Friday, June 29, 2012

WFAN's 25th anniversary celebration

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER Mike Francesa is presnently hosting a 25th anniversary program for WFAN today up until 7 p.m. Many surprises are planned. The station will have a lineup of specialized programming and reunions throughout the weekend. The PR people at the station put out a release of 25 "fun" facts to commemorate the 25th anniversary. Here's that list: Did You Know? Suzyn Waldman, the first voice heard on WFAN in 1987, still works for CBS RADIO New York, as Yankees announcer for sister station WCBS 880 Morning show co-host Craig Carton interned for WFAN in 1988 Morning show co-host Boomer Esiason was a frequent guest on WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog program Midday co-host Evan Roberts got his start in radio broadcasting doing updates on WFAN at the age of 10 Midday co-host Joe Benigno was a frequent caller to the station prior to being on-air and initially won a fan contest in 1994 to guest host a show on WFAN Afternoon host Mike Francesa worked for CBS Sports prior to joining WFAN Evening show host Steve Somers has been with WFAN in different timeslots since its launch in 1987 and John Minko and Ed Coleman were also part of the original on-air staff at the station Lead Mets announcer and WFAN’s original 7:00PM-12:00AM host, Howie Rose’s daughter Alyssa Rose is an actress who has appeared on the soap opera “One Life to Live” Boomer and Carton have twice appeared as guest judges on Iron Chef WFAN was originally heard at 1050AM before moving to 660AM on the dial WFAN’s original morning show was hosted by Greg Gumbel, who still works for CBS CBS 2 Sports Anchor Otis Livingston also anchors WFAN’s 11:00PM weeknight sportscast and CBS 2 Sports Anchor Lisa Kenney anchors the 5:40AM sports update Boomer has hosted the “Miss America Pageant,” in addition to co-hosting a weekly WFAN football show called “In the Huddle” along with former host Chris “Mad Dog” Russo Long Island native Jerry Seinfeld is a staunch supporter and friend of Steve Somers and WFAN…and they met in the cereal aisle of a bodega Until 2009, WFAN broadcast from the basement of the historic Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, home to classic television shows and movies such as Sesame Street, Hair and The Wiz Steve Somers won a San Francisco Press Club Award for his work at KPIX-TV Producer Dov Kramer, who’s been with the station since 1987 is an ordained Rabbi Roberts was in the film Private Parts starring Howard Stern Francesa can be heard on the radio in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite Boomer had a cameo in the 2007 film The Game Plan starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Steve Somers appeared as a reporter in the horror film The Visitor Francesa is the proud father of fraternal twins, as well as a son WFAN is simulcast via the HD band in several Florida cities, as well as Washington, D.C. Boomer has written two children’s books Carton has walked the Brooklyn Bridge in a Speedo…twice

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