Bruce Beck

Bruce Beck
Born Bruce David Beck
September 18, 1956
Livingston, New Jersey, USA
Education Ithaca College
Occupation television journalist
Agent International Management Group IMG (business) [1]
Notable credit(s) WNBC-TV Sports-Anchor
News 4 NY
(1997–present)
Spouse(s) Janet
Children Jonathan and Michael
Website
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/station/newsteam/Bruce_Beck.html

Bruce Beck is the weekday Sports anchor at WNBC-TV. He is in his 15th year with News 4 New York. He also files numerous sports reports for the station's various newscasts.

The sportscaster has covered a multitude of events for News 4 New York, including Super Bowl XLII, The NBA Finals, The Stanley Cup Finals, The World Series, The U.S. Open Tennis Championship, The U.S. Open Golf Championship, The NCAA Final Four, The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing, China, The 2006 Winter Olympics from Torino, Italy, The 2004 Summer Olympics from Athens, Greece and The 2002 Winter Olympics from Salt Lake City, Utah.

Beck has hosted and contributed to a number of WNBC-TV specials including the live broadcast of the ING New York City Marathon, The Belmont Stakes, The U.S Open Golf Championship and "Glory Days," which preceded New York Yankees post-season games. Beck now hosts WNBC'S Sunday night sports show "Sports Final".

In addition, Beck has hosted the Sun America Sportsdesk and the Allstate Sports Update for NBC Sports and has served as a sideline reporter for the network's coverage of the NBA and WNBA on NBC. Beck has been a studio anchor for NBA-TV and is the host of the weekly Rutgers University basketball and football shows which air on SportsNet New York and other channels. He was also the play by play commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from 1994 to 1997.

Career

From 1982 to 1994, Beck was a staff broadcaster with the MSG Network. Among his many duties, he hosted the station's coverage of the Knicks, Rangers, and Yankees. He was the play-by-play announcer for college football and basketball, professional and Golden Gloves boxing and professional tennis. He hosted the Millrose Games, The Virginia Slims Championship, The National Horse Show, and the Lou Carnesecca Show.

From 1994 to 1997, Beck hosted "Sportstalk" and "Sports Images" on CN8, the Comcast Network. He also was the play-by-play voice of Atlantic 10 Conference Basketball and Hofstra University Football, while calling college basketball games for CBS Sports. He was the host of CBS' coverage of the Hambletonian and The American Championship Harness Series on ESPN. He was a play-by-play voice and host of Showtime Championship Boxing.

Beck was the play by play announcer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1994 to 1997, calling UFC 4 through UFC 15 with partner and olympic gold medalist Jeff Blatnick.

In 1993 Beck did play by play for the Riddick Bowe vs Evander Holyfield II fight with Tony Paige.[2]

On February 25, 2012 Beck did play by play for the Povetkin vs. Huck fight in Stuttgart, Germany for Epix (TV channel) from their studio in NYC.

Awards

Beck has been named New York State Sportscaster of the Year three times—in 2007 and 2008 and again in 2010—by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.[3] He also received the 2006 New York Emmy as Outstanding Sports Anchor.

Beck was twice named New Jersey Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He also was the recipient of the 1999 New York Emmy for outstanding On-Camera Achievement: Sports Reporting. Overall, he has received eight New York Sports Emmys, one Mid-Atlantic Sports Emmy, and three national Cable Ace Awards.

Beck was chosen by St. John's University to deliver the 2009 Commencement speech to its Staten Island Campus on May 16. He will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree.[4]

Personal life

A graduate of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, Beck received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1978. Beck grew up in Livingston, New Jersey and was inducted into the MetroWest Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[5] He resides in Scarsdale, New York with his wife Janet (JJ) and two sons Jonathan and Michael.[6]

Every summer, Beck, along with CBS Sports announcer Ian Eagle run a Sports Broadcasting Camp at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair, New Jersey.[7] The camp teaches the fundamentals of broadcasting and features lectures by big name broadcasters. It culminates with students calling play-by-play of a minor league baseball game.

Beck is notorious for his insistence on using team aliases rather than official names during his reports. These include Bronx Bombers (Yankees), Amazin's (Mets), Gang Green (Jets), Big Blue (Giants), and Blueshirts (Rangers).

References

  1. ↑ IMG Speakers
  2. ↑ http://www.livedash.com/transcript/boxing-%281993__riddick_bowe_vs._evander_holyfield-ii%29/3468/ESPNCL/Wednesday_February_17_2010/156115/
  3. ↑ Bruce Beck Collects Second Straight New York State Sportscaster of the Year Honor
  4. ↑ Bruce Beck to Serve as 2009 St. John’s University Commencement Speaker
  5. ↑ Kaplan, Ron. "WNBC anchor among MetroWest sports hall inductees, New Jersey Jewish News, June 19, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Bruce Beck: Lead Sports Anchor", WNBC. Accessed February 24, 2011.
  7. ↑ Students to get chance to learn sportscasting ABCs

External links