Ex-WRKO News anchor

[Deb Robi <robibrown@earthlink.net>]

In recent months, I have enjoyed reading the postings on this list. It's sad
news that prompts me to write my first posting.

A former colleague and friend, John Masters, a news anchor and reporter at
WRKO-AM for nearly 30 years, passed away today after a lengthy battle with
cancer. 

John was a dear and gentle man, who was a survivor in the radio business.
His work is probably best-known for the contributions he made during the
WRKO heyday, when he anchored "20/20 News" on the Big 68. For years, as the
talk-format took hold, John covered Boston city hall, the statehouse and
politics, which he loved. He enjoyed regaling us with stories about his
coverage of various city and state administrations, from Governors Sargeant,
King,  Dukakis and Weld, to Boston's Mayors, White and Flynn. He was on a
first-name basis with dozens of newsmakers.  

John "Masters" Burgomaster possessed a powerful set of vocal chords. Anyone
who listened to RKO in the 70's, 80's and early 90's knew that voice. He
said the station's call letters like nobody else. There was a time when our
station's PD decided John should do all of the recorded legal IDs, and he
did them superbly. I had the pleasure of helping to plan his retirement
party in 1994, when I was News Director at WRKO. It was not easy to say
goodbye to such a professional.  After 28 years on the air at RKO, he left
the business with grace and style. John's early career also included a stint
at WCAP in Lowell.  
With the news of his passing, I have talked with several former colleagues,
all of whom say they learned much from John Masters, a broadcaster's
broadcaster. 

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