The longest-tenured play-by-play radio broadcaster in the NFL, Merrill Reese, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Common Wealth Award for his contributions to mass communications and his impact on sports broadcasting.
Reese, 83, will be entering his 50th season as the play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Eagles in the fall, and you can hear him on Audacy Eagles’ flagship station 94.1 WIP(FM). The company recognized him in a release.
“Merrill Reese is a Philadelphia institution and one of the greatest play-by-play broadcasters in NFL history,” said David Yadgaroff, Audacy’s Philadelphia market senior VP of sales.
In 2024, Reese received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Reese’s radio roots date back to his time as a student at Philadelphia’s Temple University, where he worked at WRTI(FM), broadcasting football and basketball, and also hosted a music show. His first radio gig, fresh out of the Navy, came via WPAZ(AM) in Pottstown.
He was also a co-owner of WBCB(AM) in Levittown as one half of Progressive Broadcasting Company, before it donated the station to a new owner last year.
The Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service honors individuals from around the world across a wide range of fields, with approximately 180 honorees since it was established in 1979.
Fellow honorees at the April 25 Common Wealth Award ceremony at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Del., included astronaut Michael Massimino and actress Jane Seymour.
[Do you receive the Radio World SmartBrief newsletter each weekday morning? We invite you to sign up here.]
