The world of sports radio is much different than it was in the very early beginnings of the format. Last week, a member of sports radio’s original fraternity decided the time was right to walk away. His name is Eddie Scozzare, and he served in multiple capacities behind the scenes at Audacy’s WFAN since 1989.
I was eight years old when Scozzare began his journey through the halls of the New York City sports talk mecca. By the time I began my career in sports radio, Scozzare was in his 14th year of service. Now, after 37 years working as the last line of defense before sound hit radios and streams across the country, Scozzare was celebrated in a sendoff many never receive.
However, for Scozzare, it was another day on the job. Instead of sitting back and enjoying the adoration directed at him, he continued fulfilling his role through his final shift. During Friday’s Audacy Kickoff to Summer live broadcast on the Jersey Shore, Scozzare was seen meeting and greeting dedicated WFAN listeners, both new and old.
Signing autographs. Taking selfies. Reinforcing the bond that tied the dedicated listenership to WFAN throughout his 37 years of service to the brand. What’s unique about Scozzare is the distinctiveness of his legacy at WFAN. He was never an on-air talent. Instead, his voice was heard through music, drops, montages, and the consistent quality of the audio delivered to so many people over the years.
Every talent will tell you the importance of a solid producer. During Scozzare’s tenure at WFAN, he worked with many talented personalities while also mentoring countless others. Throughout many conversations about what made Scozzare special to the WFAN brand, I received a thousand different answers to the same question.
Following Scozzare’s final day at work, I reached out to many members of the WFAN family, past and present. Each had a unique story to tell about their interactions with Scozzare. Together, those stories illustrated how his calm and focused approach to the role earned him the legacy he now leaves behind.
While the book has officially closed on Scozzare’s career at WFAN, I asked if there was a singular characteristic he possessed that producers around the country could use to enhance their own role.
WFAN Celebrates Eddie Scozzare
*Editor’s Note: Answers have been edited for clarity and length.*
Mark Chernoff (Former WFAN Program Director) – “Eddie was always able to get along with everyone. He always figured out the best way to deal with each show he was involved with.
Getting along with people is a real key to being a successful producer. A good producer should also know what the hot topics are and be able to keep the hosts on track. Plus, of course, change on a dime if necessary.”
Sal Licata (Former WFAN Host/Producer) – “Eddie was much more than just a producer. He was the glue to the entire WFAN “locker room.” His greatest skill set was his kind & caring nature.
He made everyone there feel important. He knew how to handle all different personalities. Got along with everyone.
He also cared about the on-air product. He was the best on the board because he listened and paid attention to the show. Eddie understood what’s funny, and has incredible timing because he listened and knew what clicked.
It sounds simple but 95% of producers and board ops I’ve worked with, including myself, don’t listen or pay attention to the show. That part people can do if they want. The other stuff is what made Eddie Scozzare special & impossible to replace.”
Shaun Morash (WFAN Producer ‘Evan & Tiki’) – “Nobody cares about your sports opinions at a station until you’ve established yourself with your work ethic.
No truer words stuck with me and helped me grind for a couple years. Thanks to Eddie.”
Zach Gelb (Former CBS Sports Radio Host/WFAN Fill In Host) – “Treat people the right way. This business can be stressful and filled with egos, and sometimes it can create an awkward work environment.
Eddie was a friend to all, with a calm presence, and truly looked out for everyone.”
Brandon Tierney (Former WFAN Host) – “An absolute master at his craft with impeccable timing and instincts.
Over the years, producing has changed so much. Eddie was never reluctant to chime in and add to a bit, but he wasn’t chasing a microphone. That is not necessarily the case today, perhaps as much as it used to be.
So many young people in the business get their first true break behind the scenes. That constant juggle of trying to do a good job while also climbing a station’s depth chart is tricky. I get that dynamic, but it’s a tough balance.
Eddie truly understood the art of his role. A great producer can make a decent talent sound good. A good talent sound great, and a great talent sound all-time. He never crossed wires, and it’s a testament to his focus and true grasp of the business. Legend!!”
Ryan Hurley (WFAN Program Director) – “Dependability. Eddie is always there and always brings it. That show is amazing, and he’s been a huge part of it for many years in that room. You know that control room with him and Al [Dukes], and you feel great knowing you have one of the best in the business there.
The care he puts into the shows he affects. He helps some of the younger people who come on staff because he makes time for them. Me included. He’s someone who, from day one, was helpful with anything and made me feel at home.
You want a producer to be creative. He did an incredible job adding to the creative side of every program he ever worked on.”
Chris Carlin (Former WFAN Host) – “Patience and kindness. Eddie is an incredible teacher because he leads with both. I learned so much from him — editing, board operation, producing — largely because of the patience he showed while bringing along younger people. He treats everyone with the same warmth, understanding, and respect, and that’s why so many people speak about him with such admiration. Eddie genuinely cares about people, and that comes through in everything he does.”
Evan Roberts (WFAN Midday Host) – “Do your job incredibly well without complaint. That’s what defined Eddie Scozzare.”
Pat Boyle (Westwood One Sports / WFAN Fill-In Host) – “Listen to what made Eddie so successful/famous (incorporating audio drops into the show). You should be trying to add that into your skill set.
Listen to what makes the show great, pick your spots, and don’t be afraid to toe the line.
Eddie was daring, but he was a genius. He knew how to get a reaction from the hosts he worked with while understanding that timing was everything. It’s an art.”
Spike Eskin (Former WFAN Program Director) – “People always talk about what a good guy Eddie is, which is true. But being nice doesn’t let you keep your job for nearly four decades.
Eddie’s greatest skill was understanding that his job was to make everyone else look good. That is a hard job. It requires an understanding of what makes each person around you great and how to make that happen more often.
I think his kindness probably made those around him more receptive. Ultimately, though, it was his ability to thrive in his specific role that made him great at what he did.”
Craig Carton (WFAN Host) – “Eddie was the best listener we ever had, he never missed a thing and that ability made him an important part of our success. Specifically in his ability to hear something and immediately know that it would be a great soundbite at some random time in the future.
He was so much more than just a board-op or producer. He had never played a single sound effect or drop before he became the Boomer and Carton board op in 2008. As our show grew more and more in popularity and he understood the ethos of what we did I asked WFAN to give us instant replay machines so that we could incorporate sound effects and drops etc to add to what we did content wise. Eddie quickly started to build his own library of sound effects and drops and became not just an expert at it but a third voice on the show many days.
What’s amazing to me is the level of mutual trust we had. I never discussed what he should and shouldn’t play and he never told me what sound bites he had. I simply trusted his instinct to do it. He wound up adding an on air dynamic that became like a 3rd voice to whatever we were discussing. All these years later that 3rd voice became like a soundtrack to everything we did and it helped keep us accountable for everything we did and said.
Eddie was the board op of the show in title only, in truth he was as responsible for the sound and success of the show as any of us and that continued long after I left mornings right up until last week when he retired.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
