Milton Metz

Who is Milton Metz?

Milton Metz is a retired American radio and television personality in Louisville, Kentucky. He still does commercial work for local radio and television stations.

"El Metzo", as he is known to fans, is best known for his WHAS radio call-in show, Metz Here, which began its run on July 20, 1959, and ended on June 10, 1993. Though records aren't clear on the subject, Metz Here is believed to be one of the very first—perhaps the first—call-in shows on radio. In a way, Metz pioneered a format that is still used today by the likes of Rush Limbaugh. Metz usually featured guests, and was always kind to both guests and callers. Many callers had such a reverence for Metz that they called him "Mr. Metz" when they got on the air. Thanks to the station's 50,000-watt clear channel AM signal, Metz Here was heard by listeners in 40 states and much of Canada. Perhaps Metz's greatest moment was his service during the April 1974 tornadoes which hit Kentucky. During that time Metz provided valuable information to numerous citizens concerned about their families.

Metz was also widely seen on local television, serving as co-host and co-producer of Omelet, a morning–lunchtime talk and news program on WHAS-TV, and was the station's weatherman for 19 years. He also interviewed countless celebrities on the first Saturday in May during WHAS-TV's traditional marathon pre-race show before the Kentucky Derby, where he was a fixture on "Millionaire's Row", home to well-heeled spectators in the clubhouse of Churchill Downs. Metz later pared down his work to a series of daily 90-second commentaries on WHAS radio. They were discontinued around the turn of the century, and his voice now is heard almost exclusively on local commercials.