Mark Hebscher
Mark Hebscher | |
|---|---|
 Mark Hebscher | |
| Born | January 1, 1956 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | Conestoga College |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Sport(s) | Ice hockey, Canadian football |
Mark Hebscher (born January 1, 1956) is a Canadian television and radio personality, and author.
Hebscher has worked primarily in sports, and is best known for co-hosting Sportsline, an evening sports show on the Global Television Network and CHCH-DT. His other work has included hosting the flagship sports show Sportscentral on CTV Sportsnet in the 1990s, play-by-play for the Toronto Argonauts radio broadcasts on The Fan 590, host of Maple Leaf Hockey on the Global Television Network, anchor of Headline Sports, and host of Square Off, a current affairs show, with Donna Skelly on CHCH-DT. He has authored The Greatest Athlete (you've never heard of), a book about George Orton, a track-and-field athlete who was the first Canadian to medal at the Summer Olympics in 1900.
Biography
[edit]Hebscher was born on January 1, 1956, in Toronto, Ontario.[1]
Broadcasting career
[edit]Hebscher attended Conestoga College in the applied radio and TV arts program.[2] He began working at CJFM-FM in Montreal in 1980.[1] His radio career was known for a practical joke on April Fools' Day in 1980, wherein Hebscher announced that then-Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Larry Robinson had been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for star forward Marcel Dionne.[3]
Hebscher joined the Global Television Network in 1984 to co-host Sportsline, an evening sports show, alongside Jim Tatti.[4] Sportsline was known for presenting highlights with voice-over of the show's hosts, sometimes obtained minutes after events ended, which was then a novelty.[2] Hebscher presented a weekly series of bloopers and highlights from the previous week, that were humorously called the "Hebsy" awards.[5] Sportsline was nominated for two Gemini Awards as best sports show, and in 1989 Hebscher was nominated for best performance by a sports broadcaster.[1][6] Sportsline was revived for another 5-year run from 2010 to 2015 on CHCH-DT in Hamilton, Ontario with Hebscher co-hosting with Clint "Bubba" O'Neil.[7]
Hebscher next worked as a sports announcer and hosted Maple Leaf Hockey, a live broadcast of Toronto Maple Leaf hockey games on the Global Television Network.[8] Subsequent to this, he returned to radio, doing play-by-play for the Toronto Argonauts and served as sports director of Toronto radio stations Q107 and AM640.[5]
Subsequent work
[edit]Hebscher co-hosted a current affairs show called Square Off initially at CHCH-DT with future MPP Donna Skelly.[7] In 2015, CHCH-DT declared bankruptcy, and many on-air personalities, including Hebscher, were laid off.[7] Hebscher has subsequently hosted podcasts, most recently Hebsy on Sports with Mike Boon, which started in 2018.[1] Hebscher stopped the podcast in May 2023, officially retiring.
In 2019, Hebscher wrote a book titled The Greatest Athlete (you've never heard of) which chronicled George Orton, the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal.[9] Orton was paralyzed as a child after a fall from a tree, but went on to win a gold medal in the 2500-metre steeplechase at the 1900 Summer Games.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Mark Hebscher". Sportlight productions. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Shaw, Ted (February 23, 1989). "Hebscher's highlights score with sports fans". The Windsor Star. p. C11. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Province News Services (April 2, 1980). "April Fools joke stuns Montreal". The Vancouver Province. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Atherton, Tony (November 3, 1987). "Fans get kick out of earthy sports show". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b The Canadian Press (May 4, 1995). "Hebscher quits Global to do Argos play-by-play". The Ottawa Citizen. p. D5. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Bacchus, Lee (December 5, 1989). "Gemini host long on talent". The Vancouver Province. p. 40. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Watson, H.G. (2016). "The untimely end to my TV career". J-Source the Canadian Journalism Project. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ "Ryder Cup teams set; changes at CTV Sports". Alberni Valley Times. September 17, 1999. p. 19. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ CBC (2019). "The Greatest Athlete (You've Never Heard Of) by Mark Hebscher". cbc.ca. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
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