George Michael (sportscaster)

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This article is about sportscaster George Michael. For the famous singer and former Wham! member, see George Michael.
George Michael signs-off on March 1st, 2007 (WRC-TV).
George Michael signs-off on March 1st, 2007 (WRC-TV).

George Michael (born March 24, 1939), is a sportscaster best known nationally for his long-running American sports highlights show called The George Michael Sports Machine. Started as a local show in 1980 called George Michael's Sports Final[1] and then nationally syndicated in 1984,[2] the nationally broadcast show was distributed for syndication by NBC until it left the air following the March 25, 2007 airing. Michael won a Sports Emmy in 1985 for his work on The George Michael Sports Machine.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Michael has anchored the sports desk at WRC-TV (News 4) in Washington DC since 1980. Previously he was a WABC-AM disk jockey noted for his boisterous personality and energetic style. Several incidents from his radio stint at WABC in New York City have been chronicled in deejay "Cousin Brucie" Morrow's autobiography.[3] George Michael replaced Morrow at WABC in 1974. Before that he was the popular evening deejay at Philadelphia's WFIL Radio (560 kHz) from 1966 until his move to WABC]. While in New York, he also served for several season as a commentator on New York Islanders telecasts, where he was paired mainly with Tim Ryan.

As a sports broadcaster at WRC, Michael is easily one of the most popular media personalities in the Washington area. Michael gets significant latitude in his programming, employing a bevy of segments some might consider old-fashioned, including his "Tuesday Replays" and "Wednesday Wrestling." He also has devoted extensive coverage to and is considered a significant influence in the popularity of NASCAR, broadcasting interviews with famous drivers such as Dale Earnhardt well before that sport became what it is today. An avid equestrian himself, Michael also broadcasts segments on bull riding and rodeo.

While some [attribution needed] have criticized his interviewing as soft[citation needed], Michael's affable personality has endeared him to the curmudgeonliest of local and national sports personalities and landed rare interviews. For example, Michael's team at WRC has been the only local sportscasters allowed to broadcast from inside FedEx Field during the season.

In November 2005, Michael was seriously injured in a horseback riding accident. He broke several ribs and injured his wrists during the equine mishap at his Comus farm in upper Montgomery County, Maryland. Michael resumed his duties in December 2005.

Michael left his role as WRC's daily sports anchor on March 1, 2007 due to layoffs among his staff.[4] He will continue to host weekend sports panel shows. The George Michael Sports Machine went off the air on March 25, 2007.[5][6]

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ George Michael official biography at WRC-TV
  2. ^ Marty Niland (2006-11-16). Michael steps down as 'Sports Machine' host, WRC sports director. The Associated Press.
  3. ^ Bruce Morrow and Laura Baudo, Cousin Brucie: My Life in Rock 'N' Roll Radio. Beech Tree Books, 1987. (ISBN 0-688-06615-1).
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ John Maynard (2006-11-17). George Michael to drop anchor chores, continue weekend sports panel shows. The Washington Post.
  6. ^ Leonard Shapiro (2006-11-21). Saying goodbye to George Michael. The Washington Post.

[edit] External links

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