A new feature on the Eckhartz Press website, The Studio Walls...
Eckhartz Press co-publisher Rick Kaempfer is a former radio producer and host and still writes about the media regularly as the media columnist for Illinois Entertainer. He has written about more than 200 current and former Chicago radio stars, including the following people who are celebrating birthdays this week...
WSCR and WBBM Radio’s Mark Grote (interviewed in 2015) is the sideline reporter during Chicago Bears radio broadcasts. At the time of the interview he was the third man in the booth for Cubs radio broadcasts with Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer. Rick asked him about his broadcasting partner, former Cub Ron Coomer…
“Everyone in baseball knows and likes Ron. He’s one of those legitimately good guys. He’s been absolutely great to me here in my rookie season. He introduces me to the people I need to know, and makes sure I don’t make a fool of myself by telling me the little etiquette issues involved in the broadcast booth and the clubhouse. Coomer has been the most important person for me, to get me through this year.”
(Mark’s birthday is January 9th. To read the entire interview, click here.)
WGN Radio’s Mary Van De Velde (interviewed in 2009) has been the morning and afternoon traffic reporter at WGN. Rick asked her about some of her favorite moments in that role.
“Working with Bob Collins was a great experience. He was hard to get to know at first, but I found him to be a very compassionate and generous man. Whenever he went out-of-the country, his wife Christine would pick us out very thoughtful gifts. I once got a silk jewelry case from China, which I cherish to this day. I’d have to say though… my all-time favorite memories are the early morning “meetings” with (host) Spike O’Dell, (news anchor) Andrea Darlas, and (producer) Jim Wiser. We rarely discussed what we were going to do on the show because Spike always had us cracking-up about something he usually found on YouTube or Sky-Cam….or he had some new gadget to try out on us. His homemade beef jerky helped us wake up in the morning!”
(Mary’s birthday is January 5th. To read the entire interview, click here.)
Judd Sirott (interviewed in 2011) is currently the radio voice for the Boston Bruins. At the time of the interview Judd was with WGN Radio doing pre and post-game shows for the Blackhawks and the Cubs, and did a one-inning stint every Cubs game, filling in for Pat Hughes. Rick asked him how he prepared for that.
“Do it accurately, descriptively, and provide some banter. Every game is different. I used to joke that nobody could call three up and three down like me, but then all of a sudden it would go the other way, with an eight run inning and three pitching changes. I think the key is that I always prepare myself as if I am doing the entire game. Sitting shotgun, watching Pat Hughes do his thing has been an incredible help. Ron used to call him the professor, but to me that’s really what he was. I watched and listened to him, how prepared, how quick, how descriptive, how mellifluous he is. He’s got the whole package–his timing, his wit, his description. Every day it really was like watching the professor. I watched every lecture. Every game was a learning experience.”
(Judd’s birthday is January 6th. To read the entire interview, click here.)
Eckhartz Press note: Both Grote and Sirott are also featured in Kaempfer’s book “EveryCubEver”
