Bill Mazer
Encyclopedia
Bill Mazer is an Jewish American
television and radio personality.
Winning numerous awards and citations, including three Sportscaster of the Year awards for New York from 1964–66.
Bill Mazer earned the nickname "The A-Maz-In" for his deep knowledge of sports trivia
which was made evident already at the WNBC radio show in the 1960s. Based on this, he wrote several sports trivia books, including Bill Mazer's Amazin' Baseball Book: 150 Years of Baseball Tales & Trivia published by Zebra Books in 1991.
. He received a BA at University of Michigan
before being drafted
. During World War II
, he served the majority of his time in the Armed Forces
-Air Force
Transport Command in the Pacific theatre
.
After returning home, he married Dora Sudarsky ("Dutch"), his pre-war sweetheart. They had three children. Their marriage lasted 50 years, ending with her death from cancer
in 1996, and Mazer has never remarried.
William L. Shirer
Newscast, as well as the commercial announcer for the soap opera
, When a Girl Marries
.
His career as a sportscaster
began in Buffalo, New York
in 1948, where he signed on as sports director for WGR radio
and served as principal sports anchor for WGR-TV
from the time that station signed on in 1954 through the early 1960s. With years of play-by-play and sports commentary in Buffalo under his belt, Mazer arrived in New York City
in 1964 when WNBC (AM)
went to its first all-talk format. His show was one of the pioneer examples of the modern sports talk show in America
.
After filling in for Hugh Downs
on the NBC
game show
Concentration
, he was given his own show, Reach for the Stars
, in January 1967, but the show was quickly cancelled.
on CBS
' National Hockey League
coverage from the late sixties until the early seventies, broadcasting the Stanley Cup playoffs
a few times. Golf
was another Mazer specialty on NBC
, including the U.S. Open
and Bing Crosby
tournaments in the mid-1960s. ABC
used Mazer for its regional New York football lineup in the late 1960s. Mazer also did sideline reporting for CBS NFL coverage in the late 1960s. During the 1960s and 1970s, Mazer did much voice-over
commercial
work, from L&M Cigarettes, Kodak
, Ford automobiles to Trident
chewing gum, among many others.
(Metromedia
Channel 5) for twenty years, ending in the early 1990s. He also co-hosted a sports program, Sports Extra, which originally teamed him up with Lee Leonard
and then later with Brian Madden (1976–78), respectively. Sports Extra was considered a pioneering show for the Sunday evening "sports wrap-up" show format.
While doing sports for The 10 O'Clock News on WNEW in the late 1970s and '80s, he held a daily contest where a viewer would send in a question to "stump" Bill and would win a prize if he or she did.
sports show from Mickey Mantle
's restaurant from 1988 to 1991, and returned to the station on June 30, 2007 to host an hour long show from 10–11 AM during the station's 20th anniversary celebration and reunion weekend. He was also a morning talk show host on WEVD
(W Eugene Victor Debs) where he expanded to a comprehensive liberal
talk format from 1992 to 2001. The show ended when WEVD was optioned to ABC's ESPN
division and became sports WEPN
.
Bill Mazer has appeared on the cable TV
show The Leon Charney
Report, as well as minor parts in movies such as Eyewitness and appearing in episodes of ESPN
SportsCentury
as an expert on sport figures including Gordie Howe
, Lawrence Taylor
, and Mickey Mantle
.
in New Rochelle, New York
from 3–6 PM EST (available via streaming from WVOX's website), with his son Arnie serving as producer
. His last show on WVOX was aired August 3, 2009, ending his tenure at the station.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television and radio personality.
Winning numerous awards and citations, including three Sportscaster of the Year awards for New York from 1964–66.
Bill Mazer earned the nickname "The A-Maz-In" for his deep knowledge of sports trivia
Trivia
The trivia are the three lower Artes Liberales, i.e. grammar, rhetoric and logic. These were the topics of basic education, foundational to the quadrivia of higher education, and hence the material of basic education, of interest only to undergraduates...
which was made evident already at the WNBC radio show in the 1960s. Based on this, he wrote several sports trivia books, including Bill Mazer's Amazin' Baseball Book: 150 Years of Baseball Tales & Trivia published by Zebra Books in 1991.
Background
Mazer's family left Kiev, emigrating before his first birthday. He grew up in Brooklyn, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He received a BA at University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
before being drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served the majority of his time in the Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
-Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
Transport Command in the Pacific theatre
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
.
After returning home, he married Dora Sudarsky ("Dutch"), his pre-war sweetheart. They had three children. Their marriage lasted 50 years, ending with her death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1996, and Mazer has never remarried.
