Paul Rotella is president/CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association. This was adapted from a release from the NJBA.
Long before there was a Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity there were broadcasters like our friend Pinky Kravitz, who kept the talk radio format alive and well and indeed vibrant for five decades, thus paving the way for the great talk radio resurgence we witness today. Legendary broadcasters like Pinky led the way in providing radio audiences with a rich and compelling listening experience. In the best tradition of broadcast — live and local — Pinky had an engaging warmth with his audience that transcended the airwaves, which he did almost every day for over half a century.
It’s because of this dedication and talent that the New Jersey Broadcasters Association established our Lifetime Achievement Award, with Pinky being its first recipient. The next year we made Pinky our inaugural inductee into the newly created New Jersey Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, which was also inspired by legendary New Jersey broadcasters like Pinky. We were and remain proud of Pinky’s accomplishments and his service to the audiences he served in the Atlantic City region, and we owe him a debt of gratitude.
It’s going to be hard to believe that Pinky is gone from the broadcast scene. In fact, he was to be honored at the Metropolitan Business & Citizens Association Gala next Tuesday (Nov. 10), having just retired from Longport Media’s WOND 1400 AM after being one of the longest running radio hosts in America … We shall miss him a lot.
