Bob Wells (newscaster)
Encyclopedia
Bob Wells is a former news/weather anchor and television personality who is best known to Cleveland, Ohio
, television viewers as "Hoolihan the Weatherman" and one-half of the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show movie-hosting team. The show appeared on Friday nights, from December 23, 1966 to August 1979, a successful 13-year run, beating Johnny Carson
in the ratings on that one night per week. Wells and partner Chuck Schodowski replaced the late legendary television personality "Ghoulardi" (Ernie Anderson
) in 1966 at the then CBS affiliate WJW Channel 8, when Anderson left for Los Angeles to pursue a free-lance announcing career.
radio in Beatrice, Nebraska, right after graduation from Lincoln, Nebraska
High School. In the fall, he moved to KLMS Radio in Lincoln, while he pursued a degree in Radio and Television at the University of Nebraska. Following graduation, and after becoming a jet pilot with the Nebraska Air National Guard
, in 1957 he moved to Oklahoma City with his new bride Barbara, for his first TV job. Two years later, he started as a disc jockey
for WDAF
, a Kansas City NBC radio affiliate. After only a year, a spot opened up doing weather on the weekends at the sister Kansas City television station. He stayed there through 1965 as TV staff announcer and weekend weatherman.
In 1965, Wells arrived in Cleveland to replace Howard Hoffman as the 6 and 11 PM evening weatherman on WJW Channel 8 as "Hoolihan the Weatherman." At the time the area weather personalities were Dick Goddard
, Don Webster, and Hoffman, all of whom delivered forecasts in a "serious" style. The production manager asked him if he could "be funny," and gave him the "Hoolihan" pseudonym. It seems to have helped, because the newscasts moved from a distant #2 to the #1 rating within a few months, and the "Hoolihan" name stuck. A year later, when Dick Goddard moved back to Cleveland from Philadelphia, the station moved Wells to the noon and weekend weather-casts, to make room for Goddard.
In addition to his meteorological duties at WJW, Wells began to moonlight as a supporting cast member for WJW's Shock Theatre with Ghoulardi, hosted by Ernie Anderson. Following Anderson's departure from WJW, Wells teamed up with then-station engineer Chuck Schodowski on December 23, 1966, to create the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show. Airing at 11:30 p.m. on Friday nights, the show usually showed Z-grade movies with comedy skits in between, often featuring Wells and "Big Chuck" Schodowski, as well as local TV personalities Art Lofredo and John "Lil' John" Rinaldi. The skits usually ended in a recorded distinctive laugh by late actor/comedian/disc jockey Jay Lawrence
, who worked for KYW-1100 radio in Cleveland in the early 1960s, and had also appeared in some of the sketches on the Ghoulardi programs.
In 1971, Wells quit the staff of WJW to free-lance in New York and Chicago, although he continued to do weekend weather and Hoolihan and Big Chuck. However, in 1979, he helped start a new Christian TV station in the Tampa Bay
area of Florida, which resulted in Wells' family departing for Clearwater, Florida
, a town near Tampa. Both he and Barbara had become born-again Christians in the middle 1970s, and Wells even helped to establish WSUM Radio in Parma (now WCCD
) back in 1975. Rinaldi replaced Wells as Schodowski's co-host for the remainder of the show's run.
's ministry The PTL Club
rocked the headlines, and the Wellses were happy not to have been "tarred with that brush."
Bob also ran a successful financial planning company in Florida, earning "Agent of the Year" honors from a Cleveland-based insurance company. They also did radio and TV commercials in the Tampa area. Wells and his wife regularly appeared at "Ghoulardifest" functions in Cleveland, held by WJW-TV8 in tribute to Ernie Anderson, who died in 1997.
In addition to his TV and radio work, Bob has also been in numerous movies & TV shows (including the movie "Summer Rental" with John Candy). His TV/Film resume (which includes 11 items) are on IMDB.com (link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0920119/)
Since 1979, Wells had been living with his wife Barbara in Clearwater, Florida. After 51 years of marriage, Barbara died after a lengthy battle with cancer on August 28, 2007.
Wells has three adult children, named Teri, Rob and Tricia. Wells is currently semi-retired in Clearwater, lending his acting and singing skills to several Tampa Bay area professional theater companies, as well as performing free-lance commercial announcing and narration.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, television viewers as "Hoolihan the Weatherman" and one-half of the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show movie-hosting team. The show appeared on Friday nights, from December 23, 1966 to August 1979, a successful 13-year run, beating Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
in the ratings on that one night per week. Wells and partner Chuck Schodowski replaced the late legendary television personality "Ghoulardi" (Ernie Anderson
Ernie Anderson
Ernie Anderson was an American disc jockey, and television and radio announcer/voiceover artist...
) in 1966 at the then CBS affiliate WJW Channel 8, when Anderson left for Los Angeles to pursue a free-lance announcing career.
Early career
Bob started his broadcasting career in the summer of 1951 on KWBEKWBE
KWBE is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Beatrice, Nebraska, USA, the station is currently owned by Siebert Broadcasting, Inc. and features programing from Citadel Media and Westwood One....
radio in Beatrice, Nebraska, right after graduation from Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
High School. In the fall, he moved to KLMS Radio in Lincoln, while he pursued a degree in Radio and Television at the University of Nebraska. Following graduation, and after becoming a jet pilot with the Nebraska Air National Guard
Nebraska Air National Guard
The Nebraska Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is based at Lincoln Air National Guard Base. The Adjutant General for the Nebraska Military Department is Brigadier General Judd H. Lyons...
