The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 303

SporTView talent 9 audi fat KICK THE By Jack Craig Globe Staff NEW YEAR Bob Neumeier's success at Ch. 4 Is one part persever OFF WITH US! Fred Villari ance, another part fate and a third part talent, not necessarily in that order. Studios of Self Defense He began at Channel 4 two years ago as a weekend sports anchorman, but was invited to look elsewhere 10 J- I Join us now at Fred Villari Studios of Self Defense. We can design a healthy and self- i defense program just for you. Top Quality FREE JAGUAR WARM-UP SUIT for anyone who enrolls in our introductory months later when Gerry Azar replaced him.

Neumeier's contract expired a few months later but he hung on as a freelancer to work as a sports field-reporter at the station. In the inter Bob Neumeler. mm vrYou. could be a Secretary In sound and high pitch. "Why bother?" he reacts to the idea of attending elocution school.

This, and Neumeier's lack of ease on the anchor desk, trapped him. "I'm lust not a personality he confessed. While supposedly playing out the string last winter he did have offers to be a sports anchor in smaller markets, but was discouraged when news directors emphasized the need to make the audience smile. "They all wanted Warner Wolf." he said. "I have real confidence in my writing, reporting and producing, he said, referring to the three key elements in his present Job, and o-a mos.

Hickox Training TYPING OPENS DOORS to job opportunities. START LEARNING MV' lable I Aid avai cnancia stance Placement ass morning, afternoon or evening im he has succeeded to the point that he is now negotiating to become a fulltimer at Ch. 4 once again. The evolving scenario is similar to that in Hartford, at Ch. 3, where he began his television career.

During the summer of 1978 he began as an occasional weekend sports anchor, was offered the job fulltime the following March, then was informed three months later that he was not the answer. Soon a prominent anchor at Ch. 3 became involved in a controversy, and management's mind was taken off Neumeler, who shifted to field reporting and by fall was again offered an anchor contract. Six months later he was offered a weekend job at Ch. 4 to replace Bob Lobel, who was succeeding Roger Twl-bell as the main sports anchor.

Fate had intervened on Neumeier's behalf In 1974 when he was working in Hartford In the promotion department of the NHL Whalers. One night, a few hours before a game, the team's radio play-by-play announcer was struck with laryngitis and Neumeler volunteered, noting that he had done a little hockey and basketball play-by-play as an undergraduate at Syracuse University. His on-air trial was so effective that the regular announcer never returned. Then, after more than four yeans of broadcasting for the Whalers, Neumeler sought his first TV Job. It was strange, In a way, that he was so successful on play-by-play, because his voice is his liability, somehow combining a nasal an levels WORD PROCESSING Day.Eve&Sat.Classes Now Available Stan Hopkins, assistant 200 Tremont Boston 02116 news director at Ch.

4, supports this confidence. "He is The Hickpx School Business Skilit sine 1879 a fine producer with a feel for licensed 6 tnt Commonweaim ol MisstchuMtlt-Dcpariment ol Education natural sound that is so im W' portant in putting together sports pieces," Hopkins says. Neumeler believes that ll NOW! he returned to the anchor desk he would be a lot differ ANYONE CAM AFFORD ent. "I have so much more confidence now than be fore," he said. GOOD SNOW OR RI8ULART1RIS -AT- M1NUTE MAN TIRE STORES He had reason to hang on last winter at Ch.

4, being homegrown, a rarity In local television. Now 32, Neumeler ANY SIZE USED PASSENGER TIRES AT A SELLOUT PRICE! grew up in Weymouth and taught nistory ior a snort Any slza Bias or Radlali I (J MlMlIM I 1 IC Tiki OR. I I Truck Slightly Hlghr I to till fef while at Weymouth High School. He now has an even better reason to stay put, having recently married Lynn McCann, who operates a photography business In Boston. eats 8ain prleo a now or ragularl Boston Globe, January 23, 1983 11.