No matter how many years have passed, there is no forgetting George Engle! Here was a first-rate radio news broadcaster who loved the day-in, day-out grind because he never considered it just a job! After all, it was his life and he did it so damn well!
Initially in the Navy then in Michigan, Cleveland, and New York, at WNEW and ABC Radio News. George died 29 years ago today in 1995 at age 64. Much too soon for a great family man and gregarious broadcaster who knew how to make people laugh and with his skilled writing make them cry.
Those of us who worked with George were indeed privileged. His longtime friend and colleague Alan Walden remembers George’s stentorian tones saying “Right Rocky” as though he were that animated character Bullwinkle. On the other hand, when I worked with George at ABC Radio News his pet phrase for telling people to “screw off” was “blow it out your bloomer!”
That was George, a man and a broadcaster who made his words count!!
<Article contributed by Bob Gibson>
Hard to believe it has been 29 years since we lost him at 64.
I met George during my first months at WNEW. We lived near each other in Forest Hills and, for a time, I rode to work with him in the early mornings. After a long day in the newsroom we both thought we’d do ourselves some good at an afternoon session at a health club.
WRONG—at least for me—because keeping those hours and then knocking myself on a treadmill was not something I could do for long. But I remember George lasted longer than THE GRAU.
He was a great broadcaster and, along with Wally and their boys, a wonderful friend to me and so many others.
GRAU
What is fascinating is that although you never “saw” the individual speaking to you over the radio, you always remembered the “voice.” George was definitely one of those talents that I still remember now, ,long after he signed off the air many decades ago.
And George worked for Alan at NBC’s too brief News and Information Service (NIS) in the mid-70s – an interregnum before returning to ABC.
George was a guy whom I always admired, not only for his writing and delivery, but also for the kind of person that he was. When I was working in DC, before I made it to NYC at NIS and later at ABC, I would listen to George’s newscasts as broadcast locally and say to myself “I’d like to sound like him!”. When he and I finally met at ABC Radio News we hit it off. Socialized a few times with George and his wife (we shared an interest in jazz). George, as did many of my former colleagues, left us way too soon.
You weren’t chopped liver. One of the greats doing afternoons on ABC-I when I got involved in radio. You were on a Marine Corps transport helicopter with me and a dozen other local and network journalists during a major flood in Tulsa. Think it was 1986? You, Steve Porter and Mike Maus at NBC, Joe Templeton, John Grimes, Don Fisher at ABC, a bunch at CBS… were the absolute best. It was the golden age for a teenager who wound up spending a career in news broadcasting. Have to admit, Steve Porter is who I tried to emulate. Like Steve, I really admired the way you used natural sound, your voice, a simple but still sophisticated writing style to make those 5 minute newscasts almost art. I viewed you guys as craftsmen. I couldn’t tell your political bent – only yours after seeing your retired Twitter posts! You’re entitled. God bless you, Bob. And thank you for inspiring the path I took to make a living.