Warner Wolf
Encyclopedia
Warner William Wolf is an American
television and radio sports broadcaster, perhaps best known as a local news sports anchor in Washington, D.C.
, New York City
and his catchphrase "Let's go to the videotape!".
Wolf began as a radio broadcaster on April 1, 1961, doing news, weather, and sports for WLSI-AM
in Pikeville, Kentucky
under the name Ken Wolf. He then moved on to radio jobs in Martinsburg, West Virginia
(coincidentally, the call-letters of this station were WEPN
, the call letters of the New York City affiliate that carries ESPN Radio
in New York City, at which Wolf is now announcing), and Washington, D.C.
at WTOP-AM before landing a sports television role in 1965 at WTOP-TV (now WUSA) in Washington. There he became very well known and popular as the news sports anchor; he also did play-by-play announcing of local college and professional basketball, football, and baseball games.
telecasts and as a host for coverage of football and the Olympics. Wolf's reception in those jobs was mixed, and he decided that he was best at the local news sports anchor role.
in New York in 1976, and then in 1980 moved to rival New York station WCBS-TV
. His move to WCBS resulted in a lawsuit, American Broadcasting Co. v. Wolf, in which ABC alleged that Wolf failed to negotiate in good faith and sought specific performance
of their contract which would have kept Wolf off the air for two years. The New York Court of Appeals
rejected ABC's argument, although they permitted ABC to seek relief in the form of monetary damages. He also broadcasted live sports reports for Israel
i television during the 1991 Gulf War
.
as the sports anchor in June 1992
, succeeding the late Glenn Brenner
. He was dismissed in August 1995. Between November 1995 and December 1996, Wolf was the guest host of The Tony Kornheiser Show
on Thursdays on WTEM
and sometimes he also flew to New York as a substitute sports anchor on Imus in the Morning
when the regular sports anchor, Mike Breen
, was away. Because of his work on Imus in the Morning and Don Imus
' recommendation on the air continuously, Wolf went back to WCBS-TV
as the sports anchor on February 3, 1997.
During this time he also continued to do some work in radio, giving sports reports on the nationally syndicated Imus in the Morning
program. Wolf broke the news of the September 11, 2001 attacks
on the Imus show, when he saw the World Trade Center
on fire from his Lower Manhattan
apartment. Wolf also covered the story for WCBS-TV
(where he was working at the time).
He stayed there until May 2004, returning to WABC (AM)
in 2006 as the sports reporter for Curtis and Kuby, and continuing, with a two-week hiatus, on the Imus in the Morning
program following Don Imus
's arrival at WABC (AM). He continues to serve as Imus's sports contributor, where he can be heard on WABC (AM) and seen on the Imus simulcast on the Fox Business Network
.
In addition to the Imus in the Morning
program, Mr. Wolf also is a frequent guest on Mark Simone
's WABC (AM)
Saturday morning show, where he gives his witty take on not only sports but other general issues of the day and occasional movie reviews.
general manager Lew Leone, three months before his contract expired, and replaced by a much younger anchor, Chris Wragge
. The day after his firing, his picture covered half the front page of the New York Daily News
with the other half being covered by the headline "WOLF FANS RAISE A HOWL".
A few months after his firing, which generated much public outcry, Wolf was hired by radio station WABC
and he appeared weekday mornings with Curtis Sliwa
& Ron Kuby
as well as Mark Simone
's Saturday morning radio program. When Imus in the Morning
returned to WABC in December 2007, Wolf was not the sports anchor: Tony Powell took that position. But after several weeks Wolf returned to his old position and continues as the morning sports guy for the Imus in the Morning
show, now on the Fox Business Network. Wolf also hosts a Saturday sports talk show on 1050 ESPN Radio
. Wolf modified his trademark "Let's go to the videotape!" to "Let's go to the audiotape!"
and has made several other cameo appearance
s. He is the author of the books Let's Go to the Videotape and Give Me a Break.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television and radio sports broadcaster, perhaps best known as a local news sports anchor in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and his catchphrase "Let's go to the videotape!".
Early life and career
Wolf's earliest experience in broadcasting was on the intercom system of Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s. His upbeat, entertaining patter that was to become his trademark made his sports report a welcome treat for the kids. During this period he worked part time at Baker's Shoe Store downtown, as a salesman. Many customers must have been puzzled at the ball park hawker's refrain of, "Get your hot dogs, get your hot dogies here" coming from the back store room. He was simply entertaining the staff and the customers, something he was to continue throughout his long career.Wolf began as a radio broadcaster on April 1, 1961, doing news, weather, and sports for WLSI-AM
WLSI
WLSI is a radio station broadcasting a Sports/Talk format. Licensed to Pikeville, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and features programing from NBC Radio and Sporting News Radio Network....
in Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
under the name Ken Wolf. He then moved on to radio jobs in Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
(coincidentally, the call-letters of this station were WEPN
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
, the call letters of the New York City affiliate that carries ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
in New York City, at which Wolf is now announcing), and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at WTOP-AM before landing a sports television role in 1965 at WTOP-TV (now WUSA) in Washington. There he became very well known and popular as the news sports anchor; he also did play-by-play announcing of local college and professional basketball, football, and baseball games.
ABC Sports
In 1976, Wolf gained an ABC Sports network role, working on Monday Night BaseballMonday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
telecasts and as a host for coverage of football and the Olympics. Wolf's reception in those jobs was mixed, and he decided that he was best at the local news sports anchor role.
