Jim West, known for his time as a morning show host at Hearst’s News/Talk WBAL-AM 1090 in Baltimore, has died at the age of 95.
According to media reports, West, whose legal name is Jim Wetzel, passed away from heart failure.
As one-half of Jones & West, WBAL ruled the ratings, fending off challenges from Brian Wilson and Ron O’Brien at WBSB “B104” during its Top 40 era.
West was Bob Jones’ WBAL co-host from 1983 through 1990. Jones died in September 2020 at the age of 83.
Before his time in Baltimore radio, however, West was well-known for his sports play-by-play work in Chicago. In the 1970s, one could hear him call Chicago Blackhawks games and Chicago Cubs games between 1971 and 1976. In 1978, he moved to Landover, Md., and the Capital Center to call Washington Capitals games.
After retiring in 1995 and moving to a retirement community, West continued to engage with the community by writing for the resident newspaper. He was honored in 2007 with induction into the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.
— With reporting by Cameron Coats
