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Wayne Norman inducted Into Connecticut Broadcasters Association Hall Of Fame
by Logan Banker, WILI
October 2018
WILI’s Wayne Norman was inducted into the Connecticut Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame on October 11, 2018. Norman, along with three others, was inducted at a ceremony in Rocky Hill to become just the 16th person to join the prestigious group. In 2020, he was named the Connecticut Sportscaster of the Year.
In Norman’s 53-year broadcasting career, he notes four signature moments that helped him get to where he is today.
After being admitted into the school of engineering at UConn, Norman discovered the school’s student radio station, WHUS, before his first class in his freshman year. Within the first month of classes, Norman was already on-air, and met Dave Evan, who was WHUS’s station manager. Evan later became station manager at WILI.
Two years after beginning at WHUS, Norman was offered his first commercial job with WADS in Ansonia, CT. However, then came what Norman referenced as the “dreaded format change,” as the station switched from a Top 40 rock & roll format to the slower “MOR” (middle of the road), which is now called Adult Contemporary, and he wasn’t thrilled about the change.
“I was young, I was 20 years old. I wanted to rock, I didn’t want to roll,” said Norman.
Norman spoke with his mother, who was a teacher in nearby Shelton, about his frustrations with the change in format, but she advised him to stick it out. Norman said it helped him in two ways. First “it slowed me down–I talked way too fast back then. You can’t back-announce Englebert Humperdinck at a mile a minute.” Second, he filled in on a lot of morning shows, which would become an immense help when he came to WILI.
In 1970, Norman received a call from Evan, who offered him the afternoon show at WILI. He started on August 24, 1970. Then, 14 months later, Norman was “temporarily” moved to mornings. He now has the longest actively continuously running morning show in Connecticut, spanning 47 years and counting.
In 1979, Berry Berman, the president of the Connecticut Radio Network, asked Norman to fill in to broadcast two UConn football games. Following those games, Norman was offered the full-time color analyst role for both UConn football and men’s basketball. Norman had done color for WILI’s coverage of local high school games, and did play-by-play for Eastern Connecticut State University baseball, including four NCAA championships, but wasn’t confident enough in his abilities to take the role for a statewide network. After some convincing by Berman, Norman agreed to take the position, and has now called UConn games for 39 years, airing a total of over 1600 games and four national championships. His first full time partner was the legendary Marty Glickman (1981-1986).
After the long journey, Norman still calls his relationship with radio “a labor of love.” At 70 years old, he says he has no plans to retire from the industry. “There’s no ‘R word’ in my vocabulary,” he jokes.
“I think radio will always remain viable as long as it remains point-to-point communication,” Norman says. “When I’m talking on the radio, I don’t think of myself as talking to a lot of people. I think of myself as talking to one person.”
When Norman first learned he was going to be given the Hall of Fame honor, he says he was stunned, so he joked that he researched himself to see what he did to be recognized in such a fashion. Not only has he run the longest active morning radio show, but he is also the Grand Marshal of the world’s largest radio parade, WILI’s July 4th Boom Box Parade.
At the induction ceremony, Norman had the opportunity to meet with multiple radio friends that he hadn’t seen in years, and was given the chance to meet some important names in the industry for the first time.
One of the most memorable moments of the night for Norman was meeting Dick Robinson. Robinson, who founded the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, is one of the WDRC radio voices Norman emulated, and was an icon for him.
Acknowledging the inaugural class of 12 inductees, Norman said he congratulated them and noted that two of them preceded him as the color commentator for UConn football and basketball.
One was Gerry Brooks, who called UConn basketball before moving to television for NBC Connecticut, and the other was Arnold Dean at WTIC. Norman talked about the relationship he had with Dean. “He was not only a great person and a great friend, but he was also a great supporter for me at the network,” Norman said.
During his induction speech, Norman vowed to make sure radio stays successful.
“I pledge that I will continue to do everything in my power to keep the AM radio band alive and viable in the 21st century,” Norman told the audience.
On reflection, Norman cherishes the three other Halls of Fame of he is a member, but being inducted in the CBA Hall of Fame is his greatest accomplishment.
“I have to admit, as cool as they all are, to be honored by your peers in a statewide organization, and to be in a group of only 16, it kind of blows my doors off,” said Norman.
As he moves forward, Norman only has one last goal he would like to accomplish.
“My next goal is to do the best radio show possible tomorrow,” Norman said.
