North East RadioWatch: April 30, 1998

Carl DeSuze Dies...

by Scott Fybush

Boston has lost one of its legendary broadcasters. Carl DeSuze died Wednesday night at the age of 83.

DeSuze was WBZ's morning host from the 1940s until the early 1980s, a record that's unlikely ever to be broken. His urbane on-air manner and affection for all things European made for an unlikely fit with WBZ's top-40 format in the sixties, but the combination worked, and DeSuze remained on top of the ratings for years.

In addition to his duties as "New England's Alarm Clock," DeSuze traveled the world, relating his experiences in lectures across New England.

A Maine native, DeSuze was proud of his Bowdoin education. After college, he worked at several Maine radio stations before moving to Boston and WBZ.

On a personal note, your editor had the opportunity to work with DeSuze while helping to prepare WBZ's 75th anniversary celebration in 1996. While DeSuze's health was already failing, he was eager to share his memories and his memorabilia. I'll long treasure the memory of spending several afternoons at his home in Concord, as he sifted through several boxes of photos and posters, recounting the stories of celebrities interviewed and distant capitals visited.

DeSuze's death follows that of Gordon Swan by only a few months; together, they represented an era of WBZ history that's now all but lost.

DeSuze is survived by his wife, Greta, and three children. Funeral arrangements remain incomplete at this writing.

More on Carl DeSuze's legacy will follow in next Thursday's NERW.

Now the rest of this week's news.

We'll have more numbers from other Northeast markets next Thursday; see you then!


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