Charlie Brotman, Public Relations Expert and Announcer of Presidents

Our Town with host Andy Ockershausen - Homegrown History

Charlie Brotman on Sugar Ray Leonard and success negotiating his first professional fight: "First professional fight, the youngster normally gets $400. That's just tradition and normal. We were able to negotiate with Baltimore for $40,000, considerably higher. We worked with him the rest of his 15 year career." Charlie Brotman, Public Relations Expert and Announcer of Presidents A Ockershausen: This is a special treat for Our Town for our million of listeners to have the most famous announcer in the history of the President of the United States, Charles Brotman, a native Washingtonian, grew up here, went to Tech High School, and fortunately moved to West Virginia at one time. Charlie Brotman: At one time. Getting Started in Broadcasting A Ockershausen: That's where he got started in broadcasting, as I recall. Charlie Brotman: Correct. I went to the National Academy of Broadcasting. A Ockershausen: And graduated. Charlie Brotman: And graduated. It doesn't exist anymore, but it was on 16th Street. A Ockershausen: Know it quite well, 16th and R Street. No, no. Higher there. Park Road. Charlie Brotman: Yeah, in that area. A Ockershausen: Charlie, did you get your first radio job in West Virginia? Charlie Brotman: Ronceverte, West Virginia. A Ockershausen: Wow. Charlie Brotman: When I graduated, they said they'll get me a job. At first, they said it was in Owosso, Michigan in the wintertime. I told the people who were going to move me to Michigan, I said basically, "I'm busy right now." A Ockershausen: Call me. Charlie Brotman: Finally, when all my friends went back to school in the summertime, that was fall, and I had nothing to do, I said, "I better see what's available." What was available was Ronceverte, West Virginia. That was near the Hotel Grand ... What was the name of that hotel? A Ockershausen: Bedford Springs? Charlie Brotman: No. A Ockershausen: Something like that in West Virginia? Charlie Brotman: No. A Ockershausen: West Virginia? Wheeling? Anyway. Charlie Brotman: That famous hotel. A Ockershausen: Greenbrier? Charlie Brotman: Greenbrier. That's it. A Ockershausen: Wow. That's a resort. That's fabulous. Charlie Brotman: Yeah, so I would go- A Ockershausen: Did you live at the Greenbrier? Charlie Brotman: I used the Greenbrier, played golf there, swam there like I was a guest. A Ockershausen: That's the best. Charlie Brotman: I interviewed, goodness gracious, the Prince of Wales. Is that possible? A Ockershausen: Yeah, he could have been visiting there. Absolutely. Charlie Brotman: Yeah. He was visiting the Greenbrier, and I had a little microphone and tape recorder that I put right behind a plant. I was interviewing the Prince of Wales. He said that he'd just gotten off a golf course. He says, "Don't tell anybody, but I gave myself some “gimmes” I would never have made. A Ockershausen: That sounds like Bill Clinton. The Prince of Wales was King of England for a while. Charlie Brotman: That's it. A Ockershausen: He abdicated. He married a woman from the state of Virginia. Charlie Brotman: Yes. A Ockershausen: Wallis Simpson. Charlie Brotman: Correct. A Ockershausen: We all know that, Charlies. We learn a lot. Charlie Brotman: She was a really lovely lady. A Ockershausen: I'll bet, being at the Greenbrier. That started you, and you've interviewed celebrities your whole life now, whether it was in live radio or over a PA system. Then you came to Washington and said, "I'm going to be in the PR business." Charlie Brotman: Correct. A Ockershausen: How'd that happen? Charlie Brotman: Yeah, basically everything has a beginning and end. I hope the end isn't soon, but in any event, when I got into broadcasting, I decided that I wanted really to get into sports. That was my thing. I wanted to be a sports announcer. A Ockershausen: Ah-ha, we share that. Washington Senators Announcer Charlie Brotman: Yeah. Finally, when I went to Orlando,