Good riddance dikhead!!Radio shock jock Stan Zemanek has just days to live as he succumbs to a terminal brain tumour.
2UE program director Greg Byrnes said his 60-year-old friend and colleague of 15 years will spend his last days at his apartment in Sydney's CBD.
"It's my understanding that it's just a matter of time now," Mr Byrnes said today.
"He is at home, he has a nurse with him and it's just now a matter of making him comfortable. It's my understanding that he will simply head into a sleep, possibly lapse into a coma and pass.
"I know that there is some thought that that's one good thing out of this - that he won't suffer. That's apparently from what the doctors tell me that's common with this form of tumour."
Mr Byrnes said he met Zemanek a fortnight ago and that his condition had deteriorated markedly.
"We had dinner. He was wonderful. He was drinking wine and had a lovely meal and we shared a few laughs.
"But deep down I actually wondered if he knew who I was.
"He's maintaining that show of force that we know of Stan, just that strength of character that nothing can beat him.
"I was wondering if he actually knows it's me here and again that's just the condition."
Dozens of people have already left messages of support for Zemanek on a 2UE website titled "Get well Stan!".
"Keep on battling because I know you can win this Stan," wrote one listener. "My whole family misses hearing you on air, not to mention the rest of Sydney. It's not the same anymore to not hear your voice over the airwaves. God bless."
Mr Byrnes said the majority of Zemanek's fans would have little idea about how gravely ill he has become.
"A lot of people will be shocked to know how bad it is. There has been a constant stream of support and well wishers but I'd suggest that's really going to ramp up when people really know how dire that is."
In an interview with the Good Weekend last November, Zemanek told of his satisfaction at being considered one of the most reviled men in the Australian media.
"I've had more complaints made about me than any other broadcaster," he said.
"I abuse the shit out of people [on air] ... If I did it on the street, I'd be arrested and thrown into jail."
Mr Byrnes said it would not be Zemanek's controversial style that he would remember most about him.
Instead, it would be his skill at covering breaking news, such as the 2005 London bombings and the Cronulla riot revenge attacks, during a live radio broadcast.
"To handle those situations, that's a real talent. When it hit the fan, from a news perspective, he handled it really well."
Mr Byrnes said others at 2UE were finding it difficult to fathom that Zemanek was expected to die shortly.
"When you tell people how bad it actually is, people are somewhat stunned, as they always are in cases like this. But the fact that it's Stan, who is someone that is so full of life and confidence, it's sort of strange to think that he could succumb to anything."
Stan Zemanek - dead
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Stan Zemanek - dead
http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/sh ... 41730.html
Last edited by Willis 21 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/ze ... 45951.html
Whether as a television beast or a radio shock-jock, Stan Zemanek was a professional stirrer.
The Sydney broadcaster, who died today aged 60 of a brain tumour, wore political incorrectness like a badge of honour and bragged about being radio's most complained-about personality.
He described some of his talkback callers as "numb nuts", "half-wits" and "left-wing loonies", told others to "give yourself an uppercut" and asked those who sounded slow if they were smoking "wacky-tobaccy".
But at least some of his audience loved it. They must have.
"Many years ago you called me a boofhead on your program," said one listener, "and a lot of my friends and family were listening in. From that day on my nickname was Boof."
Zemanek's red-neck style was not everyone's cup of tea, least of all Melburnians and even some of his fellow broadcasters.
He once exchanged bitter barbs with 2UE colleague Mike Carlton after Carlton announced on-air that Zemanek was about to move to rival station 2GB.
Carlton called Zemanek "a little shit", "a village idiot" and "a stunted runt"; Zemanek shot back by calling Carlton "a turd" and "a ponce with his head up his backside".
When Zemanek returned to 2UE after an unsuccessful stint at Melbourne sister station 3AW in 2003, Carlton said: "I don't withdraw a word of anything I've ever said about him. I think he's a moron."
Zemanek started in radio in 1973 as a producer for John Laws, eventually getting behind a microphone himself in 1987.
He wrote a book called "The Thoughts of Chairman Stan", produced numerous CDs, appeared in 500 of his own live cabaret shows and corporate speaking events, and skippered his yacht "Magnavox 2UE" which his employer helped to sponsor.
His official website describes him as "the broadcaster people love to hate".
"For those of you who can't get enough of me," it adds, "why not purchase yourself some Stan Zemanek merchandise? There are coffee mugs, keyrings, pendants and of course my sort (sic) after Cabaret Spectacular album available on CD or cassette."
Zemanek worked as long as his illness allowed, saying: "The worst thing you can have is too much time to start thinking about terrible things.
"Radio gives me a purpose, a distraction. It's a great source of energy and fun. I enjoy myself for four hours a night. I'm in a cocoon and away from everybody. It's just me and the listeners, and we just go for it. When I walk out of the studio at midnight, I feel invigorated. I feel alive."
Zemanek will also be remembered as host of TV's Beauty and The Beast talk show, for which he was the 13th and longest serving "beast".
He retired from radio in December last year to spend more time with his family - wife Marcella, two daughters, Gaby, 36, and Melissa, 31, and grandson Hamish, 4, and granddaughter Chloe, five months.
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