The Career of George Hale Celebrated at Maine Statehouse

COURTESY OF WABI-TV——AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) – Words like legend and icon were heard a lot at the State House Thursday as Maine lawmakers honored longtime broadcaster George Hale.

“Your voice is the sound of basketball to me. I think back to the jingle—’George Hale in the morning on WABI,’” recalled Sen. Stacey Guerin, R-Penobscot.

The 94-year-old Hale has been in the radio and tv industry in Maine for more than 70 years going back to WABI’s first year on the air in 1953.

“He is Maine sports, and then when I got elected and I got my first invite on ‘The Voice of Maine,’ I was like ‘I’m going to talk to the George Hale,” said Sen. Brad Farrin, R-Somerset.

“George was the voice of everyone’s early morning,” commented Rep. Richard Campbell, R-Orrington.

The proclamation honoring Hale was presented by his local representative Campbell.

Thursday, lawmakers recalled memories of appearing on his shows, hearing his sports broadcasts, and waiting to hear whether school had been cancelled.

“Jim Nantz says ‘Masters, a tradition unlike any other.’ George Hale is a broadcaster unlike any other,” stated Rep. Jim Thorne, R-Carmel. “Mr. Speaker, I used to listen to George Hale in my ear with an ear bud with a transistor radio at the games because he could call them better than I could see them.”

“He’s an institution, and it harkens me back to my childhood,” added Rep Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth.

“When it snows out and I’m thinking about going to work, I still remember the joy of his voice coming across the radio saying, ‘No school today,” said Rep. Dani O’Halloran, D-Brewer.

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