Y-town activist, ex-WYSU host dies

Former WYSU-FM (88.5) talk-show host Robert Fitzer died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer, reports the Youngstown Vindicator. Fitzer, who was also an accomplished clarinetist and an instructor at Youngstown State University, attacked local corruption on his weekly show “Commentary Cafe” from 1995 to 2001. But some Youngstown officials criticized him after he was found hiding in the bushes outside a restaurant, spying on people attending a meeting with a local developer. “He kind of saw himself as a community watchdog — sometimes in conventional ways and sometimes in unconventional ways,” said Gary Sexton, former program manager at WYSU-FM. “He really wanted the community to be better, and he knew it wouldn’t happen if corruption were not exposed.”