Radio Talk Show Host Fred Honsberger Dies

[edstephan]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/21982615/detail.html

Longtime Radio Talk Show Host Fred Honsberger Dies
Posted: 11:28 am EST December 16, 2009
Updated: 11:51 am EST December 16, 2009

PITTSBURGH -- Former PCNC host Fred Honsberger passed away Wednesday morning at his home in Monroeville. He was 58.

Honsberger joined the PCNC team in 1999 with his show, "Honsberger LIVE."

"If a guy is a sleazeball, I'm going to show you his face and let you see him making his sleazeball comments," Honsberger said when he signed with PCNC. "Then I'll let you know how I really feel about him."

Honsberger hosted afternoons on KDKA's radio station since Jan. 5. His last show was on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

"I'm really saddened by it," said Pittsburgh City Council President Doug Shields. "Fred was a heck of a guy. He always treated me well when I was on the air with him. He was interesting. Talk radio is not an easy business, and Fred had staying power."

"You know, Fred was a people's person," said Pittsburgh Firefighter Union President Joe King. "I've known him for 30 years. I liked him, because he always kept an open mind and he had people skills."

Honsberger joined KDKA in 1979 after working as a news anchor at sister station KYW in his hometown of Philadelphia. He began at KDKA as a news anchor and reporter working the night shift, and as John Cigna and Roy Fox’s newsman.

Before joining Group W Radio (now CBS RADIO), Honsberger was News Director at WKBO Radio in Harrisburg and served as Operations Director at WRSC/WQWK in State College.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the work Fred has done as a dedicated broadcaster over the past three decades,” said Dan Mason, President and CEO of CBS RADIO. “His love for, and dedication to his listeners in Pittsburgh cannot be duplicated. Our sincere condolences go out to Fred's family.”

Honsberger has won multiple awards for his reporting, anchoring and series work. The most prestigious was the Dupont Award given to the Group W Radio reporters who covered the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in 1979 of which Honsberger was part of that team.

In addition, he is a two-time winner of the Radio and Television News Director Association’s award for excellence in radio news. He won a Golden Quill Award for his radio special on the Pittsburgh police undercover drug squad and for TV commentaries.

Honsberger was named Best Talk Show Host by the Achievement in Radio Awards in 1997, 2003 and 2005. He also won the Achievement in Radio Award for Best Afternoon Show in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Honsberger was named one of the six Best Local Personalities of the Year in the 2004 Radio and Records News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards. The Associated Press also named Fred’s show the Best Radio Talk Show in Pennsylvania in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Talkers Magazine has named Fred Honsberger as one of its Heavy Hundred talk show hosts for the past four years.
Funeral arrangements are pending.


He had KiM Stolfer from FOAC on alot

An OC Activist and 1 of the 3%, Check that, 1 of the 1%
Ed Stephan

[Paradigm]

Sad. I liked Fred. I haven't listened to KDKA in years, but when I did, Fred was the bright spot on that station.