Howie Chizek

On June 16, 2012, Chizek suffered a heart attack in Orlando International Airport. He was found unresponsive on a terminal bench. After being transported to Florida Hospital East, he died at 7:40 p.m. from atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, according to the local Medical Examiner's Office. He was en route to the Walt Disney World Resort, taking ten children from the Cleveland Heights area on a summer trip as part of his annual New Adventures charity.

Chizek was a former public address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association at the Richfield Coliseum where he served throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s. According to the official NBA website, Chizek was given credit as having provided memorable NBA quotes including: "Larry Bird just throws the ball in the air and God moves the basket underneath it.” "Mark Price for tha-ree.” and "Danny Ferry for threeeeeeeeeee."

Chizek was also the former public address announcer for the Cleveland Force (Cleveland Crunch) of the Major Indoor Soccer League where he served throughout much of the 1980s.

Chizek got his start in radio at Youngstown State University in 1964. Then, after a five-year stint at Youngstown's WBBW, Howie Chizek started hosting a talk radio show in the Akron, Ohio, market on WNIR FM-100.1. He began broadcasting with WNIR, then WKNT, on June 3, 1974, and remained there until his death in 2012. Chizek had the longest-running, no-guest talk radio show in America. Throughout that time, the show had included a listenership of over 300,000. It ran six days a week, from Monday through Saturday. His talk show aired 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.[1] Chizek's success is credited with allowing WNIR to be the first FM station in America to go all-talk in 1979. Listeners heard The Howie Chizek Show for 38 years on-the-air from Cleveland to Canton and, in more recent years, around the world via online streaming.[2]

Throughout the 1970s, Chizek served as the public address announcer for two pro-hockey clubs, the Cleveland Barons and Cleveland Crusaders, and for the Cleveland Nets of World TeamTennis. He served as the announcer for Benedictine High School home football games at Cleveland Heights High School throughout the 1980s, as well.[3]

In high school, Chizek's powerful voice contributed to the Heights High Choir.[5] After graduation from Cleveland Heights High School in 1965, Chizek received a bachelor's degree in communications from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.[6] Chizek was later inducted into the Cleveland Heights High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.[7]

In 1964, Chizek started a band called The Runaways for which he sang lead and played the guitar. They played the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio area and, in 1965, they recorded a single "I'm a Runaway"/"It Can't Be Long." Chizek wrote both numbers, and "I'm a Runaway" became a hit in Northeast Ohio. The band broke up when Chizek went to college.

Howard Alan "Howie" Chizek (June 9, 1947 – June 16, 2012) was an American radio personality, former public address announcer, and philanthropist.

Chizek was born in University Heights, Ohio, on June 9, 1947, to Joseph and Sylvia Chizek. He had one brother, Lawrence Chizek. In his younger days, Chizek was a child actor, performing at venues such as Cain Park in Cleveland Heights and the Cleveland Play House.[4]