Milton Metz
Encyclopedia
Milton Metz is a retired American
radio and television personality in Louisville, Kentucky
. He still does commercial work for local radio and television stations.
"El Metzo", as he is known to fans, is best known for his WHAS (AM)
radio call-in show, Metz Here, which began its run on July 20, 1959 (with the title Juniper-5-2385), and ended on June 10, 1993. Though records aren't clear on the subject, Metz Here is believed to be one of the very first—perhaps the first—call-in shows on radio. In a way, Metz pioneered a format that is still used today by the likes of Rush Limbaugh
. Metz usually featured guests, and was always kind (almost to a fault) to both guests and callers. Many callers had such a reverence for Metz that they called him "Mr. Metz" when they got on the air. Thanks to the station's 50,000-watt clear channel AM signal, Metz Here was heard by listeners in 40 states and much of Canada. Perhaps Metz's greatest moment was his service during the April 1974 tornadoes which hit Kentucky. During that time Metz provided valuable information to numerous citizens concerned about their families.
Metz was also widely seen on local television
, serving as co-host and co-producer of Omelet, a morning–lunchtime talk and news program on WHAS-TV
, and was the station's weatherman for 19 years. He also interviewed countless celebrities on the first Saturday in May during WHAS-TV's traditional marathon pre-race show before the Kentucky Derby
, where he was a fixture on "Millionaire's Row", home to well-heeled spectators in the clubhouse of Churchill Downs
. Metz later pared down his work to a series of daily 90-second commentaries on WHAS radio. They were discontinued around the turn of the century, and his voice now is heard almost exclusively on local commercials.
Metz was inducted into the University of Kentucky
Journalism Hall of Fame in 1989.
Metz was born in Cleveland, Ohio
and attended Ohio State University
.
Little is publicized about Metz's personal life, including his age. In an interview with columnist Tom Dorsey of The Courier-Journal
just prior to the end of his radio show in 1993, Metz would only say, "Let's just say I'm older than Diane Sawyer and younger than Mike Wallace." Wallace was 75 at the time.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio and television personality in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. He still does commercial work for local radio and television stations.
"El Metzo", as he is known to fans, is best known for his WHAS (AM)
WHAS (AM)
WHAS, known by the on air branding as "84 WHAS", is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 50,000 Watt clear channel radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S...
radio call-in show, Metz Here, which began its run on July 20, 1959 (with the title Juniper-5-2385), and ended on June 10, 1993. Though records aren't clear on the subject, Metz Here is believed to be one of the very first—perhaps the first—call-in shows on radio. In a way, Metz pioneered a format that is still used today by the likes of Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
. Metz usually featured guests, and was always kind (almost to a fault) to both guests and callers. Many callers had such a reverence for Metz that they called him "Mr. Metz" when they got on the air. Thanks to the station's 50,000-watt clear channel AM signal, Metz Here was heard by listeners in 40 states and much of Canada. Perhaps Metz's greatest moment was his service during the April 1974 tornadoes which hit Kentucky. During that time Metz provided valuable information to numerous citizens concerned about their families.
Metz was also widely seen on local television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, serving as co-host and co-producer of Omelet, a morning–lunchtime talk and news program on WHAS-TV
WHAS-TV
WHAS-TV channel 11 is the ABC affiliated television station in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by Belo Corporation, the station's transmitter is located in Floyd County, Indiana, near the community of Floyds Knobs...
, and was the station's weatherman for 19 years. He also interviewed countless celebrities on the first Saturday in May during WHAS-TV's traditional marathon pre-race show before the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, where he was a fixture on "Millionaire's Row", home to well-heeled spectators in the clubhouse of Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
. Metz later pared down his work to a series of daily 90-second commentaries on WHAS radio. They were discontinued around the turn of the century, and his voice now is heard almost exclusively on local commercials.
Metz was inducted into the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
Journalism Hall of Fame in 1989.
Metz was born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and attended Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
Little is publicized about Metz's personal life, including his age. In an interview with columnist Tom Dorsey of The Courier-Journal
The Courier-Journal
The Courier-Journal, locally called "The C-J", is the main newspaper for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the paper is the 48th largest daily paper in the United States and the single largest in Kentucky.- Origins :The...
just prior to the end of his radio show in 1993, Metz would only say, "Let's just say I'm older than Diane Sawyer and younger than Mike Wallace." Wallace was 75 at the time.