Ed Baer

The genial, personable jock known as The Big Bad Bear spent 12 years at the legendary WMCA. Baer was what is known in radio as a "swing announcer", filling in for other jocks.

He and his WMCA colleagues — Joe O’Brien, Harry Harrison, Dan Daniel, B. Mitchel Reid, Gary Stevens and the rest — were the Good Guys. They battled WABC (the All-Americans), Dan Ingram, Cousin Brucie…) for radio supremacy. It was a legendary time in music history, and Ed Baer was part of some of its most exciting moments.

Ed’s parents moved to Westport in 1945. He was 9 years old. His father opened a candy store and soda fountain at Desi’s Corner, across from the train station. Ed worked there during high school. CBS newsman Douglas Edwards, a Weston resident was a regular customer.

Ed discovered broadcasting at the University of Connecticut. When his father had a heart attack, Ed transferred to the University of Bridgeport. Win Elliot — a legendary New York Rangers broadcaster, and fellow Westporter — gave Ed’s career an early boost.

The Big Bad Baer is in for B. Mitchell Reed at WMCA on July 31, 1964 [ LISTEN ]

Listen for the announcement of the Beatles arriving in a few days at Kennedy Airport. WMCA had hoped to be the exclusive Beatles station, but as history records, WABC got most of the attention. WMCA is playing “Name It And Claim It”, & the WMCA countdown.

WMCA was a New York station, but he grew up in Westport — and lived there when he was a Good Guy.

Here is Ed during his stay at WMCA on October 11, 1966. [ LISTEN ] (48:28)

Ed with The Who.

He eventually got the morning show, just in time to see the station jump to a talk format in 1970. He stayed on, doing news in addition to talk before moving to country-formatted WHN in 1973. After 10 years there, Baer moved to easy-listening WYNY, while also doing sports for NBC.

Ed served at Fort Dix, then got a job at 50,000-watt KRAK in Sacramento. When his father died, he returned home. Dan Ingram — who had worked with Ed at WICC — helped him land a job at Dan’s WABC’s rival, WMCA.

The Good Guys.

Ed was there as the station moved from Paul Anka and Bobby Darin to the Stones, Supremes and Doors. He was in the broadcast booth when the Beatles played at She Stadium. And he was there when FM knocked AM stations out of the rock ‘n’ roll ballpark. WMCA became all-talk.

A WMCA montage with on air personalities heard from 1963 until 1970. [ LISTEN ]

Listen for the voices of Joe O'Brien, B. Mitchel Reed, Ed Baer, Jack Spector, Dan Daniel, Gary Stevens (first and last shows), Dean Anthony, Lee Gray, Harry Harrison, Murray "The K" Kaufman, Frankie Crocker, Alex Bennett, and Johnny Michaels.

Ed spent the next 40-plus years at a variety of stations, playing all kinds of formats. He was a country DJ at WHN. At WYNY, it was adult hits. He played everything at WHUD in Peekskill north of New York City, doing mornings for 14 years and then continuing on weekends with his retro show "Pop Rewind" until 2015. He went back to his rock roots at oldies station WCBS-FM. He was also heard on several of the WCBS-FM reunion weekends.

Ed relaxing at his home studio in 2016.

“I love local radio,” Baer remarked when he retired from the WHUD in 2000. “But I think that’s what all good radio is: a personal conversation with the person on the other side of the microphone. Ed Baer passed away on January 1, 2019, from complications of pneumonia. He was 82 years old.

He wasn't just a “Good Guy” he was a great guy.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Rock Radio Scrapbook, Airchexx.