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RIP Steve Fredericks (WMEX WEEI WITS)

Fenway1912

Fenway1912

Steve Fredericks has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 72.

Steve came to Boston in 1965 and replaced Jerry Williams on WMEX. He moved to WEEI to do sportstalk around 1970, then returned to WMEX/WITS and then back to WEEI. He was given the chance to return home to Philadelphia and jumped at it. He also worked at WCAU, WFAN and WIP.
 
One of the all-time greats; could do it all and often did.

He did the basics as well as anyone, but never sounded constrained by formatics.

Probably the most underrated on-air personality to ever to work in Boston.
 
Sorry to hear that.

He was a great replacement for Jerry Williams on WMEX in 1965.

By that time (IMO) Williams was getting grumpy and his continuous put downs of young people flew in the face of WMEX's core audience.
I'll never forget cringing at Williams calling the Beatles "dirty" and "obscene" in 1964 (!) (I guess those collarless suit jackets and hair just a little over the ears was too much for him). I know that people later said that it was "just shtick" but I thought it was stupid shtick.

Fredericks, on the other hand, was hip and smart in a younger way, but still was very savvy when it came to politics. When the student protests arose and all the turmoil of 1968 burst forth, he was measured and reasonable.
 
By the way, note should be taken of the sheer magnitude of talent at WMEX/WITS in the talk era, although the stars that passed through the Broadcast House in the rock days was just as strong.

We're talking, in addition to Fredericks, Bill Lawrence and Diane Stern (they left to be a tandem at WEEI), Roy Fox, Nick Mills, Glen Ordway, Jerry Williams, Pat Whitley, Rich Kirkland, Dr. Joy Brown, Bob Hudson . (On the other hand, they also had a ditz who, on the death of former Vice President Rockefeller headlined "Happy isn't very happy today")

A case history in how the engineers and management can sabotage talent.
 
I got to know Steve well in the late 60's.

He came to Boston to shake the sports label when he was hired to replace Jerry Williams in 1965 on WMEX. He was bemused at first at how 'small' Boston was compared to Philly and once had an epic rant on how Pottstown, PA had all night bus service but not Boston.

He told me he first understood how big Boston was as a sports town when the Patriots lost a big gaout me in 1966 and quickly learned that if a show was dragging with no callers just talk about sports and the lines were jammed. Most nights however focused on Vietnam and it made for great radio.

In 1971 WEEI made a big splash into sports and Steve was hired for the Mon-Fri show ( and the Sports Huddle on Sunday ) - was back at WMEX in 1975 and then back to WEEI. CBS decided to drop all call in shows in the late 70's and offered Steve a job at WCAU and he went home.
 
I didn't save this fast enough, but with all that talent, Mariner bought WITS in 1978 and by 1982 they had dumped the calls and the assets were plucked from bankruptcy by Nobel in 1987.
 
Fenway1912 said:
In 1971 WEEI made a big splash into sports and Steve was hired for the Mon-Fri show ( and the Sports Huddle on Sunday ) - was back at WMEX in 1975 and then back to WEEI. CBS decided to drop all call in shows in the late 70's
Click to expand...

By 1975, WEEI was all-news with interview talk with Westover overnight so I don't see how he would have worked there doing talk.

Anyone got a tape of a Fredericks to Glick crossover at Wimmex?
 
When WEEI went all-news in early 1974, they kept a couple of late-night/overnight talk shows. Bruce Lee's all-night show continued for a while, then he switched to doing news midday, and Sheila Stainback took over the all-night slot. In early '76 they dropped the last of the talk shows and went to 24-hour news. When was Roy Fox at WMEX? I heard him in Minneapolis-St.Paul around 1970 when I was there and always liked him. When he went to KDKA I'd listen to him there, when it got dark early enough for me to hear him. But I don't remember him being at MEX, and as big of his as I was, I think I would have remembered him if he was.
 
Steve went back to WMEX in 1975 when CBS dropped the sports shows then went back to WEEI a year or so later.

Roy Fox was at WMEX in 1973 but quickly learned that Dick Richmond was brutal to work for.

Only play by play Steve did in Boston was Harvard football in 1975 on WMEX.
 
My Dad Paul Kelley started most of those people you mentioned in the radio business. WITS was a great news , talk, sports station. First of it's kind in Boston. My Dad also started the red sox radio network also a first to make up for the weak signal. What a lineup that was!!! My Dad also pioneered the sports sales division at the old WHDH on Morrissey Blvd working for Bill McGrath and Harry Wheeler, then he worked at BZ radio and TV and WHUE running that ststion for Al Tanger. In 1985 he started Kelley Communications media buying and sports sales holding the rights for BC sports among others and handling Sullivan Tire advertising. I have been trying for years to get my Dad into the Mass Broadcasters Hall of Fame for years but have had no luck. More than half the people in their he has worked with or started in the business or are DEAD!!! What a shame!!! Or sham I should say. Dad is 85 now and anyone who would like to help, please write a recommendation for an inductee on the Mass Broadcasters Hall of Fame website. The more written in the better!! Thank you!!
 
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Sad to read of the death of Steve Fredericks. Steve was one the earliest and strongest radio voice against the Vietnam War. He was a little older than I but of my generation and I cheered as he expressed every thought I had on the war and the anal sphincter Lydon Baines Johnson. Later I got to meet Steve when I was at WITS but by that time he seemed disillusioned by Boston and issue oriented talk radio. Soon, he returned to his native Philly to do sports on WCAU.
I too believe his talent was underrated and that he stopped believing in his own talent. Boston's loss. Steve Fredericks was the first voice of my generation to speak out against The War on Boston radio and for that I am ever grateful. Rest In Peace Steve... A job well done.
 
Does the Mass Broadcasters Hall of Fame Luncheon still exist? They dumped the great Jordan Rich as host for Tom Bergeron but I went online to make reservations for the September luncheon but there was no information regarding a 2016 Hall of Fame.
Maybe they shut down. Last year's luncheon was rather dull and not worth the price of admission. Lackluster and boring.
 
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