Richard Neer
Encyclopedia
Richard Neer is an American
disc jockey
and sports radio
personality who has been involved in, and has chronicled, key changes in both music and sports radio.
, from which he graduated in 1970. He worked for a while at Long Island, New York station WLIR
, where he was one of the early adopters of the freeform or progressive rock
radio format
.
In 1971, he joined the airstaff of progressive rock radio powerhouse WNEW-FM in New York City
, where he worked as a disc jockey, mostly on weekends and overnight shifts. For a while, Neer had a friendly relationship with Bruce Springsteen
and played a part in bringing Springsteen's music to a wider audience. He witnessed the growth of the format and then its gradual shift into a more rigid, programmed, classic rock
-driven product, a transformation he described in his 2001 book FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio.
Concurrently, Neer began working as a sports radio talk show host at New York stations WNEW-AM
in 1986 and then at WFAN
in 1988. WFAN was the first and most visible of the successful all-sports format radio stations. Neer broadcast on the last day of music at WNEW-FM in 1999, then returned to that station for a bit after its switch to a "hot talk" format replacing the Sports Guys sports talk show hosting "Sports in the Morning—powered by the FAN" up until the time the station started stunting CHR
before its flip to Blink.
Neer remains at WFAN doing sports talk, working Saturday mornings and some nights. He hosted New York Giants
NFL broadcasts for several years.
Neer's deadpan, unemotional style of speaking has prompted Bob Raissman, sports media reporter for the New York Daily News
, to refer to Neer as "Sir Sominex," suggesting that Neer's delivery is soporific.
Neer's brother Dan Neer is also a disc jockey, and currently works at XM Radio.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
personality who has been involved in, and has chronicled, key changes in both music and sports radio.
Biography
Neer began his radio career as a student at Adelphi UniversityAdelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
, from which he graduated in 1970. He worked for a while at Long Island, New York station WLIR
WLIR
WLIR-FM is a Christian radio station as part of the WLIX Voice of Hope Radio Network. WLIR-FM broadcasts in the Hamptons-Riverhead area. Its transmitter is currently located near East Quogue, New York....
, where he was one of the early adopters of the freeform or progressive rock
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
.
In 1971, he joined the airstaff of progressive rock radio powerhouse WNEW-FM 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...
, where he worked as a disc jockey, mostly on weekends and overnight shifts. For a while, Neer had a friendly relationship with Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and played a part in bringing Springsteen's music to a wider audience. He witnessed the growth of the format and then its gradual shift into a more rigid, programmed, classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
-driven product, a transformation he described in his 2001 book FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio.
Concurrently, Neer began working as a sports radio talk show host at New York stations WNEW-AM
WBBR
WBBR is a radio station broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. It airs Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P. WBBR's format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market updates and interviews with corporate executives,...
in 1986 and then at WFAN
WFAN
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...
in 1988. WFAN was the first and most visible of the successful all-sports format radio stations. Neer broadcast on the last day of music at WNEW-FM in 1999, then returned to that station for a bit after its switch to a "hot talk" format replacing the Sports Guys sports talk show hosting "Sports in the Morning—powered by the FAN" up until the time the station started stunting CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
before its flip to Blink.
Neer remains at WFAN doing sports talk, working Saturday mornings and some nights. He hosted New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
NFL broadcasts for several years.
Neer's deadpan, unemotional style of speaking has prompted Bob Raissman, sports media reporter for the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, to refer to Neer as "Sir Sominex," suggesting that Neer's delivery is soporific.
Neer's brother Dan Neer is also a disc jockey, and currently works at XM Radio.
Books
- Neer, Richard. FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio. Villard, 2001. ISBN 0-679-46295-3.