Early work
Mazer's broadcasting career began in 1947, when he was the commercial announcer on the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
William L. Shirer
William L. Shirer
William Lawrence Shirer was an American journalist, war correspondent, and historian, who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a history of Nazi Germany read and cited in scholarly works for more than 50 years...
Newscast, as well as the commercial announcer for the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, When a Girl Marries
When a Girl Marries
When a Girl Marries was a daytime radio drama which was broadcast on three major radio networks from 1939 to 1957. Created by Elaine Sterne Carrington , it was the highest rated soap opera during the mid-1940s.The series premiered May 29, 1939 on CBS, moving to NBC on September 29, 1941 and then to...
.
His career as a sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
began in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in 1948, where he signed on as sports director for WGR radio
WGR
WGR, or WGR Sports Radio 550, is an all sports radio station in Buffalo, New York that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits, and is currently the only full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst,...
and served as principal sports anchor for WGR-TV
WGRZ-TV
WGRZ, virtual channel 2 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York. Its studio is located at 259 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Its transmitter is located at 11530 Warner Hill Road in South Wales, New York...
from the time that station signed on in 1954 through the early 1960s. With years of play-by-play and sports commentary in Buffalo under his belt, Mazer arrived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1964 when WNBC (AM)
WNBC (AM)
WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
went to its first all-talk format. His show was one of the pioneer examples of the modern sports talk show in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
After filling in for Hugh Downs
Hugh Downs
Hugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...
on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Concentration
Concentration
In chemistry, concentration is defined as the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Four types can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration...
, he was given his own show, Reach for the Stars
Reach for the Stars (game show)
Reach for the Stars was an American game show which briefly aired on NBC weekday mornings at 10:00 beginning January 2, 1967 for a total of 65 episodes...
, in January 1967, but the show was quickly cancelled.
National sportscasting and announcing
Mazer served as a color analyst and intermission host, working alongside Dan KellyDan Kelly (sportscaster)
Patrick Daniel "Dan" Kelly was a Canadian-born sportscaster best known for his radio play-by-play coverage of the St...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
coverage from the late sixties until the early seventies, broadcasting the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
a few times. Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
was another Mazer specialty on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, including the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
and Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
tournaments in the mid-1960s. ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
used Mazer for its regional New York football lineup in the late 1960s. Mazer also did sideline reporting for CBS NFL coverage in the late 1960s. During the 1960s and 1970s, Mazer did much voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
work, from L&M Cigarettes, Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
, Ford automobiles to Trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
chewing gum, among many others.
WNEW-TV
Mazer was a sportcaster at New York's WNEW-TVWNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
(Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
Channel 5) for twenty years, ending in the early 1990s. He also co-hosted a sports program, Sports Extra, which originally teamed him up with Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...
and then later with Brian Madden (1976–78), respectively. Sports Extra was considered a pioneering show for the Sunday evening "sports wrap-up" show format.
While doing sports for The 10 O'Clock News on WNEW in the late 1970s and '80s, he held a daily contest where a viewer would send in a question to "stump" Bill and would win a prize if he or she did.
WFAN (1988-1991; 2007) and WEVD (1992-2001)
Mazer hosted a WFANWFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
sports show from Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
's restaurant from 1988 to 1991, and returned to the station on June 30, 2007 to host an hour long show from 10–11 AM during the station's 20th anniversary celebration and reunion weekend. He was also a morning talk show host on WEVD
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
(W Eugene Victor Debs) where he expanded to a comprehensive liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
talk format from 1992 to 2001. The show ended when WEVD was optioned to ABC's ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
division and became sports WEPN
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
.
Bill Mazer has appeared on the cable TV
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
show The Leon Charney
Leon Charney
Leon Charney is an American real estate tycoon, author, philanthropist, political pundit, media personality, and Jewish cantor. He lives in Manhattan in New York City, dividing his time between his residences in Tel Aviv and Boca Raton, Florida...
Report, as well as minor parts in movies such as Eyewitness and appearing in episodes of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
SportsCentury
SportsCentury
SportsCentury is an ESPN biography program that reviews the people and athletic events that defined sports in North America throughout the 20th and 21st centuries....
as an expert on sport figures including Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
, and Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
.
WVOX-AM (2001 - 2009)
Following his departure from WEVD in 2001, Mazer launched an afternoon interview program on WVOXWVOX
WVOX is a radio station in New Rochelle, New York. It is operated as a regional community station heard mainly in suburban Westchester County, the Bronx, Queens, the North Shore of Long Island, southern Connecticut and northern New Jersey. The station president is William O'Shaughnessy, and its...
in New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
from 3–6 PM EST (available via streaming from WVOX's website), with his son Arnie serving as producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
. His last show on WVOX was aired August 3, 2009, ending his tenure at the station.