Fred Toettcher

Fred (Toucher) Toettcher (born 1975) is a Marconi-winning[1] sports radio talk show host on WBZ-FM in Boston, co-hosting "Toucher and Rich" with Rich Shertenlieb.

Fred Toettcher AKA Fred Toucher
Born (1975-01-16) January 16, 1975
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Other namesFred Toucher
EducationRollins College
Occupationsports radio host

Biography

A native of Detroit, Toettcher graduated from Rollins College in 1997. After graduating, he landed a job at a small radio station in Cumming, Georgia. In 1999, he started hosting nights on 99X in Atlanta and eventually worked his way to the morning show. In 2006, after leaving his show in Atlanta[2] he and Rich Shertenlieb started The Toucher and Rich Show together on WBCN in Boston. In 2009, the show moved to 98.5 The Sports Hub. While initially thought to be moved to the station as a fill-in while the station tried to assemble a more sports-oriented program, The Toucher and Rich Show quickly rose to prominence and is considered to be one of the most popular radio shows in New England.[3] In the 2018 fall Nielsen Audio ratings for Boston, the show took first place in the morning drive category with a 10.5 share.[4]

Though not necessarily considered a shock jock, Toettcher has been involved in a few controversies. In May 2005, he prodded a caller to tell listeners the ending to a recently released Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In April 2010, he referred to overtly Christian quarterback Tim Tebow's NFL Draft party as "resembling a lily-white Nazi gathering".[5] In October 2013, he hung up on Rick Pitino.[6] In 2019, Toucher hung up on Carolina reporter Chip Alexander, claiming that he "just can't listen to a guy with a southern accent talk hockey."[7]

Toettcher occasionally feuded with John Dennis of former rival morning show Dennis and Callahan, who often called him a hipster and referred to Toettcher as "Fred Douchebag." Toettcher usually responded by mocking Dennis's age and citing the fact that The Toucher and Rich Show consistently beat Dennis and Callahan in Boston radio market ratings, usually by a substantial margin.[8]

In May 2023, Toettcher admitted himself to a detoxification facility, saying "I was voluntarily locking myself up so I wouldn't drink anymore, so I knew I wouldn't drink. That's how I felt like, I was like, all right, I've lost control, I've lost control of alcohol, I've lost control, I'm not thinking like me, I need to make sure that I'm in a position where I do not have the opportunity to drink. Was it fun? It was the worst five days of my entire life." His departure from the show followed an earlier 2023 absence due to the temporary loss of his voice.[9]

Toettcher had previously left the show for an extended period of time in 2020 for alcohol addiction rehabilitation.[9]

References
  1. "2016 Marconi Radio Award Winners". nab.org. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  2. "Fred Toucher Exits 99X". AllAccess.com. March 16, 2006.
  3. Siegel, Alan (May 30, 2012). "Revolution Radio: Toucher & Rich, The Guys Who Hated Sports Talk Radio Enough to Save It". Bostonmagazine.com.
  4. "The Sports Hub tops Minihane-less WEEI in fall ratings". Boston Globe. December 27, 2018.
  5. "Boston Sports Radio Host Fred Toettcher Compares Tim Tebow to Nazis". NESN.com. April 25, 2010.
  6. "Fred Toucher: 'Huge swell' of support for Pitino hang-up". Boston Herald. 4 October 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  7. "Boston Radio Host Hangs Up On Carolina Hurricanes Reporter Because Of His Southern Accent". Deadspin. May 9, 2019.
  8. "Boston radio hosts John Dennis and Fred Toucher engage in epic Twitter war". Larry Brown Sports. January 25, 2014.
  9. "Fred Toucher returns to 98.5 The Sports Hub airwaves after stay at detox facility". CBS News Boston. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
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