Christmas is still six days away, but veteran radio and television announcer George Hale has already received some big gifts this month.

Just more than a week after becoming the first broadcaster ever to receive the New England Football Writers’ George C. Carens Award, the Bangor broadcasting luminary now has the opportunity to work at a studio named in his honor.

The 75-year-old Hale, who figuratively has stamped his name on the local broadcasting scene, has now literally done the same since Bangor radio station WABI’s Target Industrial Circle studio has been officially named the George Hale Studio.

“Some of the staff got together and came up with the idea,” said Hale, who was visiting family in Arizona last week. “It’s the kind of thing you don’t ask for, but when it comes your way, you try to be humble, keep it in perspective and enjoy it.

“It’s really nice because I’ve been working there right along and I know these people, so I really appreciate it.”

The musical format for WABI (910 AM) was also changed – in part to honor Hale – from news/talk to WABI’s former format: adult standards (The Carpenters, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, etc.). Hale will host WABI’s morning show while still co-hosting the George Hale-Rick Tyler morning show on WVOM (103.9 FM).

“I’ll be doing both through the magic of computers,” he said with a laugh.

It was a good time for good news for Hale as he had to cut his Arizona trip short and fly back to Bangor after experiencing kidney stone problems.

“I had an attack last Thursday and had to come back. Right now they’re giving me pain pills, but I hope to have it taken care of before Christmas,” Hale said. “I was only out there for five days, but I did climb a mountain [Superstition Mountain in Apache Junction, Ariz.] before I left.”

The NEFW honored Hale with the Carens Award, which has been given annually since 1952 to an individual who has contributed a great deal to New England collegiate football, last Thursday at its banquet in Wilmington, Mass. Hale was unable to attend the banquet, so University of Maine head football coach Jack Cosgrove accepted it for him.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised to get it,” Hale said. “I knew of the award, but I didn’t know no other broadcaster had ever received it before.”

Hale has called UMaine football games on TV every year since WABI-TV (Channel 5) first aired games in 1956. He was also the radio play-by-play voice for Black Bear football from 1956 until 1991.

“I’ve never missed a season of Maine football on TV, radio, or both,” he said.

It’s ironic that a guy from Cleveland, Ohio, who split his youth and young adulthood between Jacksonville, Fla., and New York City would become so synonymous with the Pine Tree State and UMaine sports.

“I came here and liked what I saw, married and raised kids here, and liked my life here,” Hale said. “I’ve had chances to go somewhere else, but I like where I am. I never really saw a lot of reasons to apply anywhere else.”

Hale seriously considered an offer from a Florida TV and radio conglomerate to broadcast major league baseball spring training games back in the 1970s but opted to stay put.

“I actually had more management offers than broadcasting jobs, but I enjoy Maine, the people, and the sports scene,” Hale explained. “This is where you want to be, who I am and what I want to be.

“Even now when I go on vacation, I’m still pretty anxious to get on a plane and come home. These are my people and this is the area I like living in.”

Andrew Neff may be reached at aneff@bangordailynews.net or 990-8205.