bill stern

Bill Stern was born July 1, 1907 in Rochester, New York. His first job as a sports announcer came in 1925 when he was hired to broadcast football games over WHAM/Rochester.

Stern’s experience in theater and vaudeville as stage director and manager carried over into his broadcasting as he brought a dramatic flair to the microphone, especially while describing the action for NBC of the Friday night boxing matches.

Stern was best-known as the host of The Colgate Sports Newsreel and Bill Stern Sports which ran on NBC or ABC from 1937 through 1956. On these fifteen-minute shows he told tales of sports legends and strange occurrences which kept listeners eagerly waiting for the climax. Although some of his reports stretched the limits of credibility, no one doubted that Stern was a master storyteller who used emphasis, repetition, and pauses to perfection.

Bill Stern died in Rye, New York on November 19, 1971.

Bill Stern was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.