITH, 62, Buffalo engineer (May 30)
JOE BILOTTA, Buckley Radio CEO (June 1)
GINO RICCIARDELLI, 95, Binghamton engineering legend (June 1)
CHRIS (Hermedes) MARTIN, 89, Albany DJ (June 2)
RICHARD “Uncle Ricky” IRWIN, 67, RI/PA jock, radio historian (June 7)
DON CAMERON, 82, Kitchener sportscaster (June 7)
GARY “Spaceman” BELL, 69, Toronto late-night host (June)
JEFF (Carlson) BECK, 66, New York imaging voice (June 4)
MARK PHILLIPS, Buffalo newsman (June)
AL MELTZER, 89, Philadelphia (and Buffalo/Syracuse) sportscaster (June 11)
WARREN “Cousin” DUFFY, 80, WMEX jock (June 13)
JOE DeNARDO, 87, WTAE Pittsburgh weather legend (June 15)
JOHN ELLIS, Williamsport engineer (June)
JOHN “Bud” HUNTER, 79, CJTN Trenton morning man (June)
DEBBIE SHEEHAN, 65, NYC/NJ traffic voice (June 18)
CHUCK ADAMS, 80, WJOY Burlington DJ (June 21)
LUCY HOLDER, 67, Harrisburg DJ (June 22)
DAN INGRAM, 83, WABC/WCBS-FM legend (June 24)
MYRON JONES, 92, WJET Erie founder (June 28)
RICK “Chris” ANDREE, Harrisburg DJ, sports announcer (June 28)
J.J. RICHARDS, 88, CHUM, CFTO newsman (June 30)
TOM PETNER, 71, WWOR, WTAE ND (July 1)
MIKE “Steele” VRABLE, 51, Pittsburgh jock, sports producer (July 3)
GLENN CRESPO, 64, NYC news anchor (July 26)
CLARK BOOTH, 79, WCVB Boston newsman (July 26)
RALPH HOWARD, 77, NYC newsman (Aug. 7)
“Uncle” BILL LAKATAS, 64, WLSH/WMGH manager (Aug. 16)
ED FERLAND, 87, WHEC, WHAM host (Aug. 17)
JODI TAYLOR (Orr), 53, London newscaster (Aug. 18)
RICK LEVY, veteran Boston engineer (Aug. 18)
RON DeFRANCE, 82, WOKR “Bowling for Dollars” host (Aug. 19)
JIM CONDON, 60, Vermont host, VAB director (Aug. 23)
CHUCK BRINKMAN, 83, KQV DJ (Aug. 24)
BARRIE DUNSMORE, 79, ABC anchor, WVNY commentator (Aug. 26)
CHUCK FOSTER, 64, Bangor DJ, WBZN owner (Aug. 28)
JOHN CARTER (Ruttle), 69, Binghamton air talent (Sep. 12)
MIKE PINTEK, 65, KDKA talk host (Sep. 12)
BILL GABLE, 69, WAEB, CKLW, CFTR jock (Sept. 18)
DAVE BARRETT, Buffalo native, CBS News Radio anchor (Sept. 19)
LARRY BERGER, legendary WPLJ PD (Sept. 25)
PATRICK SCULLY, 54, “Ethan and Scully Morning Show” WRKI, WTIC (Sept. 27)
JOE RAINEY, 43, Capitol Records rep (Oct. 12)
KATE DOORDAN KLAVAN, 62, NYC traffic, news voice (Oct. 13)
BOB HOOPER, 79, CHML, voice of Tiger-Cats (Oct. 18)
HANK GREENWALD, 83, Yankees, Giants radio voice (Oct. 22)
BILL GRAULTY JR., 68, Berkshires radio newsman (Oct. 24)
BARRY LUNDERVILLE, New England radio owner (Oct. 27)
FRED NAPOLI, CJOY, CHML, CBC, Standard Broadcasting exec (Nov.)
JERRY WARNER, WEZO, WBTA morning man (Nov. 5)
LESLIE SOLE, Rogers TV exec (Nov. 5)
TERRI MICHAEL, Toronto, Montreal jock (Nov. 5)
RON GITSCHIER, 56, Merrimack Valley native, Florida engineer/newsman (Nov. 7)
BILL QUINN, 83, Syracuse, Providence jock (Nov. 9)
BILL CROGHAN, Alden NY native, Las Vegas engineer (Nov. 10)
HERB SALTZMAN, 89, WVNJ, WFAS owner (Nov. 12)
RANDY TIEMAN, 64, Montreal sportscaster (Nov. 16)
SEAN HALL, 63, DC/Baltimore newsman, WKBK Keene (Nov. 24)
BILL KELLY, 71, WVIA Scranton GM (Nov. 25)
NORM ALPERT, 89, WMTW, WMTQ, WAVV owner (Dec. 3)
LES KINSOLVING, 90, WOR, Baltimore talk host (Dec. 4)
TOM MALONEY, 74, Philadelphia newsman (Dec. 8)
J.R. REITZ, 66, Utica, Mass. jock (Dec. 9)
LEE LEONARD, 89, first voice of ESPN (Dec. 16)
JAMES “Iceman” EISEMAN, 61, WABC, WPXY, WHDH talent (Dec. 25)
THE LATEST FROM FYBUSH MEDIA
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