, in 1957 he moved to Oklahoma City with his new bride Barbara, for his first TV job. Two years later, he started as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
for WDAF
WDAF-FM
WDAF-FM is a country music radio station based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Its current assignment to Entercom's 100,000 Watt facility licensed to Liberty, Missouri, combines the history of both the frequency and the WDAF call letters.- The Early Days :WDAF was one of the first...
, a Kansas City NBC radio affiliate. After only a year, a spot opened up doing weather on the weekends at the sister Kansas City television station. He stayed there through 1965 as TV staff announcer and weekend weatherman.
In 1965, Wells arrived in Cleveland to replace Howard Hoffman as the 6 and 11 PM evening weatherman on WJW Channel 8 as "Hoolihan the Weatherman." At the time the area weather personalities were Dick Goddard
Dick Goddard
Richard D. "Dick" Goddard is an American television meteorologist, author, cartoonist, and animal activist. For over four decades, he has served as the evening meteorologist at WJW , the Fox Broadcasting Company-affiliated television station in Cleveland, Ohio...
, Don Webster, and Hoffman, all of whom delivered forecasts in a "serious" style. The production manager asked him if he could "be funny," and gave him the "Hoolihan" pseudonym. It seems to have helped, because the newscasts moved from a distant #2 to the #1 rating within a few months, and the "Hoolihan" name stuck. A year later, when Dick Goddard moved back to Cleveland from Philadelphia, the station moved Wells to the noon and weekend weather-casts, to make room for Goddard.
In addition to his meteorological duties at WJW, Wells began to moonlight as a supporting cast member for WJW's Shock Theatre with Ghoulardi, hosted by Ernie Anderson. Following Anderson's departure from WJW, Wells teamed up with then-station engineer Chuck Schodowski on December 23, 1966, to create the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show. Airing at 11:30 p.m. on Friday nights, the show usually showed Z-grade movies with comedy skits in between, often featuring Wells and "Big Chuck" Schodowski, as well as local TV personalities Art Lofredo and John "Lil' John" Rinaldi. The skits usually ended in a recorded distinctive laugh by late actor/comedian/disc jockey Jay Lawrence
Jay Lawrence
Jay Lawrence was an American stand up comedian, TV and film actor and voice over actor, and the younger brother ofstand-up comedian and television sitcom/voice over actor Larry Storch.-Early life:...
, who worked for KYW-1100 radio in Cleveland in the early 1960s, and had also appeared in some of the sketches on the Ghoulardi programs.
In 1971, Wells quit the staff of WJW to free-lance in New York and Chicago, although he continued to do weekend weather and Hoolihan and Big Chuck. However, in 1979, he helped start a new Christian TV station in the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
area of Florida, which resulted in Wells' family departing for Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, a town near Tampa. Both he and Barbara had become born-again Christians in the middle 1970s, and Wells even helped to establish WSUM Radio in Parma (now WCCD
WCCD
WCCD is an AM radio station licensed to Parma, Ohio and serving the Cleveland, Ohio radio market. It operates daytime only on 1000 kHz. The station maintains a religious/gospel format...
) back in 1975. Rinaldi replaced Wells as Schodowski's co-host for the remainder of the show's run.
Later years
Bob and his wife Barbara hosted Horzons 22, a Tampa-area Christian-themed news, music, and interview program on WCLF-TV22, a Christian station in Clearwater. Although it gained widespread appeal in that area, they were abruptly released after only three months, with the station saying that they were "not spiritual enough." A year later, the scandal of Jim BakkerJim Bakker
James Orsen "Jim" Bakker is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry...
's ministry The PTL Club
The PTL Club
The PTL Club , later called The Jim and Tammy Show, and in its last days PTL Today and Heritage Today, was a Christian television program first hosted by evangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, which ran from 1974 to 1989...
rocked the headlines, and the Wellses were happy not to have been "tarred with that brush."
Bob also ran a successful financial planning company in Florida, earning "Agent of the Year" honors from a Cleveland-based insurance company. They also did radio and TV commercials in the Tampa area. Wells and his wife regularly appeared at "Ghoulardifest" functions in Cleveland, held by WJW-TV8 in tribute to Ernie Anderson, who died in 1997.
In addition to his TV and radio work, Bob has also been in numerous movies & TV shows (including the movie "Summer Rental" with John Candy). His TV/Film resume (which includes 11 items) are on IMDB.com (link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0920119/)
Since 1979, Wells had been living with his wife Barbara in Clearwater, Florida. After 51 years of marriage, Barbara died after a lengthy battle with cancer on August 28, 2007.
Wells has three adult children, named Teri, Rob and Tricia. Wells is currently semi-retired in Clearwater, lending his acting and singing skills to several Tampa Bay area professional theater companies, as well as performing free-lance commercial announcing and narration.
Further reading
- Feran, Tom; Heldenfels, Rich (1999) "Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride." Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company. ISBN 978-1-886228-18-4
- Schodowski, Chuck (2008). "Big Chuck: My Favorite Stories from 47 Years on Cleveland TV." Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company. ISBN 978-1-59851-052-2
- Audio Marketing, Inc. (2010) from website http://audiomarketinginc.com/