Richard Neer

Last updated
Richard Neer
Born
Richard Michael Neer

(1949-04-20) April 20, 1949 (age 76)
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Alma mater Adelphi University
OccupationsRadio sports talk-show host,
disc jockey, author
Years active1971–present
Spouse(s)Cynthia Neer
(m. 1973; div. 1981)
Vicki Neer
(m. 1999)

Richard Michael Neer (born April 20, 1949) is an American disc jockey and sports radio personality who has been involved in, and has chronicled, key changes in both music and sports radio.

Contents

Early life and career

Born April 20, 1949 in Syracuse, New York, [1] [2] Neer is the eldest of four children born to and Frances Gloria (née Lapenta) and Francis Orville Neer. [3] [4] [5] [6] He attended St. Luke's High School in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, graduating in 1966, [7] then began his radio career as a student at Adelphi University (class of 1970). [1] [8] He worked at Long Island, New York's WLIR, where he was one of the early adopters of the freeform or progressive rock radio format. [9]

In 1971, Neer joined the airstaff of progressive rock radio powerhouse WNEW-FM in New York City, where he worked as a disc jockey, doing mornings for eight years over three different eras. He was also program director for five years. For a while, Neer had a friendly relationship with Bruce Springsteen, who would call in to his late-night show, [10] and played a part in bringing Springsteen's music to a wider audience. [11] He witnessed the growth of the format and then its gradual shift into a more rigid, programmed, classic rock-driven product, a transformation he described in his 2001 book FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio. [12]

Concurrently, Neer began working as a sports radio talk show host at New York station WNEW-AM in 1987 and then at WFAN in 1988. WFAN was the first and most visible of the successful all-sports format radio stations. Neer broadcast on the last day of music at WNEW-FM in 1999, then returned to that station for a bit after its switch to a "hot talk" format replacing the "Sports Guys" sports talk show hosting "Sports in the Morning—powered by the FAN" up until the time the station started stunting CHR before its flip to Blink.

Neer remains at WFAN doing sports talk, working Saturday mornings and some nights. His call-in show was where Mets fans registered disapproval of the team's decision to run ads targeted at Latinos. [13] He hosted New York Giants NFL broadcasts for several years.

Neer's unemotional style of speaking has prompted Bob Raissman, sports media reporter for the New York Daily News , to refer to Neer as "Sir Sominex," suggesting that his delivery is soporific. [14] [15]

In 2014, Neer published his first mystery novel, entitled Something of the Night. He published his second novel, The Master Builders, on May 17, 2016. He released The Last Resort in May 2017.

Personal life

Neer's brother Dan Neer is also a disc jockey. [16]

From at least 1974 to 1981, Neer was married to fellow Adelphi alumnus and stage actress Cynthia Neer. [17] [18] [19] [20] In April 1999, he married Victoria "Vicky" Pomerance. [3] [21] [22]

