Ira Apple, a broadcaster for well over 50 years, died Tuesday at a hospice facility in Reisterstown, MD. Apple had suffered a series of aneurisms on the 4th of July and had lapsed into a coma shortly thereafter, never regaining consciousness before his death. He was 74.
Apple began his career at a small radio station in Kittanning, PA, where he would sign the station on each morning, then attend high school, followed by a late afternoon shift to sign off the daytimer. He went on to become one of the early pioneers of Talk radio and a programmer, with a collection of call letters including KDKA-AM and KQV-AM Pittsburgh, WBZ-AM Boston, WBAL-AM Baltimore and others.
He served as an Adjunct Professor for Emerson College in Boston. Apple was honored by President Dwight Eisenhower and received the prestigious Freedom Foundation Award in ceremonies at the White House
In the mid to late 1980s, he became a Regional Sales Manager for CBSI (Custom Business Systems, Inc.), covering the major portions or the Eastern United States and Canada until CBSI was acquired by Wicks.
Most recently Apple had served as liaison of the Traffic Directors Guild of America (TDGA) with executives of the State Broadcaster Associations across the US.
RBR/TVBR Publisher note: Ira was a very dear friend dating back to our workings days in Pittsburgh, PA and at KQV. We maintained our friendship over 35+ years and the one thing that always stands out with Ira was his dry humor. He could give the one liner that made you think and then bust your gut laughing. On his professional side one of the ultimate pros in all aspects of the radio medium. I shall miss my friend. And last, when the Steelers hit the field and I wave my Terrible Towel – I’ll think of Ira…
