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 Tim Tebow's NFL Draft party as a 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 has occasionally feuded with John Dennis of rival morning show Dennis and Callahan, who often calls him a hipster and refers to him as "Fred Douchebag." Toettcher usually responds by mocking Dennis's age and citing the fact that The Toucher and Rich Show has consistently beaten, usually by a substantial margin, Dennis and Callahan in Boston radio market ratings.[8]

Toettcher has lived just outside Boston since 2005, with his wife Stephanie, daughter Zoey, and son Milo. Recently Toettcher has publicly battled alcoholism and openly discussed his time spent in rehabilitation both on Instagram and on the Toucher and Rich radio show, depicting his path to sobriety in a comedic and inspiring way.

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. 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.
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