Monroeville, Dec 16 (THAINDIAN NEWS) KDKA radio talk show host Fred Honsberger has died at 58 years. He died on Wednesday morning at his home in Monroeville. He started with KDKA 30 years ago, in 1979 as news anchor, reporter and as a reporter too for Roy Fox. From 1984 to 1989, he became the News Director, and then the talk show host. This year he was hosting the afternoon show for 3 hours from 12 noon to 3 pm. He had held his last show on 8th December.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the work Fred has done as a dedicated broadcaster over the past three decades,” CBS Radio President and CEO Dan Mason said in a prepared statement. “His love for, and dedication to his listeners in Pittsburgh cannot be duplicated. Our sincere condolences go out to Fred’s family.”

Honsberger’s death created ripples far and wide in the media. As his name was well known in the industry far beyond Pittsburgh, said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers, a radio industry trade publication based in Springfield, Mass. “He’s recognized by people in the industry all across the country as one of the great local talk show hosts,” he said. “You lost an icon.”

“He represented the best of an era when every market had an array of local talent,” Harrison said. “He was definitely an endangered species.”

Michael Young, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio Pittsburgh, was sad at his untimely death but was happy for the fact that Fred continued doing what he liked best, till the very last. “I have a good feeling that he was able to do that right up to or near the time of his passing because it was something he truly loved to do,” Young said. “It’s a sad day for the station and a sad day for Pittsburgh.”

Honsberger was honored with the Best Talk Show Host by the Achievement in Radio Awards in 1997, 2003 and 2005. He also won the Achievement in Radio Award for Best Afternoon Show in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Honsberger was named one of the six Best Local Personalities of the Year in the 2004 Radio and Records News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards. The Associated Press also named Fred’s show the Best Radio Talk Show in Pennsylvania in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Talkers Magazine has named Fred Honsberger as one of its Heavy Hundred talk show hosts for the past four years.

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