Howard Remembers His Former WCCC Boss Sy Dresner
Sy gave Howard one of his first big on-air breaks at the hard rock radio station in Hartford
January 7, 2019
Saul “Sy” Dresner, former owner and operator of WCCC AM/FM, the hard rock radio station in Hartford where Howard got one of his first on-air jobs, passed away recently at the age of 89.
Dresner got his start in upstate New York building several radio stations with his brother Al before purchasing WCCC in Hartford in the late 1960s. He hired Howard to be an on-air talent at WCCC about a decade later. That’s where Howard first encountered his longtime colleague Fred Norris – a meeting which was later immortalized in his 1997 film “Private Parts.”
Sy eventually sold the station in the late 1990s and retired to Boca Raton, Fla., according to reports. He is survived by two sons, a sister, and four grandchildren, among others.
Howard and Fred discussed Sy’s passing and their days at WCCC on Monday’s Stern Show. “I loved Sy because he gave me a job and he ran this radio station that a lot of us who were semi-beginners could get jobs and work there,” Howard said.
“And it was a cool station,” he added. “We played rock and roll.”
Our deepest condolences go out to Sy’s loved ones.