Selected books

References

  1. 1 2 Feldberg, Robert (November 1, 1981). "Neer's ears pass station's songs". The Hackensack Record. p. F9. Retrieved December 29, 2025. "Richard Neer doesn't look like a grizzled veteran of the radio business. With his reddish-blond hair and neat mustache, he barely looks his 32 years. But Neer, who lives in Mahwah, has been working in radio since his college days at Adelphi University and for the last 11 years has been with WNEW-FM. He's had a variety of jobs at the station, including a regular stint as a disc jockey. He still is on the air twice a week, but for the past two years, his prime responsibility has been as program coordinator for the album-oriented rock station."
  2. ↑ "Births: Sons". Syracuse Herald-Journal. April 24, 1949. p. 41. Retrieved December 29, 2025. "Mr. and Mrs. Frank O. Neer (Frances G. Lapenta), 301 Burnet av., April 20."
  3. 1 2 "Frank Neer Obituary". Newark Star-Ledger. June 26, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fances Lapenta Wed to S.U. Senior. Syracuse Herald-Journal. May 30, 1948. Retrieved December 29, 2025. p. . "Miss Frances Gloria Lapenta, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Lapenta, 312 Ash st., became the bride of Francis X. Neer, Binghamton, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Neer, New York, May 20 in St. Peter's Church. [...] The bride is a graduate of North High School and is employed by H. J. Heinz Co. The bridegroom is a senior in Syracuse University."
  5. ↑ "Marriage Licenses". The Post-Standard. May 16, 1948. p. 22. Retrieved December 29, 2025. "Marriage Licenses to the following at the office of the city clerk: Frank Orville Neer 308 Hawley ave. and Frances Gloria Lapenta, 312 Ash st."
  6. ↑ "United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XTT-SDRV  : Wed Oct 04 08:28:14 UTC 2023), Entry for Frank Neer and Francis Neer, 8 April 1950.
  7. ↑ "116 Graduated as St. Luke's High School". The Sunday Ridgewood News. June 19, 1966. p. 84. Retrieved December 29, 2025. "Also Richard Michael Neer, John William Niell, Richar Michael Ness-"
  8. ↑ Neer, Richard. (2001). Villard. FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio. Villard, 2001. ISBN   0-679-46295-3. "It was in that spirit in the spring of 1970 that Harrison hatched a scheme that he believed would mutually benefit Reiger and ourselves. [...] We would create the nation's first suburban progressive rock station."
  9. ↑ "Profiles in Success: Richard Neer '70". Adelphi University. April 20, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  10. ↑ Marc Dolan, Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll, New York: Norton, 2012, ISBN   9780393081350.
  11. ↑ Larry Getlen, "Band on the 'run'", New York Post , August 22, 2010.
  12. ↑ "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio, by Richard Neer", Kirkus Reviews , September 25, 2001.
  13. ↑ Adam Rubin, Pedro, Carlos, and Omar: The Story of a Season in the Big Apple and the Pursuit of Baseball's Top Latino stars, Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons, 2006, ISBN   9781592288755, 39.
  14. ↑ Bob Raissman, "SNY voices quick to chide deliberate Joba Chamberlain", New York Daily News , June 15, 2009.
  15. ↑ Bob Raissman, "The final 'NBA Countdown': Keep Sage Steele and dump Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose and Doug Collins", New York Daily News, June 14, 2014.
  16. ↑ Maksian, George (June 8, 1985). "Radio Roundup: The Professor of Rock". New York Daily News. p. 33. Retrieved January 1, 2026. "The WNEW-FM lineup includes: Richard Neer, Lisa Glasberg and Mark McEwen (6-10 a.m.); [...] Weekends are handled by Dennis Elsas, Pete Fornatale, Dan Neer (Richard's brother), Maxanne Sartori and Bob Kosak."
  17. ↑ Smith, Marge (November 14, 1974). "Lion in Winter 'flawless' play; some tickets are still available; Cyndi and Dick Neer". The Wyckoff News. p. 4. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Library names Mrs. Neer desk asst.; registration now for summer program". The Wyckoff News. June 12, 1975. p. 2. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  19. ↑ Guernesy, Otis L., ed. (1979). The Best Plays 1978-1979 . New York ; Toronto : Dodd, Mead & Company. p. 458. ISBN   0396077234. "THE MANDOLIN COCKTAIL. By Jokull Jacobsson. February 15, 1979. Director, Lad Brown; scenery, lighting, Harry Baum; costumes, Jon Teta. With Betsy Bell, George Dickerson, Jan Lowe, Cynthia Neer, Maja Niles, Maxine Taylor-Morris."
  20. ↑ Nelsen, Don (May 14, 1981). "Lust and Sin Told in Triplicate". New York Daily News. p. 71. Retrieved December 29, 2025. "Cynthia Neer and George Gerdes in "The Idol Makers' [...] Cynthia Neer successfully manages the transition between bride and worn-out mother—her mountain accent, by the way, sounds thoroughly genuine;"
  21. ↑ Brecher, Elinor J. (August 24, 2006). "Hope Pomerance, 77: Local actress, wife of legendary police chief". The Miami Herald. p. 48. Retrieved January 1, 2026. "Daughter Vicky Neer, a North Carolina television producer, said her mother was with her through much of her own recent struggle with cancer."
  22. ↑ "Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2008", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/6190  3/1:1:KN97-367 : Wed Mar 12 06:36:52 UTC 2025), Entry for Richard M Neer and Victoria E Pomerance.

Further reading

Official website

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.