Former West Orange resident Josh Bertaccini has worked in markets as diverse as Fort Smith Arkansas, Los Angeles and now in Aberdeen, S.D. But it's the Northeast and New York City where the former West Orange resident has longed to work in radio. He soon will get the opportunity.
Bertaccini won the "So You Think You Can Talk Sports'' contest Sept. 7 with Sirius XM Radio to host eight three-hour sports talk shows on Mad Dog Radio on Sirius channel 123 and XM channel 144.
Bertaccini beat out 600 contestants for the chance to host the shows this fall. Bertaccini's first two shows will be Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.
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He'll host a show between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. that Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. that Sunday. Bertaccini, 29, said he will arrive in New York Sunday and sit in with Russo during the week to get a feel of how things operate.
"He's got a national audience waiting for him and he'll be able to talk about anything and everything from the world of sports — NFL, college football, MLB, NBA, NHL, you name it,'' said Russo.
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Bertaccini currently hosts a sports talk show in South Dakota where he is sports director of a six station group called Hub City Radio. The group follows the Minnesota Vikings and Twins and South Dakota State football. He said he had thought about leaving the field, perhaps getting into teaching when he figured he'd give the contest a shot.
"It was kind of a lottery in a way,'' said Bertaccini, who left West Orange after his sophomore year in high school and graduated from Friends Select School in Philadelphia in 1998. "I've been doing this a lot of years in random places. When I left Syracuse (University) I wasn't sure I'd go into radio; it kind of happened. I tried to move around, try to get a better job. I went to markets that didn't make sense. I've taken a weirder route.''
Bertaccini said he grew up listening to Russo when Russo was co-host of Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN-AM in New York City.
"I figured I'd take a shot; I can't believe it worked out," he said.
Bertaccini said he was judged on the ability to do a monologue and for having a flow.
"Not stammering, interacting with phone callers, doing some interviews, it was grading in different areas,'' he said. "I always believed I could do it. I hope it works out and I can do it full time."
Nothing is guaranteed of getting a full-time job with Sirius after the eight shows.
