Ron Cameron

The Detroit News reports that Ron Cameron, a longtime voice of numerous Detroit radio stations over the past 40 years and a face on TV died Tuesday (2/20) at 79.

Cameron grew up with a strong love of sports, according to a 1979 column by Detroit Free Press columnist Joe Lapointe, who met Cameron in 1967 at Tiger Stadium.

"During Tiger games, 'Superfan' Ron would sneak over to the empty box seats in my section and argue with the paying customers about sports," wrote LaPointe. "After the games, he would beg a few words with the ballplayers or umpires. Or concession stand boys. Or anybody. He loved to talk about sports."

In the early 1970s, Cameron worked as a minor league umpire for two years. In 1974, he ran umpiring schools in Roseville, MI and Brighton, MI. In the late 1970s, he helped umpire annual charity exhibition games between the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds.

Cameron used his umpiring experience to start his radio career in 1971 when he worked with Norm Plummer of WWJ-AM radio on a show
titled "Ask the Umpire".  Later, Cameron hosted his own radio sports talk shows on WEXL-AM (1975-1977) and WMZK-FM (1977-1978).

Cameron's big break in the radio business came in September 1978, when he was hired by talk radio station WXYZ-AM to host a sports talk show. That show soon grew in popularity, with Cameron interviewing many famous Detroit sports figures. In September 1980, George Blaha joined Cameron as co-host of Sportstalk.  An occasional guest co-host was future ESPN star Dick Vitale, former coach of the University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons basketball teams. At WXYZ, Cameron was publicized as "Superfan" and appeared in advertisements in a Superman-type costume.

After WXYZ, Cameron then embarked on an independent radio career using the time brokerage business model. Cameron purchases time on radio stations and sells that time to commercial sponsors. In between commercials, Cameron invites listeners to call in to the radio show with questions and comments. This business model has led to contracts with many radio stations in the Detroit area, sometimes more than once. Cameron appeared on WQBH-AM for three weeks in 1982 before starting a long partnership with WCAR-AM in January 1983. Cameron's later radio stations included WKSG-FM (late 1980s), WLLZ-AM (mid 1990s), WHND-AM (mid to late 1990s), CKLW-AM (late 1990s), WPON-AM (late 1990s), WDFN (early 2010s) and WCXI (late 2010s).

From the mid-2010s, Cameron hosted shows on mostly WDTK-AM and WPON-AM.

His television career began in 1977, hosting Sportstalk television show on WXON-TV, and also sold commercials for the show.  In April 1984, he started the Sports View Today show on cable television, and expanded it to regular broadcast television on WGPR-TV in August 1984. This show usually featured Cameron and a co-host interviewing a famous sports figure.  In 1996 and 1997, Cameron hosted a television show on WXON-TV with Detroit News reporter Jim Spadafore. In 2012, Cameron re-united with Denny McLain on television on Speaking Sports on WADL-TV.

Cameron also had other business interests over the years, including radio station ownership, a magazine, restaurants and attempted to buy a minor league baseball team.