Veteran broadcast journalist Sy Becker, a presence on the Western Massachusetts airwaves in a career spanning 60 years, has died, WWLP-TV in Springfield reported on Saturday.
Becker was “was well known for his boundless energy, his unmistakable voice, and of course, his movie reviews,” the station noted in a story posted to its website.
Locals who grew up watching Becker’s movie reviews may recall his signature catch phrase and sign-off: “This is Sy Becker, with another look at the movies!” which he would say while swinging his arm and dramatically extending the word “look.”
“Sy Becker was always in his element when walking in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade, soaking up the cheers from thousands of his adoring fans. Whether it was marching in the parade, hosting the East Longmeadow Concert Series, or the Red Cross Hometown Heroes Celebration, he lived for moments like this,” the station reported.
The station reported he died after a “short illness.”
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-1st District, said Becker “was a superb newsman in every sense of the word.
“I had the pleasure of knowing Sy going back to his days at WSPR radio, where he was a one-man dynamo when it came to collecting the news. He had a great affinity for political life and earned the respect of countless public figures throughout his career,” Neal said. “I fondly remember him for his movie reviews with 22 News and for the pillar that he was in the western Massachusetts community. On this solemn occasion, my thoughts and prayers are with Sy’s family at 22 News and the entire Becker family.”
According to WWLP-TV, Becker was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1936, attending New York’s City College and the School of Radio and Television.
He launched his broadcast career in radio, making stops in Chicopee, Mass., Asheville, N.C, and Dover, Del., before a 14-year tenure at WSPR-AM in Springfield.
There, Becker worked as news director and an “award-winning reporter,” according to WWLP-TV. He joined WWLP-TV in 1979 as a general assignment reporter, pulling additional duty as a local theater and movie critic, the station reported.
In 2009, Becker made headlines with his“Becker Bike Challenge” during the station’s Toys for Tots campaign that year. It ended with the news outlet’s studio “overflowing with bikes donated by our viewers, to give to kids for the holidays,” WWLP-TV reported.
Becker retired in spring 2023, capping a career that “won’t soon be forgotten by his friends here at 22News and his many fans in western Massachusetts.
“He was Sy Becker, with the booming voice, who was small in stature but larger than life,” the station reported.
