Sportscaster, Top 40 Radio DJ, and Record Promoter, George Michael Dead at 70

Michael's multi-faceted career landed him in the roles of record promoter, Top 40 radio DJ, local and national sports anchor

Washington sportscasting legend George Michael has died from cancer at age 70. According to his former employer, NBC4 News Washington, he had been battling the disease for the past two years.

Michael was NBC4's sports anchor from the early 1980's until 2007 when he left the station due to cutbacks. A station spokesperson said, "George Michael was our friend and colleague for more than 25 years. He was a dynamic force around our newsroom and in the entire Washington area."

In addition to his gig with NBC4, George Michael also hosted the popular "George Michael Sports Machine" show where he discussed Redskins and other sports teams with former pro athletes and reporters. The show eventually went national in 1984.

In 1981, he chose radio host Donnie Simpson as his back-up anchor for the George Michael Sports Machine sports show on NBC's Washington television outlet, WRC-TV.

Before TV Michael was a radio host and music director of the pioneering sound of Top 40 radio at “Famous 56” WFIL in Philadelphia and moved on to "Musicradio 77 WABC" New York in 1974.

Listen Here to an aircheck Dec. 19, 1974 at WABC New York

Courtesy of musicradio77.com

He won several national Billboard radio personality of the year awards. Michael had done record promotion for Motown and Scepter and DJ'd in Milwaukee (WRIT) and Denver (KBTR) before he came to WFIL in 1966. He remained in New York radio until 1980 when he moved to D.C. to become the sports anchor at Channel 4 WRC.