WABC’s McGuirk Passes From Prostate Cancer
• Bernard “Bernie” McGuirk, billed as the “brains and muscle” of the team of Bernie & Sid in the Morning with Sid Rosenberg on Red Apple’s 77 WABC/New York, passed away Wednesday evening, Oct. 5, after a battle with prostate cancer, just a few weeks shy of his 65th birthday.
John Catsimatidis, who bought WABC in 2020 and made it the cornerstone of his Red Apple Media, commented, “We are all devastated by the loss of Bernie. He was a true New Yorker whose talent and intelligence propelled him to the top of New York morning radio. He had incredible insights on local, national, and world news that his listeners respected. He will be missed by everyone at WABC and his fans around the world.”
In a Wednesday night staff email, Chad Lopez, President of Red Apple Media and WABC, wrote, “Bernie was not just half of Bernie and Sid in the Morning; Bernie was part of the fabric of WABC. Listeners from all around the world started their days with Bernie’s charismatic wit and insight, from tragic events to American’s day-to-day life. His absence will leave a hole not just at WABC but across the airwaves and in America’s hearts. Bernie was our brother, our friend, our mentor, our colleague. We will all miss Bernie more than words can express.”
Sid Rosenberg said, “Bernie was my partner and my friend. He was always the smartest guy in the room, and I was fortunate to be the guy next to him. I know our listeners join me in grieving the loss to radio and to New York.”
Born in the Bronx in 1957, McGuirk spent the early part of his career working various jobs within NBC in promotions and also at the network and local news divisions. McGuirk was originally a member of the Imus In the Morning staff since its latter days at WNBC, moving with Imus to WFAN in 1988, and was part of the show’s national syndication rollout in 1993. In 2007 McGuirk was named Executive Producer of Imus In The Morning when the show moved to WABC. In 2016, McGuirk teamed up with Rosenberg to co-host WABC’s Bernie & Sid in the 10am-noon slot, before the two moved up to morning drive two years later.
McGuirk is survived by his wife Carol, and their two children, Melanie and Brendan. Services have not yet been announced.
• WABC held a moment of silence on Thursday during the morning show, and the station will air a special tribute to McGuirk, including memories and thoughts from the WABC staff, on Tuesday, October 11.
