Billed as the brains of the 77 WABC ‘brains and muscle’ team of Bernie & Sid in the Morning, Bernard McGuirk passed away last evening, following a bout with prostate cancer, just a few weeks shy of his 65th birthday.
McGuirk, who had been co-host of WABC’s Bernie & Sid in the Morning with Sid Rosenberg since April of 2018, helped bring WABC back to the top in New York, reaching #1 in share of the 12+ audience in morning drive in the August Nielsen ratings. There will be a tribute and moment of silence for McGuirk on 77 WABC today, during the morning drive program. A special tribute for McGuirk, including memories and thoughts from the WABC staff, will air on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
John Catsimatidis, who bought WABC in 2020 and made it the cornerstone of his Red Apple Media, commented, “We are all devastated by the loss of Bernie. He was a true New Yorker whose talent and intelligence propelled him to the top of New York morning radio. He had incredible insights on local, national, and world news that his listeners respected. He will be missed by everyone at WABC and his fans around the world.”
In an email to the 77 WABC team late last night, Chad Lopez, President of Red Apple Media and 77 WABC, wrote, “Bernie was not just half of Bernie and Sid in the Morning; Bernie was part of the fabric of WABC. Listeners from all around the world started their days with Bernie’s charismatic wit and insight, from tragic events to American’s day to day life. His absence will leave a hole not just at WABC but across the airwaves and in America’s hearts. Bernie was our brother, our friend, our mentor, our colleague. We will all miss Bernie more than words can express.”
“Bernie was my partner and my friend,” said Rosenberg. “He was always the smartest guy in the room, and I was fortunate to be the guy next to him. I know our listeners join me in grieving the loss to radio and to New York.”
McGuirk had been with WABC since 2007 as Executive Producer of the Imus in the Morning Show, where he was also featured as the program’s quick-witted on-air contributor. McGuirk added color to local and national news updates with his own take on the serious and not-so-serious news of the day. McGuirk was with the Imus In the Morning show since its latter days at WNBC Radio. He made the move with Imus to WFAN Radio in New York City in 1988 and remained there until 2007. McGuirk was also part of the Imus team when the show became nationally syndicated in 1993.
In 2016, McGuirk teamed up with Rosenberg to co-host WABC’s Bernie & Sid in the 10am-Noon midday slot, before the two eventually moved to morning drive. Early in his career, McGuirk worked various jobs within NBC in promotions and also at the network and local news divisions.
Born in the Bronx, New York City in 1957, McGuirk was a graduate of the College of Mount St. Vincent. He is survived by his wife Carol, and their two children, Brendan and Melanie.
No comments:
Post a Comment