Mid -Day Host WQXR

by Tom Dwyer

When Annie Begrowicz’s career as a radio host and announcer took off more than 20 years ago, she decided to change her hard to pronounce last name to something more radio-friendly. After a few failed combinations, she found a name with a nice ring to it: Annie Bergen, after Bergen Avenue, the street where she lived as a child in Jersey City.  Today, Annie Bergen still lives in Jersey City and she’s now the mid-day host on the most listened to classical radio station in New York City, WQXR, owned by the New York Times.  Every weekday from 10 am to 3 pm, Bergen is the host of “The Mid-Day Show” where she treats her listeners to a cornucopia of classical music. She also hosts the Saturday morning show, “People in the Arts”, where she interviews artists from every corner of the art world.

Before joining WQXR in 2004, Ms. Bergen was the Chief Arts and Entertainment Reporter for Bloomberg Radio, WBBR.   She has also worked at Bloomberg Television, as well as a number of other radio stations including WBGO–the great jazz station located in Newark — where she hosted her own show called “Annie in the Afternoon.”    Bergen has won many prestigious awards for her reporting, including a “Gracie” from American Women in Radio and Television and two awards from the New York State Broadcasters Association.

 

Tom Dwyer
 How long have you lived in Jersey City?  

Annie Bergen
 I lived on Bergen Avenue in my very young years — my grandfather owned an apartment building where all of his children and relatives lived.  My father was in the military so then we moved to Europe for a few years.  When I was ten years old we moved back to my grandfather’s house on Bergen Avenue.  My father had died and my mother decided going back to Jersey City was the right move.  We lived on Virginia Avenue for a while and then to Harrison Avenue.  I live in Jersey City now.
 
TD
You attended school in Jersey City – the Academy of St. Aloysius, better known as St. Al’s.   What kind of classes helped a budding radio star?   

AB
I went to St. Al’s and graduated in 1970. It’s no longer there.  It was a great school and I had terrific teachers.  I took Spanish and Latin for four years which turned out to be wonderful preparation for the field I’m in now. It helped me to pronounce different languages.   I actually created a book when I started in radio with the names of every classical composer and musician written out phonetically.  If I was playing a certain classical piece, and wasn’t sure how to pronounce a name, I’d look in my book and there it was. This was before the internet.

TD
 When did you fall in love with music on the radio?

AB
I had always wanted to be on the radio from a very young age.  I even think that my graduation picture at St. Al’s says “Our DJ” because I was the one who put the records on at parties and was always changing the station on our car radio.  When I lived in France as a very young child I would listen to the Armed Forces Radio, which was the only thing we could get in English. I just knew at a very young age that I wanted to be on the radio. And so now doing what I do at WQXR is a dream come true.

TD
What was your first paying job in the radio world?

AB
That was at WEVD in 1977 — the best known Yiddish radio station in the country (laughs).  I had just graduated from college and had no experience.  I sent a resume to WEVD which was in New York and they called me in and hired me that day to run the board.  This was really old time radio and I learned how to do everything from setting up microphones to running the sound board. Eventually I became a staff announcer where I would announce the upcoming show like, “Now stay tuned for the Greek Hour”, and “Now stay tuned for the Danny Stiles Show.” This was a wonderful experience and really got me started in radio.

TD
Your mid-day show at WQXR focuses on the great masters.  Are young people tuning in?  Are you getting young people listening to classical music on the radio?

AB
Unfortunately it’s not a growing trend.  Fewer young people are being introduced to classical music because of the lack of arts education in the schools.  But parents still want their children to take piano lessons, which is a great way to be introduced to the classics. So there is still hope.

TD
You have interviewed many of the greats of classical music like Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Placido Domingo and Van Cliburn.   Other favorites?
AB
Oh, there have been so many, it’s really hard to say.  I’ve been blessed on my shows to be able to book whomever I find interesting – be it a film maker, a novelist or a jazz player.  But there have been a few that really are great memories.  Tony Bennett is just a wonderful man with an incredible talent.  BB King is another great talent, and the actresses Helen Mirren and Bernadette Peters were articulate and fascinating…just to name a few. 

TD
Being a jazz lover myself, I’m totally knocked out that you worked for WBGO, the great jazz station in Newark.  When were you there?

AB
I was there from 1986 to 1989 with my own show called “Annie in the Afternoon.”  I played all types of jazz but I’m a big fan of Brazilian music. I still have a huge collection of Brazilian music with hundreds of albums and CD’s.  I look back fondly on those years.  Jazz, like classical music, must be protected and nurtured for generations to come,   which brings us back to the arts in the schools.  I believe it is absolutely essential to have these programs in the schools. It is so important for a well-rounded life.