5-1-14
Curtis Hansen died Wednesday of complications from COPD and emphysema. Before retiring, Hansen was Regional VP/Operations and Programming for Cumulus Media and former OM/PD of WEBE/WICC Bridgeport. Current WEBE and WICC Operations Manager Danny Lyons said, "No words can express our sorrow at the loss of our good friend and friend to many, Curt Hansen. His friendship and radio wisdom will be missed immensely."
In 1983, partnering with founding GM Vince Cremona, Hansen conceived and relaunched the former WDJF Westport, CT (107.9 FM) as Adult Contemporary formatted ?WEBE108,? targeting the Bridgeport, New Haven, and Fairfield County, CT areas. He added responsibility for heritage full-service News/Talk WICC (600 AM) when the AM station was added in 1989. In 2002, Cumulus Media purchased WEBE/WICC and stations in White Plains and Poughkeepsie, NY, and Danbury, CT, tapping Curt to oversee all 12 area stations as Regional VP of Operations and Programming, retaining direct programming responsibility for WEBE and WICC. Curt became ?Operations Manager Emeritus? of WEBE and WICC upon his retirement due to declining health in December, 2012. Prior to his 29 years with WEBE/WICC, Curt served as OM/PD of WKCI ?KC101? and WAVZ New Haven, CT, and held music director and on-air positions at WSAR (AM) Fall River, MA, WEIM (AM) Fitchburg, MA, and WCFR AM/FM Springfield, VT.
