R.I.P.: Baltimore R/TV Personality Jim English

Jim English 1969

Veteran Baltimoreradio and television broadcaster, and broadcasting teacher Jim English died Sunday.

He was 79, according to a posting on the WBAL website.

English had worked as a disc jockey, news reporter, announcer and weatherman on radio and television, in a career that spanned from the 1950's through the 80's.

The Shamokin, Pennsylvanianative started his career in Harrisburg, where he worked for ten years, first as a jazz disc jockey, then as a news reporter finally serving as the "Atlantic Weatherman" on WHP-TV, the CBS affiliate in Harrisburg.

While in Harrisburg, he also hosted "The Bear's Den," a radio postgame show for the Hershey Bears hockey team.

English came to Baltimorein 1966, to take a job as a weatherman at WBAL-TV. He held that job for three years, then he became a staff announcer at the station, reading live station ID's, commercials and news bulletins during the broadcast day.

After the station eliminated the live announcer positions in 1973, English worked at a number of radio stations in Baltimore and briefly served as the weekend weatherman at WJZ-TV.

He later hosted Maryland Public Television's Aviation Weather.

From 1980 until 1995, English taught broadcasting at Towson University, where he was also station manager of the university's radio station.