Posted on 12/16/2009 10:08:52 AM PST by PghBaldy
Veteran KDKA Radio personality Fred Honsberger passed away this morning at his home in Monroeville. He was 58.
Honsberger had hosted afternoons on the station (weekdays, 12:00Noon-3:00PM, ET) since Jan. 5, 2009. His last show was on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
“The NEWSRADIO 1020 KDKA family is deeply saddened to learn that Fred has passed away,” said Michael Young, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, CBS RADIO Pittsburgh. “Fred truly loved the Pittsburgh area, the KDKA listeners and his colleagues at the station. His immense passion and the enjoyment and pride he took in preparing and producing his shows will be greatly missed. Fred’s family has the station’s deepest sympathies during this difficult period.”
“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, 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 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.
Later, he was named KDKA Radio’s News Director, a position he held from 1984-89. Following that, he moved into the role of talk show host.
Before joining Group W Radio (now CBS RADIO), Honsberger was News Director at WKBO Radio in Harrisburg, Pa. and served as Operations Director at WRSC/WQWK, State College, Pa.
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.
I used to listen to Honsberger when Rush was on 1020. A good voice for Pittsburgh. He will be missed. RIP, Fred.
RIP. I didn’t even know he was ill.
Fred was also a member of the Salvation Army.
I know Fred was much thinner than in past years and sounded a little weaker, but didn’t know the extent of his illness.
I met Fred and his father years ago at an Allegheny County GOP event. Fred Sr. was recounting how he had run for office in their hometown of State College and had his campaign run by a young Penn State undergrad named Rick Santorum.
Here is an article I just posted on Fred from a few years back: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408885/posts He had a thing for Hillary ;) He had a pic of her face crossed out behind him on his TV show, which ran on WPXI’s cable channel PCNC. Used to get callers irate about it... Entertaining guy.
He had gastric bypass surgery a few years ago.
RIP Honz-man.
Sorry for your loss. Sounds like he was one of the good guys.
I have a question about the radio station though. The article says he was on radio station KDKA, and it looks like he was in the Pittsburgh, PA area. However, I thought that all radio stations east of the Mississippi had call letters starting with the letter “W”, not the letter “K”. Then how is it that Pittsburgh, PA has a radio station that starts with the letter “K”?? Maybe I do not understand radio station call letter-naming rules correctly.
That would explain it. Fred was a BIG boy when I last saw him.
Because KDKA is the first commercial radio station there was, they got grandfathered in. Otherwise you’re right.
Grew up listening to KDKA and Honsberger - always thought he was a bit of an idiot but I remember him well.
Fred was thinner because he had Gastric Bypass.. he lost hundreds of pounds after having that surgery.
There are two stations in Pittsburgh that predate the Fed lettering scheme, KDKA and KQV. Philadelphia also has KYW. KDKA has been on as a commercial station since 1920, KQV since 1922, though KQV began broadcasting under another callsign in 1919. Both were “grandfathered” in when the government set up th K/W distinction.
There is a TV station in Dallas...WFAA.
RIP.
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