SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — More than 120 alumni, staff and friends of WSOU 89.5 FM, the student-run radio station of Seton Hall University, gathered Saturday, Feb. 6, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sports call-in program “Hall Line.” The occasion was marked with a pregame reception and on-court ceremony at Newark’s Prudential Center that brought together dozens of former “Hall Line” hosts. The post-game call-in show has followed every Seton Hall men’s basketball game since the 1965-66 season, making “Hall Line” the longest running sports call-in show in the New York and New Jersey Metropolitan Area.
The event reunited the show’s two original hosts, Vincent Bickler ’66 and Robert Windrem ’68, who spoke during the reception and reprised their historic rolls by hosting that night’s “Hall Line” immediately following the Seton Hall vs. Georgetown men’s basketball game. A Seton Hall victory made Bickler’s and Windrem’s return particularly enjoyable. Bickler, who worked for CBS upon graduation, is now a retired educator. Windrem is an investigative producer for NBC News specializing in terrorism and national security.
Before tip-off, “Hall Line” was feted with an on-court ceremony at the Prudential Center, the home court of Seton Hall men’s basketball. Former hosts representing the past five decades assembled on the hardwood along with current student hosts for recognition. In honor of the anniversary, WSOU sports director Clayton Collier was presented with a trophy that will be displayed at the station. Bickler and Windrem were given commemorative microphones in acknowledgement of their positions as the program’s first hosts.
In addition to Bickler and Windrem, a number of former “Hall Line” hosts were present at the event, including ESPN’s Bob Picozzi, N.J. Devils radio play-by-play announcer Matt Loughlin, 1010 WINS’ Frank Garrity, ABC Radio’s David Rind and MSNBC’s Brian Wisowaty. ESPN’s Bob Ley, also a former “Hall Line” host and WSOU alumnus, addressed the gathering by video.
“This is wonderful moment for WSOU and Seton Hall University,” WSOU general manager Mark Maben said in a release. “When a radio show is 50 years old, it is rare to find people who were there at the beginning. To mark this milestone with ‘Hall Line’s’ original hosts is something that is truly special.”