While celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Hall Line call-in show at Newark’s Prudential Center on on Feb.6, Seton Hall’s WSOU reflected on the past and looked to the future of the show.
The radio station celebrated this milestone with a reception before the Georgetown vs. Seton Hall men’s basketball game.
According to a Seton Hall press release, the event reunited Hall Line alumni, expected to include three out of four of the show’s founders which includes Vincent Bickler, Larry Londino and Robert Windrem from the 1965 through 1966 season. However, Londino could not make it to the event last minute, Clayton Collier, a senior journalism and WSOU sports director, said.
After the game, they returned to their roles as hosts.
Collier said that Hall Line airs immediately after the games in which they highlight statistics, cover essential points of the game, incorporate perspective from the play-by-play announcer, and take calls from fans. He added that the hosts of the show change based on a schedule, rotating members of the station’s Sports staff.
According to the Seton Hall press release, Hall Line is the longest running call-in show in the N.Y and N.J. metropolitan area.
Collier said that, with the legacy and tradition behind this program, the format of the show has remained unchanged.
“Fans want to voice their opinions on the air, and students get the experience of fielding live callers,” Collier said in an email. “It’s entertaining and provides a unique, experiential opportunity for our broadcasters.”
“I think the most historical moment is how the show started,” Kevin Huebler, a sophomore broadcasting major and fellow host, said.
Huebler said that the show began due to a power failure in the Walsh Gym which is connected to the radio station. He added that since there was not enough power between the two buildings to broadcast the game, the show became a time for fans to call and voice their opinions.
Huebler said that even with half a century behind it, the show has not stopped growing. He explained that the show now has engineers working the switchboards so that the hosts can focus on talking to callers, making the environment more like the professional workplace.
According to the Seton Hall press release, the Hall Line will continue to celebrate its anniversary by airing interviews with past hosts, coaches and players during broadcasts of the men’s basketball games.
Julie Trien can be reached at julie.trien@student.shu.edu.
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