BOB COHEN

WKXR Exeter l966
WKBR Manchester l967-69
WWNH Rochester l969
WFEA Manchester l969-72
WBBX Portsmouth l972-73
WOTW Nashua 1978-85

Robert L. Cohen, the man of many names, was born in Exeter January 2, l947. He graduated from Boston University 1970 with a degree in Broadcasting/Film.

Upon passing the 3rd class Radiotelephone license exam, Bob was hired by Ronn Allard to be the summer fill-in announcer at the brand-new WKXR after another announcer who'd been hired failed the exam.

The following summer, Bob got his Radiotelephone First Class license and was hired as the nighttime transmitter engineer at WKBR Manchester. He filled in as a news reporter/anchor (using the name Bob McCord) and occasional DJ. In January l969, he was drafted into the army and left WKBR, but subsequently failed the physical and could not serve.

He went to work at WWNH in Rochester as a transmitter engineer. Several months later, he was let go in a budget cutback and went to work at WFEA in Manchester as a utility announcer (R.W. Churchill), where he remained until l970.

Bob spent most of 1970 doing news in Hartford at WDRC AM-FM (Lee Roberts), a role he reprised during the summer of 1972. In between Bob used the same name as a newsman at WRKO Boston.

In 1972 Bob found himself back in the Seacoast at WBBX in Portsmouth, serving as afternoon dj and assistant Program Director.

The following year, he joined the Knight Stations as Program Director at WEIM in Fitchburg, Mass. In l975 he moved to WEEI AM-FM in Boston (Bob Mitchell) as news anchor and Public Affairs host.

From 1975-76 Providence listeners recognized him as Brother Bob at WPRO FM.

In l978, upon hearing that WOTW in Nashua had lost its license and was going dark, Bob and business partner Mike Siegel petitioned the FCC for interim authority to operate the AM-FM facility which was granted in July l978. He and Siegel operated the stations until the land and building lease was terminated on June 30, l985, and the stations finally went dark.

In 1987-88 he could be heard in Portland on WWGT AM-FM (Bobby Wright). He went back to work in Boston as utility announcer at WHDH/WZOU until March l988 when he made the move to WPGC AM-FM in Washington DC as news director.

Four years later, following a format change to Urban, Bob found himself at Voice of America in a technical operations capacity, and remains there today as a producer for Special English Broadcast Production. (e-mail)