Stan Zemanek

Stan Zemanek (29 May, 1947 – 12 July, 2007 [cite news|title=The career of Stan Zemanek|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22062070-5001021,00.html|date=2007-07-12|accessdate=2007-07-17] ) was a right-wingcite news|last=Australian Associated Press|title=Shock jock Stan Zemanek dies|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22060920-29277,00.html|publisher=News.com.au|date=2007-07-12|accessdate=2007-07-13] Australian radio broadcaster who presented a popular night time show on 2UE Sydney and which was networked across parts of Australia via Southern Cross.

He was known for his forthright, generally right wing views and for trading abusive remarks with some of his callers. He was also the 13th, and longest serving "Beast" on the popular panel TV show, "Beauty and the Beast".

Career

Zemanek grew up in Sydney, New South Wales but began working in radio as a researcher for Radio C-Fun 141 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He worked as a producer on the John Laws program in Australia starting in 1978, before returning to North America for some years, where he covered the 1983 America's Cup. He spent a decade presenting on 2UE late at night beginning in 1987. He spent a year in 2000 presenting the 2GB morning shift. [cite web|title = stan's biography|publisher=www.stanzemanek.com.au|url = http://www.stanzemanek.com.au/2006/sz-2006-bio-page.shtml| accessdate = 2007-07-06] [cite news|last=Perkin|first=Corrie|title=Stan and deliver|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/08/1015365745656.html|publisher=The Age|date=2002-03-10|accessdate=2007-07-05] [cite news|last=Australian Associated Press|title=Tumour claims 'shock jock' Zemanek|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/shock-jock-zemanek-dies/2007/07/12/1183833644321.html|publisher=The Age|date=2007-07-12|accessdate=2007-07-13] Zemanek moved to Melbourne for a short stint with 3AW's drive program in 2002 before moving back to Sydney and 2UE in 2003, having failed to garner ratings, and publicly falling out with several members of the 3AW's broadcast team. [cite news|last=Farouque|first=Farah|title='Name' male to replace Zemanek at 3AW|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/21/1042911374406.html|publisher=The Age|date=2003-01-23|accessdate=2007-07-05] [cite news|last=Carbone|first=Suzanne|title=3AW picks up after Stan|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/TV--Radio/3AW-picks-up-after-Stan/2004/12/07/1102182292129.html|publisher=The Age|date=2004-12-08|accessdate=2007-07-05]

While popular with much of his audience, Stan often boasted about being the most complained about broadcaster in the country, polarising opinions of those who didn't agree with his right-wing beliefs. He was not shy to admit that he was politically biased and often criticized "idiot Labor voters" for not doing the same. His most commonly used terms were "numb nuts", "turn it up", "half-wit", "oxygen thief", "left-wing looney", "give yourself an uppercut" and "typical Labor voter"; and he once asked a caller who sounded to be a little slow 'are you smoking the wacky-tobaccy', a slang reference to marijuana. [cite news|last=Leech|first=Graeme|title=Shock jock who never sold out|url=http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,22063886-7582,00.html|publisher=The Australian|date=2007-07-13|accessdate=2007-07-17]

In 2003, following his return to 2UE, he received a bombardment of calls from a number of people he referred to as 'The Phone Box Boys', thinking they were all calling him from a phone box. The calls would sometimes reach 20 a night, and would spin several staples of Zemanek such as sound effects, on Stan himself. This led to an enormous spike in his ratings for the period of March-July 2003. A CD based solely on these calls is in the pipeline for a release.

Zemanek had an ongoing rivalry with 2UE breakfast host Mike Carlton, ever since Carlton revealed on-air that Zemanek was about to move to 2GB. An angry Zemanek called for Carlton to be sacked and for the Australian Broadcasting Authority to investigate him for "irresponsible journalism". The "debate" between the two broadcasters degenerated over the next few days, with Carlton calling Zemanek "a little shit", "a village idiot", "a homosexual", and "a stunted runt" and Zemanek calling Carlton a "a turd" and "a ponce" with "his head up his backside". [cite news|first=Sue|last=Javes|title=The ego has landed|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/27/1043534002664.html|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2003-01-28|accessdate=2007-03-04] After Zemanek's death, Carlton stated on his breakfast show at 2UE that he hated Zemanek and would only attend his funeral to check that he was really dead, causing 2UE management to publicly denounce Carlton. Carlton made his comment while showbiz reporter Peter Ford was doing a report on Zemanek's funeral. At the time Ford made light of Carlton's comments. On reflection however he was disgusted and blasted Carlton on 2UE the day. Ford explained that Zemanek was a mentor and friend and that he was disgusted with what Carlton had said. Ford resigned from his spot on Carlton's program (but continues to report for other 2UE programs). [cite news|last=Connolly|first=Fiona|title=Carlton's career under threat|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22095389-5007132,00.html|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=2007-07-19|accessdate=2007-07-19]

