Very sad to see Bob Zimmerman pass away at 73 years old. I remember having him for a class and man he was something else. He will be missed!
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Bob Zimmerman Passing Away at 73
- Thread starter TiggerSwoosh
- Start date
wiifm said:
How about if you keep what you HEARD out of the conversation?? State College, Centre County and Pennsylvania lost a great man yesterday. Just because he would not let people sit on their asses all day and expected them to work to earn a living does not always mean "extremely unpleasant."
Grow up, 4 year old!
Becker said:
Relax, man.
I didn't say he was a bad person. I liked him. My limited experience with him was good. However, I have spoken with many others who didn't share that same experience. He would tell you that himself.
No human being is without flaw. The good and the bad are all a part of who we are.
S
scifinut450
Guest
I worked for Bob Zimmerman. I'm sorry to see him go. Back in the day WRSC had a slogan "WRSC IS EVERYHERE" and they were! The van was always out and about. A lot of people owe their careers to "Z" and I am one who is grateful to having learned from him.
A
asmeltz
Guest
An initial article appeared yesterday in the CDT. The more thorough news article, in today's paper, is online here: http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/16476930.htm
Mr. Z was truly a great man. I'm sad to hear of his passing, but I recall an article in the C.O.C.'s "Communicator" magazine that said he had mysteriously fell ill during a class about 12 months ago. I had been wondering what his status was, and his last words to me were, "have you gotten into sales yet"? That's pretty typical of Z for those who took his class.
Z changed lives at PSU. I remember being cornered by one of his students that "didn't know his A## from a hole in the ground" at a bar saying he was gonna prove Z wrong. The kid was drunk on a Friday night thinking about what Z said about him. Just another example of how Z got students to actually think about their lives instead of pissing away daddy's money. That's something the other 98% of COC professors couldn't and won't do. They're too self-absorbed and worried about getting published in the "Communicator". I wouldn't recommend a PSU Comm Degree without at least one Zimmerman class. It's the only reason I didn't mind paying the inflated PSU tuition.
For all those who think he was tough to work for... you're right. He demanded the best out of his people.
Other news: Does anybody remember John Raynar? He got married on a Pacific Island somewhere a couple of days ago. It's in All Access.
Z changed lives at PSU. I remember being cornered by one of his students that "didn't know his A## from a hole in the ground" at a bar saying he was gonna prove Z wrong. The kid was drunk on a Friday night thinking about what Z said about him. Just another example of how Z got students to actually think about their lives instead of pissing away daddy's money. That's something the other 98% of COC professors couldn't and won't do. They're too self-absorbed and worried about getting published in the "Communicator". I wouldn't recommend a PSU Comm Degree without at least one Zimmerman class. It's the only reason I didn't mind paying the inflated PSU tuition.
For all those who think he was tough to work for... you're right. He demanded the best out of his people.
Other news: Does anybody remember John Raynar? He got married on a Pacific Island somewhere a couple of days ago. It's in All Access.
danwentz said:
I never met Bob, but I heard of his reputation. Quite the tough cookie...that's admirable. It's always a sad day when we lose one of our own.
Dan...how are you doing? Send me an email...glenturner515 (at) yahoo dot com.
Bob reminded me of my Dad. He wanted you to succeed and wasn't afraid to tell you when you weren't. I've seen him change lives, make people think and point some young people in the right direction (sometimes with a purposeful adjective or two just to make sure the point was taken).
I've been very, VERY fortunate to have known Bob for something like 15 years now and the hole that his passing has left in some of our lives is bigger than the Grand Canyon is deep. State College, Penn State and the College of Communications all have an enormous void to fill with his sudden passing. I cannot imagine this place without him.
I've been very, VERY fortunate to have known Bob for something like 15 years now and the hole that his passing has left in some of our lives is bigger than the Grand Canyon is deep. State College, Penn State and the College of Communications all have an enormous void to fill with his sudden passing. I cannot imagine this place without him.
