Ken Beatrice
Kenneth Edward Beatrice[1] (July 28, 1943 – December 6, 2015) was an American radio personality. He hosted a Washington, D.C.-area radio call-in sports show for 23 years, first on WMAL between 1973 and 1995, later on WTEM from 1995 to 2000.
Early life
Kenneth Edward Beatrice was born on July 28, 1943. His family was
Broadcasting career
WBZ
After occasionally appearing on
WMAL
In 1977, Beatrice joined WMAL as host of Sports Call, the station's nightly sports show, and the
By 1995, Beatrice's ratings had decreased to 5,000 listeners per fifteen minutes (down from 20,000 in 1990). On October 4, 1995, it was announced that WMAL was dropping Beatrice's show. The station's decision resulted in 200 phone calls and about 40 letters from supporters. His final program aired on October 6 and featured calls from Washington Redskins head coach
WTEM
On October 16, 1995, Beatrice signed a contract to host a sports program on a radio network owned by Sam Huff. The program originated from Middleburg, Virginia, but was syndicated nationally, including on WTEM in Washington, D.C.[6] On April 20, 2000, Beatrice retired from radio.[7]
Style
Beatrice was known for his high-pitched voice, pronounced
Post-retirement
After his retirement, Beatrice settled in Haymarket, Virginia. He was a lector at St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton, Virginia, where he also trained other lectors.[11] He died on December 6, 2015, from complications of pneumonia at the age of 72.[12]
References
- ^ a b c Harrison Smith (2015-12-07). "Ken Beatrice, leading figure of Washington sports radio, dies at 72". The Washington Post.
- ^ Craig, Jack (November 21, 1976). "Ken Beatrice: All the facts". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Craig, Jack (March 1, 1981). "Press silences Beatrice". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Shapiro, Leonard (September 13, 1991). "Beatrice Banks His Broadcasting Fires After Getting a Warning: 'You're Next'". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Denlinger, Ken (October 7, 1995). "Callers Say Goooodbye To WMAL's Beatrice". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Shapiro, Leonard (October 17, 1995). "Beatrice's Show Will Go On; Radio Host Signs With Huff Network". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Shapiro, Leonard (April 18, 2000). "WTEM Talk Show Host Beatrice to Retire". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Shapiro, Leonard (June 2, 2010). "Top 10: Dialing up the best in Washington sports radio". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ Bloomquist, Randall (February 17, 1986). "You're Next! Loving and Hating Beatrice on WMAL". The Business Review.
- ^ Nakamura, David (April 21, 2000). "Ken Beatrice's Sweet Talk; A Fond Farewell to The 'Sports Call' Host". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Crowe, Gretchen R. (May 18, 2011). "'You're next' at the lectern". Catholic Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Hughes, Dave (December 6, 2015). "Ken Beatrice Dies". DCRTV. Retrieved December 7, 2015.