Personal life

Stan and his wife, Marcella Zemanek, had two daughters, Gaby and Melissa (both married) and two grandchildren at the time of Stan Zemanek's death. [cite news|last=Zemanek|first=Marcella|title=Stan's widow tells of final days|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22063168-5001021,00.html|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=2007-07-13|accessdate=2007-07-13] .

Ill-health, retirement and death

Zemanek was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiformecite news|last=Javes|first=Sue|title=Even ailing, jock shocks|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/even-ailing-jock-shocks/2006/09/20/1158431719574.html|publisher=The Age|date=2006-09-21|accessdate=2007-07-05] , an aggressive brain tumour that is almost universally fatal within a few years, in May 2006cite news|last=Lee|first=Sandra|title='Mellower' Stan Zemanek to quit radio|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20899754-421,00.html|publisher=The Sunday Telegraph|date=2006-12-10|accessdate=2007-07-05] . Treatment included chemotherapy and radiotherapy in addition to surgery performed by Charles Teo. After rumours in 2006, Zemanek's retirement and intention to look after his health and spend time with his family was announced on December 9, 2006. His final show went to air on December 22, 2006 [cite news|last=Australian Associated Press|title=Shock jock Zemanek calls it quits|publisher=Yahoo!7 News|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/061209/2/11pvk.html|date=2006-10-22|accessdate=2007-07-05] . Many in the commercial radio industry paid tribute to Zemanek on-air, including his former on-air colleagues and later rivals (on 2GB), Alan Jones and Ray Hadley.

While Zemanek intended to return to "Beauty and The Beast" in early 2007 [cite news|last=Clune|first=Richard|title=Zemanek's Beast is back|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21164920-5006009,00.html|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=2007-02-04|accessdate=2007-07-05] , and he celebrated his 60th birthday with former "Beauty and the Beast" co-stars [cite news|last=Sydney Confidential|title=Stan's birthday beastly, beaut|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,21906214-10388,00.html|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=2007-06-15|accessdate=2007-07-06] , his health deteriorated in retirement. In June 2007, he and his wife cut short a planned holiday due to illness and in early July 2007 his family announced that he was dying [cite news|first=Fiona|last=Connolly|title=Death within days for shock jock|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22019375-2,00.html|publisher=News.com.au|date=2007-07-05|accessdate=2007-07-05] [cite news|last=Gibson|first=Jano|title=Shock jock Zemanek 'has days to live'|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/shock-jock-zemanek-has-days-to-live/2007/07/05/1183351341730.html|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2007-07-05|accessdate=2007-07-05] . He died in his sleep in the early hours on 12 July 2007 [cite news|last=Connolly|first=Fiona|title=Stan a fighter to the very end|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22063556-5001021,00.html|date=2007-07-12|accessdate=2007-07-13|publisher=The Daily Telegraph] . His funeral, open to the public, was held on July 17, 2007, at St's Mary's Catholic Church in North Sydney and was followed by a private cremation [cite news|last=Australian Associated Press|title=Zemanek funeral on Tuesday|date=2007-07-12|accessdate=2007-07-13|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22062434-5005961,00.html] [cite news|last=Narushima|first=Yuko|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/17/1184559747927.html|title=Stan was 'romantic and funny'|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2007-07-17|accessdate=2007-07-17] .

References

External links

* [http://www.stanzemanek.com.au/ The Official Stan Zemanek website]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/index/0,5000040,5013437,00.html Stan Zemanek tribute page on Daily Telegraph]
* [http://www.mytalk.com.au/NewDesign/Pages/stanzemanektributestanzemanek2.aspx Stan Zemanek Tribute page]