Cliff Baechle

Cliff Baechle

Cliff Baechle, a new octogenarian this year, graduated from John Carroll University and then served in the U.S. Army for two years. He then began his journalism career at The Cleveland Press.

In 1971, after attending the WIXY School, Cliff turned to broadcasting with time at small daytime stations in Lehighton, PA (WYNS) and Lakewood, NJ (WHLW).

Back in Ohio, he worked at WKNT in Kent and WCUE in Akron/Cuyahoga Falls. In addition, the formidable John Webster hired him for news on weekends and halftime news during Browns games on WHK.

Cliff was hired in 1985 at WERE as afternoon news anchor with host Bill Gordon and later Mike Olszewski, under news director Bob Tayek.

Back with Malrite from 1987 to 1994, Cliff began covering Cleveland City Council meetings, then anchoring the morning news block on WHK as Business Radio and vacation replacement news on WMMS.

Ed Koury hired him at WWWE in 1994 where he again reported on city council meetings before other reporting and anchoring duties. Cliff spent the next 17 years there as it became WTAM, before retiring in 2011. News directors during those years were Craig Edwards, R.C. Bauer and Darren Toms.

During that time, Cliff was also part of the Clear Channel hub operation, not only anchoring news in Cleveland but also for stations in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Akron and Youngstown.

During the period from 1978 to 2009, he was also the staff announcer for Channels 45 and 49, now PBS Western Reserve. Cliff also narrated the local Emmy award-winning production of AMA-ZONE: The Rain Forest.

Cliff has had a long and illustrious career. He now resides in Massachusetts and is enjoying his well-deserved retirement.