Post by wtm97 on Apr 5, 2012 5:44:53 GMT -5
Chris Clark
Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame
Class of '08
Chris Clark – RI sportscaster whose career spanned four decades; the original “Voice of the Providence Friars,” credited with the first radio play-by-play broadcasts of PC basketball in 1959; WPRO-AM/TV, WJAR-AM/TV
From the late 1960's through the early 1980's, WJAR-TV also originated extensive coverage of Providence-area college basketball, carrying games of the University of Rhode Island and Providence College for most of that time.
Play-by-play (after 1970) was provided by Chris Clark, still the most popular (and considered the best) television sports reporter in the history of the Providence market. Since Providence College basketball radio broadcasts were on WJAR-AM, Clark did a TV/radio simulcast of those games also on channel 10, and radio for non-televised games. In addition, Clark also did TV-only broadcasts of URI.
Providence College men's basketball during the early 1970's had the very talented Dave Gavitt as head coach, players like Ernie DeGregorio, and would go on to the 1973 NCAA Final Four. The team moved into the newly- completed Providence Civic Center in 1972, and sold it out for every game---even though many of those home games were televised by WJAR. No Providence-area sports team, college or minor-league-pro, before or since, enjoyed the kind of popularity PC basketball did in the early- to-mid 1970's, and WJAR made a lot of money off the broadcasts.
Clark's sidekick on PC and URI hoop telecasts was Jack Comley, who when not providing analysis on WJAR's hoop broadcasts, hosted a daily phone-in talk show "TV Talk Back". Comely died some years later, much too soon, and is fondly remembered by those who worked with him.
jeff560.tripod.com/tv7.html
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Right here on our VIDEO Board you can hear why so many revered Chris Clark, the original "VOICE OF THE FRIARS"
CHRIS CLARK: PC vs Villanova - Feb. 04, 1970
www.friartownhoops.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=videos&action=display&thread=80
CHRIS CLARK: PC 94 vs, St. Johns 80 12-30-70
www.friartownhoops.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=videos&action=display&thread=78