it seems like Jim
Berk is every-
where...well, he is. Al-
most.
On any given day,
you may hear him doing
sports reports on WWJ
Radio (950 AM), where
he is primarily a week-
end sports anchor, or do-
ing a story on Channel 50's
sportscast.
He might even be anchor-
ing Channel 50's sports re-
port or co-hosting a Pistons',
Red Wings' or Lions' pre-
game show on that station.
For the second season,
Berk is providing play-by-
play and color commentary
for University of Detroit bas-
ketball games on WMTG ra-
dio (1310 AM). It's not easy
to fly solo doing basketball on
the radio. Berk generally
keeps his own stats during
road games and his halftime
show often is taped so he can
get a break from the micro-

Why free throws? Well, at
5-foot-5, Berk says he hasn't
seen any need to perfect his
post-up moves.
On a more serious note, re-
ligion also is an important
part of his life. During the
High Holidays this fall, Berk
assisted at services and he
gave a sermon at the JCC in
Oak Park. He's been a mem-
ber of Adat Shalom Syna-
gogue in Farmington Hills for
a decade.

I

phone.
When he isn't working,
Berk might be at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield getting in some
laps at the pool or shooting
free throws.

"Part-time" sportscaster
Jim Berk is pulling a full-time load.

old Jim Berk has been tossed
around like a leaf on a windy
fall day, but he's always land-
ed on his feet. He's worked for
three of Detroit's four major
television stations — Chan-
nels 2, 4 and .50 — and he's
now in his second tour of duty
with WWJ. While he's been
very busy, he hasn't had a
full-time job since 1989.
After graduating from the
University of Texas in 1976
with a bachelor's degree in

Channel 4 from 1983-87.
From 1987-89, he was the
morning drive sports anchor
and University of Michigan
football host on WWJ.
His current WWJ, Channel
50 and U-D basketball jobs
are all part time. Berk is a
broadcasting "utility man,"
which means many of his
days are very hectic. While
he'd love to land a full-time
job, Berk says there is a sil-
ver lining to his current sta-
tus.
"In a sense, I have
the best of both worlds
because I'm involved
in my two loves — ra
dio and television," he
said.
"Radio is great be
cause of its immedia
cy and the fact that
you must use vocabu-
lary, good writing, and
inflection and delivery
in your voice to tell
the story," Berk ex-
plained.
"Television
is
thrilling because it's
visual and so many
people are watching.
It has gotten me some
recognition and
opened a few doors."
When he was grow-
ing up in Lincoln,
Berk thought he'd like
to get into acting or
comedy. Despite all
the ups and downs
he's encountered in
his chosen field, he's
not giving up on it.
"Sure, during these
years of part-time
work I've questioned
if I was in the right
You'll see and hear him all over. business," Berk said.
"I've wondered if life
had dealt me a cruel blow and
it was time to find a new ca-
reer.
"But, I've come to the con-
clusion that I am doing the
right thing and what's hap-
pened has toughened my re-
solve to make it one way or
another. I feel I'm doing a ser-
vice to the community, and I
hope it will pay off one day. I
know I love what I do, and I
take pride in the energy lev-
el I bring to my work."
broadcast journalism, Berk
Berk says the service he's
had radio and television
providing his listeners and
sports and news stints in
viewers is the dissemination
Monroe, L.A., Austin and
of information.
Beaumont, Texas; and Jack-
"I'm a journalist, not a
sonville, Fla.
star," he said. "My job is to
He came to Detroit from
tell the story. Sure, some-
Jacksonville in 1983, replac-
times I use poetry or humor
ing Jim Brandstatter on
to make communicating the
Channel 4. Berk was a week-
story more entertaining, but
end sports anchor/reporter
it's all for the purpose of get-
and host of the Sunday night
ting the information out."
"Final Edition" show on
MICROPHONE page 64

Roving
Microphone

STEVE STEIN

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

He's logged more than
2,700 miles swimming since
he was a student at East
High School (class of 1972) in
Lincoln, Neb.
He's also kept track of his
free throws for many years.
Berk figures he's hit the char-
ity tosses at an 85 percent
rate. He once made 57
straight in his parents' yard
in Lincoln, and he canned 97-
of-100 at the JCC one day.

Berk is single. He was mar-
ried several years ago, but di-
vorced. His crazy work
schedule nowadays doesn't
leave him much time for an
active social life.
"I have to wake up at 5
o'clock in the morning on Sat-
urday and Sunday to do my
reports on WWJ," he pointed
out.
In the unstable world of
sports broadcasting, 39-year-

CO
CT)