I just heard from a friend (who also worked for Z). I am very sad to hear of his passing. I worked for Bob Zimmerman and Eastern Broadcasting at WRSC and WAVZ/WKCI in New Haven. Tough? Yeah, but working with him made you a better broadcaster. It did for me.
Bob Perry
PD WRSC 1982-83
PD WAVZ 1983-1985
Bob Perry
PD WRSC 1982-83
PD WAVZ 1983-1985
A
Ani WaHya
Guest
May he rest in peace.
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I had to stop on this one.
Its hard to believe Mr Z has been gone this long already. He was a mentor to so many of us. I never had the chance of working with him, but it was great taking his classes. He managed his class the same way he managed his radio stations, and his teaching methods scared the pants off all those academic elitists up at PSU, they'd never seen anything like him and I am quite certain that most of profs in the college of comm utterly despised him coming in there with his forthright rhetoric riddled with profanities.
The best part was, the administration was terrified to do anything about it because of all of his philanthropy.
I'd be willing to bet though, that students who took his classes in the college of comm learned more from him than all the other faculty combined, reason being was that he was the only person up there with any real world experince.
After hearing about Renee Portland getting "Don Imused" by the panzy picking admin up in old main, it makes me proud to say that I (and I am sure a lot of you) had a chance to work and learn from a guy like Z-man, who didn't cowtoe to PSU's or anyone else's P-C agenda.
He told it how it was, and he got results. He shared his knowledge and connections with his students as he was the benefactor for so many students.
RIP -Mr Z
Its hard to believe Mr Z has been gone this long already. He was a mentor to so many of us. I never had the chance of working with him, but it was great taking his classes. He managed his class the same way he managed his radio stations, and his teaching methods scared the pants off all those academic elitists up at PSU, they'd never seen anything like him and I am quite certain that most of profs in the college of comm utterly despised him coming in there with his forthright rhetoric riddled with profanities.
The best part was, the administration was terrified to do anything about it because of all of his philanthropy.
I'd be willing to bet though, that students who took his classes in the college of comm learned more from him than all the other faculty combined, reason being was that he was the only person up there with any real world experince.
After hearing about Renee Portland getting "Don Imused" by the panzy picking admin up in old main, it makes me proud to say that I (and I am sure a lot of you) had a chance to work and learn from a guy like Z-man, who didn't cowtoe to PSU's or anyone else's P-C agenda.
He told it how it was, and he got results. He shared his knowledge and connections with his students as he was the benefactor for so many students.
RIP -Mr Z
John,
Thanks for posting on this old thread. I agree it is hard to believe that Z has been gone for a year and a half. I am very sorry that I didn't stay in touch with him. However, the lessons taught to a first time program director (me) are still with me today.
Robert K. Zimmerman was a broadcaster in every sense of the word.
Bob Perry
Thanks for posting on this old thread. I agree it is hard to believe that Z has been gone for a year and a half. I am very sorry that I didn't stay in touch with him. However, the lessons taught to a first time program director (me) are still with me today.
Robert K. Zimmerman was a broadcaster in every sense of the word.
Bob Perry
This is all well and good. However...I have known numerous, numerous people (male and female) who have worked for the Z-man and no one ever had anything good to say about him. This is so typical, a person can be the biggest s.o.b. in the world but when they either (1) leave their place of employment and/or (2) die, EVERYONE has good things to say about them. I'm just telling it like it is. If the shoe fits...
There is nothing rose-colored in my memories of Z. The guy was a Type A bastard to work for at times but at the same time he cared about his radio stations and the community he served. I think of my time at Eastern Broadcasting (as PD of WRSC and later WAVZ/New Haven) like a Marine looks back on his experience in boot camp - what doesn't kill you makes you better.
A
ameyer
Guest
I never met Bob Zimmerman, but let me ask fryman this:
The man has been dead for a year and half, do you think you could let the grudge that you are holding ever so tightly on to for whatever reason go? You are acting like a sissy, because everyone has said nice things about him...are you just jaded cause no one will ever say anything about you that is good when you die? I mean seriously the man is dead, death is a time to let go of grudges and mourn for the family...he is gone and he is not going to come back and apologize for being the s.o.b. you have made him out to be, so get over it. I guess you have never had a boss that cared enough to push you to make yourself better...
