Abe Hefter turns to teaching and assumes limited role as radio host

Longtime Montreal sportscaster Abe Hefter has assumed a limited role on local Bell Media radio stations in order to devote most of his energy to teaching.

Hefter, for years a fixture with CJAD Sports,   recently accepted a full-time appointment at Concordia University in the Department of Journalism as a lecturer and undergraduate program director. " I had been teaching at Concordia for about a dozen years, part-time, initially within Continuing Education and, more recently, within the journalism department," he says. " I enjoyed being back at school  so much I decided to head back to the classroom as a student: I'm working towards my MA in Journalism Studies at Concordia."

Abe Hefter

Hefter says he quickly developed a passion for teaching , "the same passion I have for radio. So when the opportunity came up to teach, full-time, at Concordia, I went for it.  It's been an amazing experience: incredibly rewarding."

For Hefter,  what has been doubly rewarding is the fact that he has  been able to continue to connect with Montreal radio listeners as the host of TSN 690's weekend morning show: The Locker Room. He is  on from 7 am to  9 a.m. "It's been a blast talking sports and sharing the airwaves with the very talented likes of Amanda Stein, Eric Thomas, Robyn Flynn and Dave Kaufman," he says. "At Concordia and TSN 690, I've been able to enjoy the best of both worlds." 

Hefter is also part of the Habs pre-game show on the weekends with Flynn.

Hefter joined CJAD  in January of 2002. He was with the former CJFM/FM 96 from 1981 to 1985 before departing for Vancouver.

Hefter and Needham to get Impact radio gigs on CJAD?

While the Montreal Impact reportedly continues to negotiate a contract with CJAD to broadcast their games for the 2012 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, my sources are telling me that Abe Hefter is now the leading candidate to handle play by play duties. He would be joined in the booth by former Impact player (1993-1998) Grant Needham.

Grant Needham

Abe Hefter

Needham previously handled such duties when CJAD last carried the  Impact. He partnered with Rob Martier, who left the station a few years ago and returned to his native Chicago. Hefter is a veteran Montreal broadcaster with a great set of pipes. He was very involved with the Montreal Canadiens broadcasts, before CJAD lost the rights to TSN Radio 990. Presently he does the weekend morning sportscasts, hosts a weekend sports  talk show called the Locker Room. and does swing shifts during the week.

As reported previously, TSN Radio 990 has decided not to pursue the rights this season due to the many conflicts the 32 game MLS schedule would pose for their Canadiens broadcasts between March and October. Brian Wilde of CTV Sports, who did play by play for the Impact on TSN Radio 990, cannot be discounted for the job either.

Update: CJAD has announced it will indeed carry Impact home games. But it will be Rick Moffat, not Abe Hefter, handling play-by-play. Needham will do colour.