By Andrew Coen
The student was Alan Colmes, and he, too, ended up at Hofstra. Since his days on WVHC - now WRHU - Colmes has prospered on both radio and television, and is known best for his 12 years as co-host of the hit Fox News show "Hannity & Colmes." Colmes announced on Nov. 24 that he would be leaving the show - and his co-host, Franklin Square native Sean Hannity - at the end of the year to pursue other broadcasting opportunities.
"The first time I met this guy and heard his voice, I knew he was going places," said Bayer, who is a membership chair of the Hofstra Radio Alumni Association. "He had the voice for radio."
Colmes began his radio career at Hofstra when he was still at Lynbrook High. After attending Ithaca College for two years, Colmes transferred to Hofstra, where he continued his involvement with WVHC and graduated in 1971. "The idea that I could sit in front of a microphone and be heard miles away was a thrilling concept to me," Colmes said of his early involvement with radio.
"When we heard his voice, we said, 'This guy is a professional,'" said East Northport resident Marc Weiner, who worked at WVHC when Colmes first joined the station and is now president of the Radio Alumni Association.
Colmes's first professional radio gig came in his freshman year at Ithaca, when Hofstra alumnus and WVHC colleague Dave Lamble gave him a job at an Albany FM station, where Lamble was program director. After graduating from Hofstra, Colmes tried his hand at standup comedy before building his resume on the radio at stations like WABC and WNBC in New York and WZLX in Boston.
Colmes's profile grew when he was tapped to co-host "Hannity & Colmes," which debuted - along with the Fox News Channel - on Oct. 6, 1996. The political debate show, which pits the liberal Colmes against the conservative Hannity, became a prime time hit in its 9 p.m. slot once Fox News was picked up on cable stations across the country.
"We had the good fortune of starting when the channel started, and we weren't yet on in many large markets such as New York," Colmes recalled. "We were able to find our way without immediate ratings pressure, a rarity in today's cable world."
Despite their often diametrically opposed political views, Colmes has nothing but positive things to say about his co-host and fellow Long Islander, who also has a syndicated talk show on WABC radio. "[Hannity} has tremendous audience appeal, and knows how to frame an argument that is convincing and compelling," said Colmes. "Sitting alongside him for all this time has made me a better broadcaster."
Colmes plans to remain a commentator for Fox News. He hopes to develop a weekend show, and to continue to grow his own syndicated show on Fox News radio.
A 50th anniversary celebration of Hofstra radio is being planned for Nov. 6-8, 2009, and Bayer and Weiner are hoping Colmes will make an appearance. Weiner and some current WRHU staff members had a chance to greet Colmes when he came to Hofstra to covering the third presidential debate on Oct. 15.
Colmes lives in Manhattan but has a small beach house in Long Beach, which keeps him close to his Lynbrook roots and his upbringing on the South Shore. "Being [in Long Beach] reminds me of all the times my Lynbrook High friends and I went to find a patch of sand during the summer," said Colmes. "When I'm on the LIRR, I'm amazed by the changes in Lynbrook. Thank goodness the White Castle is still there."
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