WABC-TV and WCBS-TV
He returned to local sportscasting with a job at WABC-TVWABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
in New York in 1976, and then in 1980 moved to rival New York station WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
. His move to WCBS resulted in a lawsuit, American Broadcasting Co. v. Wolf, in which ABC alleged that Wolf failed to negotiate in good faith and sought specific performance
Specific performance
Specific performance is an order of a court which requires a party to perform a specific act, usually what is stated in a contract. It is an alternative to award/ for awarding damages, and is classed as an equitable remedy commonly used in the form of injunctive relief concerning confidential...
of their contract which would have kept Wolf off the air for two years. The New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
rejected ABC's argument, although they permitted ABC to seek relief in the form of monetary damages. He also broadcasted live sports reports for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i television during the 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Return to WUSA-TV and Imus in the Morning
He went back to WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as the sports anchor in June 1992
1992 in television
The year 1992 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1992.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:*Hallmark Hall of Fame .*Guiding Light .*The Today Show ....
, succeeding the late Glenn Brenner
Glenn Brenner
Glenn Brenner was a sportscaster best known for his tenure as the sports anchor for WUSA-TV from 1976 until his death in 1992 from a brain tumor. He had also been employed at KYW-TV earlier in his career....
. He was dismissed in August 1995. Between November 1995 and December 1996, Wolf was the guest host of The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show is a sports radio talk show out of Washington, D.C. hosted by Tony Kornheiser, which appeared on WTEM from 1992 to 1997; on ESPN Radio between 1998 and 2004; back on WTEM from 2004 to 2006; and on WTWP and then WWWT in 2007 and 2008; and back on WTEM since September 8, 2009...
on Thursdays on WTEM
WTEM
WTEM — branded ESPN 980 — is a sports radio station licensed to Washington, D.C. and serving the Washington metro area. It is the flagship of a sports talk trimulcast with WWXT in Prince Frederick, Maryland and WWXX in Buckland, Virginia, all affiliated with ESPN Radio and owned by Red Zebra...
and sometimes he also flew to New York as a substitute sports anchor on Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
when the regular sports anchor, Mike Breen
Mike Breen
Michael "Mike" Breen is a play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ABC and the lead commentator for New York Knicks games on the MSG network...
, was away. Because of his work on Imus in the Morning and Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
' recommendation on the air continuously, Wolf went back to WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
as the sports anchor on February 3, 1997.
During this time he also continued to do some work in radio, giving sports reports on the nationally syndicated Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
program. Wolf broke the news of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
on the Imus show, when he saw the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
on fire from his Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
apartment. Wolf also covered the story for WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
(where he was working at the time).
He stayed there until May 2004, returning to WABC (AM)
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
in 2006 as the sports reporter for Curtis and Kuby, and continuing, with a two-week hiatus, on the Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
program following Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
's arrival at WABC (AM). He continues to serve as Imus's sports contributor, where he can be heard on WABC (AM) and seen on the Imus simulcast on the Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
.
In addition to the Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
program, Mr. Wolf also is a frequent guest on Mark Simone
Mark Simone
Mark Simone is an American radio personality. Currently heard on WABC in New York, he also fills-in for ABC Radio hosts such as Don Imus, Mark Levin, and Sean Hannity.Simone occasionally appears on CNN, MSNBC and PBS....
's WABC (AM)
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
Saturday morning show, where he gives his witty take on not only sports but other general issues of the day and occasional movie reviews.
Departure from WCBS-TV
On May 27, 2004 Wolf was fired by WCBS-TVWCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
general manager Lew Leone, three months before his contract expired, and replaced by a much younger anchor, Chris Wragge
Chris Wragge
Christian P. "Chris" Wragge is an American news anchor. He is the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 6 p.m. weeknights alongside Dana Tyler. He was previously in the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m...
. The day after his firing, his picture covered half the front page of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
with the other half being covered by the headline "WOLF FANS RAISE A HOWL".
A few months after his firing, which generated much public outcry, Wolf was hired by radio station WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
and he appeared weekday mornings with Curtis Sliwa
Curtis Sliwa
Curtis Sliwa is an American anti-crime activist, founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, and radio talk show host and media personality.-Guardian Angels:...
& Ron Kuby
Ron Kuby
Ronald L. Kuby is a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, radio talk show host and TV commentator. He has hosted radio programs on WABC Radio in New York and Air America Radio.-Beginnings:...
as well as Mark Simone
Mark Simone
Mark Simone is an American radio personality. Currently heard on WABC in New York, he also fills-in for ABC Radio hosts such as Don Imus, Mark Levin, and Sean Hannity.Simone occasionally appears on CNN, MSNBC and PBS....
's Saturday morning radio program. When Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
returned to WABC in December 2007, Wolf was not the sports anchor: Tony Powell took that position. But after several weeks Wolf returned to his old position and continues as the morning sports guy for the Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
show, now on the Fox Business Network. Wolf also hosts a Saturday sports talk show on 1050 ESPN Radio
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
. Wolf modified his trademark "Let's go to the videotape!" to "Let's go to the audiotape!"
Other appearances
Wolf played himself in the film Rocky IVRocky IV
Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise...
and has made several other cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s. He is the author of the books Let's Go to the Videotape and Give Me a Break.
Books
- Warner Wolf and William Taaffe, Gimme a Break! Warner Wolf on Sports. McGraw-Hill, 1983 (ISBN 0-07071-537-8).
- Warner Wolf and Larry Weisman, Let's Go to the Videotape: All the Plays and Replays from My Life in Sports. Warner Books, 2000. (ISBN 0-44652-559-6).