Dick Bertel, a trailblazing figure in Connecticut radio and beyond, has passed away at the age of 92. His family confirmed that he died on Monday in Maryland, surrounded by loved ones.
Bertel had a long and varied career in radio broadcasting that spanned several decades and multiple stations in the northeast and abroad. His journey began in the late 1940s at Fairfield County radio stations in the New York suburbs, during a time when the FCC had just lifted its wartime ban on issuing new licenses. This period also saw the rise of commercial television and the struggle of FM radio to find an audience.
Bertel’s first station was WNLK in Norwalk, where he began as an unpaid news writer and announcer while still in high school. He later moved to WNAB in Bridgeport, and during this period, he earned a degree in broadcasting from New York University. Bertel also worked for WGCH in Greenwich, where he hosted various shows and became the acting program director.
In 1954, he moved to WSTC in Stamford, and by 1955, eyeing a larger market, he transitioned to Hartford’s WGTH Radio. In 1956, he joined the prestigious WTIC Radio, owned by the Travelers Insurance Company. Bertel managed WKSS, a “beautiful music” station, from 1978 to 1984 before becoming the executive producer for Voice of America. He also worked as an anchor for Washington, D.C.’s all-news radio station WTOP, as well as for NBC Radio Network and Mutual Broadcasting System.
Throughout his career, Bertel took on multiple roles, from announcer and host to program director and executive producer, showcasing his versatility and commitment to the field of radio broadcasting.
I always admired Dick Bertel while he was at VOA. May God comfort the grieving family!
Mr. Bertel will be missed. His voice is still heard in Cambodia every single day. He opens the Voice of America, Khmer service program with “Welcome to the Voice of America, in Khmer”. I met him when I first started working for VOA Khmer in 1993. I later on worked with his son.
I had the pleasure of working with Dick at WKSS in Hartford as the news and “sports” guy. Dick was a consummate professional and gentleman, and I learned so much from him. He touched the lives of many and will be missed.