Willie Webber

Bill "Wee Willie" Webber
Born June 11, 1929
Havana, Cuba
Died May 23, 2010 (aged 80)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation Broadcaster, Radio Personality
Years active 1948–2010

Bill "Wee Willie" Webber (June 11, 1929 – May 23, 2010) was an American radio and television personality and pioneer. Webber worked in radio and television in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, region for more than 50 years.[1]

Biography

Webber was born in Havana, Cuba.[1] His father was British while his grandfather, an engineer, helped to pave the streets of Havana.[1] His family immigrated to the United States, and Webber was raised in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.[1] Webber graduated from Bushwick High School and attended classes at New York University.[1]

Webber enlisted in the United States Army after World War II and worked as an Army mapmaker while stationed in Japan after the war.[1] He successfully auditioned for the Armed Forces Radio on Honshu, earning the nickname "Honshu Cowboy" because he played country music.[1] His time in the Army allowed Webber to obtain U.S. citizenship.[1]

Broadcasting

Webber began his broadcasting career in 1948, at a now defunct FM radio station in New York City.[1] He worked for radio stations in both Manhattan and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when he was between the ages 18–24 years old.[1]

Webber was hired as an announcer on WEEU-TV (Channel 33) in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1953.[1] However, WEEU went bankrupt a little more than one year after hiring Webber and went off the air.[1]

In 1954, Webber began working in Philadelphia at WFIL-AM and FM as a "summer relief announcer."[1]

In 1956, Webber became an announcer on Channel 6, WFIL-TV. He began hosting Breakfast Time, a two-hour, morning children's show on Channel 6. The show, which featured cartoons, weather, and sports, aired until the 1960s.[1] In 1963, Webber briefly joined Channel 3 KYW-TV as host of a quiz show. However, Webber's quiz show was cancelled in favor of the existing, more successful The Mike Douglas Show, a talk show hosted by Mike Douglas.[1] In 1965, Webber played the last song on KYW (AM) before the station switched to an all-news format.[1]

He next hosted the Wee Willie Webber Colorful Cartoon Club, an after-school show which aired on Channel 17 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wee Willie Webber Colorful Cartoon Club ran for ten years, from 1965 until 1975.[1] From 1976 to 1979, he also hosted the Kids Block television show on Channel 48 in Philadelphia.

During all this time, Bill was a 25-year fixture at WIP (AM). Webber worked at the WPEN radio station from 1989 until 2005.[1] From approximately 2007 until 2010, Webber hosted a show on WHAT for five days a week and a Sunday afternoon show on WVLT, which is based in Vineland, New Jersey.[1]

Webber was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 1999.[1] He served as the president of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia from 2002 until 2004. From 2004 until 2006, Webber served as the chairman of the Broadcast Pioneers' board of directors.[1] In 2006, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia named Webber its Person of the Year.[1] In 2007, Webber again served as the organization's Chairman of the Board, a position that Bill held at the time of his death in 2010.

Death

Bill Webber died of a heart attack at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia on May 23, 2010, at the age of 80. he was awaiting heart surgery at the time of his death.[1] He was survived by his wife, Constance; daughter, Wendy Scheid; son, William Webber Jr.; and four grandchildren (Taylor, Drew, Owen, and Grace). Webber lived on Rittenhouse Square at the time.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 Naedele, Walter F. (2010-05-23). ""Wee" Willie Webber, local TV fixture, dies at 80". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2010-06-23.

External links