 |
Ted Atkins - Captain Showbiz |
| Ted Atkins was the architect
of 1250/WTAE. It was Ted Atkins leadership that brought The Big 1250 to
the top.
Ted began in radio in Denver at KLAK in 1957. He had stops in Kansas City (Ks), and Denver again before moving on to Washington, Detroit's legendary CKLW, KFRC San Francisco and KHJ Los Angeles working for Bill Drake. He moved on to KIIS in L.A. before joining the Big 1250 in 1973 as General Manager. He's had stints in management and ownership before retiring to Pittsburgh. I was able to catch up with him in April 2008. Here is an email I received from WTAE's Captain Showbiz. Hi Jeff, We all appreciate your continued interest in WTAE. On Dec. 28th of '07 I organized a station reunion at Amici's, the old Tambellinis Restaurant on Rte. 51 near downtown Pittsburgh. It was actually our annual get-together coupled with a tribute to Bob Kopler, former TAE News Director, who retired that day from KDKA after 20 years as morning news anchor. We try to have a reunion around the holidays every year since Larry O'Brien and his wife, Winkie, are usually in town from Hilton Head, where they live. This year's dinner-party was our best attended ever. The only notable regular absent this year was Don Berns who just couldn't make it down from Toronto. In addition to me and my wife, Karen: Larry O'Brien and Winkie, John Garry and Cassie, (there's your O'Brien and Garry morning team of 15 years), Program Director Mark Roberts and Sandy, Larry Richert (now the morning host on KDKA), Jim Quinn and Karen (Jim is host of the morning talk-show on FM104.7 here in the Burg and having great success), Mike McGann, Winnie Bricker (Intrepid Scout), Susie Barbour and her finance, Bob Kopler and Sandy (KDKA news retiree), Kevin Benson and Karen (Kevin's now a weatherman on WPXI-TV), Joe Denardo (legendary WTAE Radio and TV retired weatherman) and Annette Brady (traffic department). Cocktails in the bar area at 6 and we sat down in a private room at 7. We all chipped in bought dinner for Bob and Sandy Kopler. A great and fun-filled evening of reminiscing (and sometimes fibbing). Many toasts and many ghosts of Christmas past. Can't wait till our next get-together. Just wanted to share this with you and your many web visitors. Keep up the good work! Best Regards, Ted
Atkins (Capt Show Biz)
Ted Atkins passed away on July 19, 2012 from cancer. Read
Comments from Ted's friends and colleagues here.
|