Bob Conners

Conners was born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania on December 12, 1933, to Robert Charles and Zona (née Foster) Conners. He graduated from St. Marys Central Catholic High School in St. Marys, Pennsylvania in 1952.

Conners began his broadcasting work while in high school at WKBI in St. Marys and continued at WJET in Erie, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958, then resumed broadcasting roles at KSON and KDEO in San Diego, California, and WEEP in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his career at WTVN in 1964 after moving to Columbus from Pittsburgh. After a three-year interlude as the afternoon presenter at WBNS-AM in Columbus from 1973 to 1976,{{cite web|last1=Johnston|first1=Chris|title=Gone With The Wind|url=http://johnstonteam.blogspot.com/2011/12/gone-with-wind.html|website=johnstonteam.blogspot.com|accessdate=November 25, 2014|date=December 5, 2011}} he returned to WTVN where he was named morning show host in 1978.

Prior to Conners' 2011 retirement, Bob Conners in the Morning aired weekday mornings from 5:35 a.m. to 9 a.m. His show had been a mainstay of Columbus radio since 1979. The show interspersed news, weather, and traffic reports between segments discussing issues of varied interest, as well as interviews with authors and local personalities.

On BC's Saturday Morning Open Phones, callers could speak about any topic, whether a simple announcement of a charity event or a minutes-long political rant. There were several regular callers who bantered with Conners over politics or the latest Ohio State University football game. BC's Saturday Morning Open Phones aired Saturdays on WTVN from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

During the last several years of his WTVN career, Conners performed his show during the winter months remotely from a studio installed in his second home in Marco Island, Florida.

According to his obituary, Conners had a lifelong interest in aviation and was an instrument-rated pilot. He earned his bachelor's degree in Aviation and Communications from Ohio State University in 1986. He was a member of the Commemorative Air Force and served as announcer for many air shows at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus.[http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=robert-foster-charles-conners&pid=173270671 Bob Conners' obituary in the Columbus Dispatch], November 25, 2014

On October 24, 2011, Conners announced that he would be retiring and his last official day on-air would be November 30, 2011.{{cite web|title=BC to Hang Up Headphones|url=http://www.610wtvn.com/articles/wtvn-local-news-268656/bc-to-hang-up-headphones-9292707/|website=610wtvn.com|publisher=WTVN|accessdate=November 25, 2014|date=October 24, 2011}}{{cite news|last1=Gordon|first1=Ken|title=Longtime radio host set to retire|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2011/10/25/longtime-radio-host-set-to-retire.html|accessdate=November 24, 2014|work=Columbus Dispatch|date=October 25, 2011}}

His retirement was marked by a statement on the floor of the US Congress by Representative Pat Tiberi of Ohio's 12th Congressional District.{{cite web|last1=Tiberi|first1=Pat|title=In Honor Of Bob Conners Upon His Retirement From 610-WTVN|url=http://capitolwords.org/date/2011/12/12/E2226_in-honor-of-bob-conners-upon-his-retirement-from-6/|website=capitolwords.org/|accessdate=November 24, 2014|date=December 12, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129112150/http://capitolwords.org/date/2011/12/12/E2226_in-honor-of-bob-conners-upon-his-retirement-from-6/|archivedate=November 29, 2014}} At the time he indicated he planned to continue to live with his family in the Eastmoor neighborhood of Columbus most of the year.{{cite news|last1=Eichenberger|first1=Bill|title=Eastmoor will remain home for local radio icon Conners|url=http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/bexley/news/2011/11/15/eastmoor-will-remain-home-for-local-radio-icon-conners.html|accessdate=November 24, 2014|work=Bexley News|publisher=ThisWeek Newspapers|date=November 7, 2011}}

On November 24, 2014, the station announced Conners' death of mantle cell lymphoma at his winter home in Marco Island the previous day at the age of 80.{{cite news|title=WTVN Radio Legend Bob Conners Dies|url=http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/11/24/columbus-bob-conners-obit.html|accessdate=November 24, 2014|work=WBNS-TV|date=November 24, 2014|archive-date=May 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520231507/http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/11/24/columbus-bob-conners-obit.html|url-status=dead}} He was survived by his wife of 37 years, Linda, and four children, 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.{{cite news|title=Bob Conners 1933-2014: Radio host was morning icon for generations of central Ohioans|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2014/11/24/bob-conners-obituary.html|accessdate=November 24, 2014|work=Columbus Dispatch|date=November 24, 2014}}

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• {{cite web|title=Bob Conners on WTVN|url=http://www.610wtvn.com/pages/pp_bobconners.html|website=610wtvn.com|publisher=WTVN|accessdate=November 24, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721075644/http://www.610wtvn.com/pages/pp_bobconners.html|archivedate=July 21, 2011}}
• [http://vimeo.com/32803908 2011 Tribute to Bob Conners] from Ondo Media on Vimeo

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Category:1933 births

Category:2014 deaths

Category:American radio personalities

Category:Ohio State University School of Communication alumni

Category:People from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

Category:Mass media people from Columbus, Ohio

Category:Deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Category:Deaths from lymphoma in Florida

Category:People from Marco Island, Florida