Maybe that is why you are still pushing the fry cart!
The man has been dead for a year and half, do you think you could let the grudge that you are holding ever so tightly on to for whatever reason go? You are acting like a sissy, because everyone has said nice things about him...are you just jaded cause no one will ever say anything about you that is good when you die? I mean seriously the man is dead, death is a time to let go of grudges and mourn for the family...he is gone and he is not going to come back and apologize for being the s.o.b. you have made him out to be, so get over it. I guess you have never had a boss that cared enough to push you to make yourself better...
Maybe that is why you are still pushing the fry cart!
Cool down brother. I have no grudge nor anything else against the late Z-man. I never worked for him, met him several times and he was charming and affable. However, I know too many people who were treated terribly by the man. You don't scream and/or embarrass your employees and act like a tyrant. I'll give you that he was a good operator and had some great stations. However, no need in making the man in his death something that he never was in life. Everyone deserves to be treated in a civil manner and I know too many people who were not. As for the fry wagon, it is no push cart operation. It's self contained in a truck which I drive. I park, open up the sides, and the fun begins. As for when I go to the great potato factory in the sky...all I care about is that folks remember how good the fries were and that they were made with "real" potatos. And yes, I would even serve Zimmerman. Anybody who has the same name as Bob Dylan can't be all that bad. Please pass the ketchup.
If people were treated terribly by the man, chances are they deserved it. American culture has become so fixated with being oversensitive to everyone these days, that when you tell someone they're out of line without prefacing it with fluffy politically correct hor$e$hit, you are considered a tyrant, and the Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson and the ACLU show up at your door with a lawsuit. This panzy picking mindset has become especially prominent in self proclaimed progressive communities like State College thanks to Penn State.
Bob Zimmerman signed their paycheck didn't he? You question what Bob was/did in real life? Let's review:
Did you know that the call letters for WRKZ in Pittsburgh are based on Z's initials?
Did you know that Z was inducted into the PAB hall of fame?
Besides his innovations in Radio, Z also created what Channel 4 is today, he was essentially the pioneer of State College Radio. With a track record like that, you usually end up pissing off a few people in the process.
When you have a funeral attended by 100's including Spanier and Paterno, (not that the Spanier part is anything to be proud of
) and have past on knowing that you have helped start hundreds of careers between students/former employees, you can die happy. So Fry, looks like if/when you get past the gates of heavan, and happen to run into Z you better be bearing fries.
Bob Zimmerman signed their paycheck didn't he? You question what Bob was/did in real life? Let's review:
Did you know that the call letters for WRKZ in Pittsburgh are based on Z's initials?
Did you know that Z was inducted into the PAB hall of fame?
Besides his innovations in Radio, Z also created what Channel 4 is today, he was essentially the pioneer of State College Radio. With a track record like that, you usually end up pissing off a few people in the process.
When you have a funeral attended by 100's including Spanier and Paterno, (not that the Spanier part is anything to be proud of
) and have past on knowing that you have helped start hundreds of careers between students/former employees, you can die happy. So Fry, looks like if/when you get past the gates of heavan, and happen to run into Z you better be bearing fries.jraynar said:
Actually, WRKZ were the ORIGINAL calls for Z107 Hershey PA, which was one of Zimmies own stations, but you are right about the initials relating to the letters.
After he sold Z107 WRKZ and the new owners switched to WCAT, the old calls got moved around a few places to other station owners in Carlisle, Pittsburgh, and god knows where they are now since B94 dropped them last year.
Z107 was probably one of the best ran, programmed, and sounding country stations in the 80's in the Harrisburg/Lancaster area.
clangham said:
According to Radio locator, the WRKZ calls have been relocated to a rock station in Columbus, OH - Red 102.3
thanks for clarifying, i thought they were still in PGH.
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wrkz&sr=Y&s=C&x=0&y=0
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