Sportscaster George Michael Dies Age 70

[johnm1120]

***This is not the Wham! singer of the same name.***


ALL ACCESS is saddened to report on some tragic news first broken by DCRTV.COM. Radio and TV sports broadcasting icon GEORGE MICHAEL has succumbed to cancer this morning. He was 70.

On top of his many and lengthy WASHINGTON, D.C. TV gigs, MICHAEL was the host of the nationally syndicated 'GEORGE MICHAEL's SPORTS MACHINE," which from 1984 to 2007, aired a plethora of game highlights. It has been widely credited for inspiring ESPN's "SportsCenter."

Before his TV career, MICHAEL was an air personality on then-Top 40 WABC-A/NEW YORK, WFIL-A/PHILDELPHIA, WBTR-A/DENVER, and WRIT-A/DETROIT.

ALL ACCESS President/Publisher JOEL DENVER noted, "I had the pleasure of working with GEORGE at WFIL-A, just before he left to join WABC-A. He was a perfectionist in the art of communicating. No one had a better one-to-one vision of talking to his audience than GEORGE.

"He brought enthusiasm, passion, and a love of life, radio and music to his nightly radio show at WFIL-A. And, he carried his love of sports into TV with the same drive and determination. We have all lost a terrific talent. I am truly saddened by GEORGE's passing."

Read more about him in the WASHINGTON POST, here, and there is a bio and audio at the BROADCAST PIONEERS site.

[tico]

I used to watch his show. So sad to hear about this.

[Mike Schwartz]

He had such a great gift of timing which can be heard on the surviving airchecks of him from his WFIL days 1966-1974 and WABC 1974-1979. I think that his radio work was among the best EVER.

[Houster]

He had a very tough act to follow, when he replaced "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow at WABC, who had jumped ship at the time to WNBC radio (now WFAN).

[Mike Schwartz]

If you were lucky enough to hear him firsthand or if you ever get to hear one of his WABC airchecks, it seems to me that he more then held his own. The choice of Michael was brilliant, though the others who were considered for that time slot, according to APD Glen Morgan-Pat St. John from WPLJ or Dave Thomson from WXLO/99X would have done just as well.

[musikluv]

I believe George is the sportscaster Keith Olberman talked about last night on Countdown. He was visibly choked up and respected GM very much.