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Former WISH-TV sportscaster Chet Coppock dies at 70

CHICAGO (AP/WISH) — Former WISH-TV sports director and longtime Chicago sportscaster Chet Coppock has died at age 70 after a car accident a week ago.

His daughter, Lyndsey, says on her Facebook page her father died Wednesday. He was a passenger in an accident April 11 near Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Coppock worked six years as sports director at WISH-TV in the 1970s. Coppock also had served as state chairman of Indiana Easter Seals and Indiana March of Dimes. 

APP USERS: Photos of WISH-TV sportscaster Chet Coppock

Coppock was a fixture on Chicago sports television for years and a pioneer of sports talk radio with his “Coppock on Sports” show on WMAQ-AM in Chicago. The bombastic Coppock came to be known as the “Godfather of Sports Talk Radio,” greeting callers by saying “Your dime, your dance floor.”

Coppock worked as a roller derby announcer, promoted pro wrestling and was ring announcer during the Chicago portion of Wrestlemania 2.

WLS reports a memorial service will be arranged by his family.