[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS FOR FRED FISKE ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 60TH 
     ANNIVERSARY ON THE WASHINGTON AIRWAVES--30 YEARS ON WAMU 88.5

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                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 5, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, as the Representative of the 8th 
District of Maryland, I am delighted to have as one of my constituents 
Fred Fiske, the senior commentator for WAMU 88.5. On September 27, 
2007, Fred Fiske will celebrate 60 years on Washington radio--30 of 
those years at public radio station WAMU. It is my great pleasure to 
congratulate Fred on the occasion of his anniversary and on his long 
and very distinguished career on the Washington airwaves.
  A New York City native, Fred Fiske got his start in radio as a child 
actor in the 1930s. While in high school, he performed in radio plays 
for The Magic of Speech on NBC, and in such dramas as ``The Farmer 
Takes a Wife'' with William Holden and ``Green Goddesses'' with Ronald 
Coleman. During the summer season, he worked the ``Borscht Belt'' in 
the Catskills with up-and-coming actors Danny Kaye and Betty Garrett.
  After graduating from Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in 
speech and drama, Fred put his radio career on hold and enlisted in the 
U.S. Army Air Corps. During World War II, he served as an aerial gunner 
and a radio operator in the 8th Air Force. Fiske flew 30 missions over 
France and Germany as part of a B-24 crew, and brought home a 
Distinguished Flying Cross and 4 Air Medals. His squadron leader was 
Colonel Jimmy Stewart.
  After the war, Fred was discharged on September 20, 1945, and 
returned to New York, where he taught high school and earned a master's 
degree in speech and education at Columbia University. After teaching 
high school speech and drama for a year, he resumed his radio career as 
a free-lance actor on soap operas, plays, and nighttime shows. In 1947, 
he moved to Washington, DC and on September 27, 1947, he landed a job 
with WOL radio, then part of the Mutual Broadcasting System. The 
station later became WWDC.
  Fred provided live coverage of the presidential inaugurations of 
Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, and he also covered political 
conventions, state funerals, elections and other historic events. 
During the 1950s, he hosted a midday radio music program featuring the 
pop music of the day--he became Washington's highest rated radio music 
host. And, in the 1960s, he hosted a morning show on WWDC and wrote a 
weekly music column for Washington's Daily News called ``Fiske's 
Discs.''

  In 1970, Fred became host of Empathy, a call-in talk show on WWDC, 
which later became The Fred Fiske Show. For 7 years, it was the only 
talk radio program in Washington. When WWDC changed formats in 1977, 
Fiske brought his program to the public radio audience at WAMU, where 
he kept lively and interesting conversation going for the next 10 
years. In 1987, he retired from the rigors of hosting 5 nights a week 
and moved the show to Saturday mornings, where it became Fred Fiske 
Saturday. Since 1995, Fiske has served as WAMU's senior commentator, 
and he can still be heard every week on Metro Connection.
  On a personal note, I want to thank Fred Fiske for his thoughtful and 
trenchant political analysis and commentary. His refreshing insights 
always challenge our community and our country to constantly improve 
and be the best we can be.
  On behalf of the residents of my District, I extend my 
congratulations to Fred and send him my best wishes as he continues his 
outstanding career in radio.




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