Charles Osgood
Encyclopedia
Charles Osgood is a radio
and television
commentator in the United States
. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network
since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!
, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book by Dr. Seuss
.
. He graduated from Fordham University
with a Bachelor of Science
degree in 1954 with a major
in economics
. While at Fordham, Osgood worked at the university's FM radio station WFUV
.
newspaper column, and is the author of six books: Nothing Could Be Finer Than a Crisis That Is Minor in the Morning; (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1979); There's Nothing That I Wouldn't Do If You Would Be My POSSLQ (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1981); Osgood on Speaking: How to Think on Your Feet Without Falling on Your Face (William Morrow and Company, 1988); The Osgood Files (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1991); See You on the Radio (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1999), and the most recent, Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack (Hyperion, 2004).
after its conversion to an all-news format. The twist was that the first day of all-news programming actually aired on WCBS-FM
after an airplane crashed into the AM station's antenna tower on New York's High Island, keeping WCBS off air until a temporary tower could be erected.
Osgood is host of Westwood One's The Osgood File, heard four times each weekday morning drive time on radio stations nationwide. Each three minute Osgood File focuses on a single story ranging from a breaking development of national importance to a whimsical human-interest vignette. Some of these he does in rhyme, which is why he is known as CBS's "Poet in Residence."
On television, Osgood has been hosting CBS News Sunday Morning
since 1994, having succeeded former host Charles Kuralt
. Osgood's tenure as host has now exceeded that of Kuralt. He has also anchored the CBS Afternoon News and the CBS Morning News
.
Among his personal trademarks are his bow-tie, his weekly TV signoff "Until then, I'll see you on the radio," and his propensity for delivering his commentaries in whimsical verse. Example: When the Census Bureau invented a designation for cohabitant(s) as "Person(s) of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters", or "POSSLQ
", Osgood turned it into a pronounceable three-syllable word, and composed a prospective love poem, which included these lines which became the title of one of his books:
Osgood also made a habit of pronouncing the years 2001, 2002, etc., as "twenty oh one, twenty oh two..." as opposed to the more commonly pronounced "two thousand one, two thousand two", etc., no doubt choosing consistency over trend, as the 1990s were pronounced "nineteen ninety" instead of the more cumbersome "one thousand nine hundred ninety", etc.
(Pershing's Own) in Washington, D.C.
His duties included performing with The United States Army Chorus and as master of ceremonies for the U.S. Army Concert Band. He is also an accomplished pianist
.
Osgood's nephew, Emmy Award
winning composer Christopher Mangum, composes film scores including themes for National Geographic specials and The Discovery Channel.
in the radio division in 1990.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
commentator in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!
Horton Hears a Who! (film)
Horton Hears a Who!, also known as Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, is a 2008 American CGI-animated comedy feature film based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name. It is the fourth feature film from Blue Sky Studios, and the third feature film based on a Dr. Seuss book, following How the Grinch...
, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book by Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
.
Early life and education
Osgood was born in New York CityNew 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...
. He graduated from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in 1954 with a major
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. While at Fordham, Osgood worked at the university's FM radio station WFUV
WFUV
WFUV, 90.7 FM in New York City, is Fordham University's 50,000-watt, non-commercial radio station, with studios on campus and its antenna atop nearby Montefiore Medical Center. First broadcast in 1947, WFUV has an airstaff which includes such New York radio veterans as Pete Fornatale , Dennis...
.
Author and journalism
He writes a bi-weekly syndicatedPrint syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
newspaper column, and is the author of six books: Nothing Could Be Finer Than a Crisis That Is Minor in the Morning; (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1979); There's Nothing That I Wouldn't Do If You Would Be My POSSLQ (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1981); Osgood on Speaking: How to Think on Your Feet Without Falling on Your Face (William Morrow and Company, 1988); The Osgood Files (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1991); See You on the Radio (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1999), and the most recent, Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack (Hyperion, 2004).
Radio and Television
In August 1967, Osgood anchored the first morning drive shift for WCBSWCBS (AM)
WCBS , often referred to as "WCBS Newsradio 880" , is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of the CBS Radio Network...
after its conversion to an all-news format. The twist was that the first day of all-news programming actually aired on WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building....
after an airplane crashed into the AM station's antenna tower on New York's High Island, keeping WCBS off air until a temporary tower could be erected.
Osgood is host of Westwood One's The Osgood File, heard four times each weekday morning drive time on radio stations nationwide. Each three minute Osgood File focuses on a single story ranging from a breaking development of national importance to a whimsical human-interest vignette. Some of these he does in rhyme, which is why he is known as CBS's "Poet in Residence."
On television, Osgood has been hosting CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning is an American television news magazine program created by Robert Northshield and original host Charles Kuralt. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m...
since 1994, having succeeded former host Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
. Osgood's tenure as host has now exceeded that of Kuralt. He has also anchored the CBS Afternoon News and the CBS Morning News
CBS Morning News
For CBS's main morning news program, formerly known as CBS Morning News, see The Early Show.CBS Morning News is the half-hour daily television broadcast from CBS News that airs following Up to the Minute and features late-breaking news stories, weather forecasts, and sports scores...
.
Among his personal trademarks are his bow-tie, his weekly TV signoff "Until then, I'll see you on the radio," and his propensity for delivering his commentaries in whimsical verse. Example: When the Census Bureau invented a designation for cohabitant(s) as "Person(s) of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters", or "POSSLQ
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
", Osgood turned it into a pronounceable three-syllable word, and composed a prospective love poem, which included these lines which became the title of one of his books:
- There's nothing that I wouldn't do
- If you would be my POSSLQ
Osgood also made a habit of pronouncing the years 2001, 2002, etc., as "twenty oh one, twenty oh two..." as opposed to the more commonly pronounced "two thousand one, two thousand two", etc., no doubt choosing consistency over trend, as the 1990s were pronounced "nineteen ninety" instead of the more cumbersome "one thousand nine hundred ninety", etc.
Military service
Charles Osgood was in the U.S. Army from 1955–1959, and served as a member of The United States Army BandUnited States Army Band
Founded in 1922, the United States Army Band – known as "Pershing's Own" – is the premier musical organization of the United States Army. Before 2002, the United States Army Band was the only Washington-based military band to have participated in a theater of foreign combat operations...
(Pershing's Own) in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
His duties included performing with The United States Army Chorus and as master of ceremonies for the U.S. Army Concert Band. He is also an accomplished pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Family
Osgood and his wife, Jean, have five children: Kathleen, Winston, Anne Elizabeth, Emily J., and Jamie.Osgood's nephew, Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning composer Christopher Mangum, composes film scores including themes for National Geographic specials and The Discovery Channel.
Honors
Osgood was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of FameNational Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame
The NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame is a yearly honor from the National Association of Broadcasters. One inductee from radio and one from television are named at the yearly NAB conference.-Radio:*2011 * 2010 Ron Chapman* 2009 Vin Scully* 2008 Larry Lujack...
in the radio division in 1990.
External links
- Official CBS biography
- The Osgood File at Westwood OneWestwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
Web site