{{short description|American radio broadcaster (1967–2022)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}} {{redirect-distinguish|John Osterlind|John Österlund}} '''Rebecca Pratt''' (March 10, 1967 – December 29, 2022) was an American radio broadcaster. A [[transgender woman]], Pratt was well known professionally as '''John Osterlind'''.<ref name=Sledge/>
==Biography== {{refimprove|section|date=December 2022}} Pratt was born in [[Norwalk, Connecticut]], on March 10, 1967. She graduated from [[Roger Ludlowe Middle School|Roger Ludlowe High School]] in [[Fairfield, Connecticut]], in 1985 and from Dean Junior College in [[Franklin, Massachusetts]], in 1987, where she was on their college station 88.3 FM WGAO. She was on air overnights on then classic rock station 103.7 FM [[WVEI-FM|WWRX]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], from 1987 to 1988. She was on air in evenings and afternoons on rock station [[WCCC (FM)|WCCC-FM]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], from 1989 to 1992, in evenings on rock station [[WKVB (FM)|WAAF FM]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], from 1992 to 1994 and from 1994 to 2001, music director<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hay|first=Carla|date=25 March 2000|title=Artemis Teen Rockers Kittie Claw up the Billboard 200|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=112|issue=13|page=13|issn=0006-2510|quote="The novelty of a band of Canadian underage girls is appealing," says John Osterlind, music director of rock station WAAF Boston|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sg4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22John+Osterlind%22&pg=PA13}}</ref> and midday jock on WAAF. She was morning co-host on [[WRKO|WRKO AM]] in Boston with former Massachusetts Congressman [[Peter Blute]] from 2001 to 2003. Until the evening of January 7, 2015, she was the successful evening talk host on [[WRNO-FM|WRNO FM]] in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrno.com/pages/johnosterlind.html|title=WRNO - John Osterlind|accessdate=17 December 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523061929/http://www.wrno.com/pages/johnosterlind.html|archivedate=23 May 2011}}</ref> Following her firing, her New Orleans fans organized a protest against WRNO which was themed according to the fictitious non-profit "Pencils for Poor People", which Pratt and her producer James Parker created as one of the many running gags on the ''John Osterlind Show''. On November 2, 2015, Pratt began broadcasting mid-days on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans after leaving WGSO she hosted the morning drive time show on 95.7 FM BAYOU and eventually was replaced by a syndicated show ''The Rise Guys''. At the time of her death in 2022, she was not hosting any radio shows.
Pratt was found dead at her home on December 29, 2022, at the age of 55.<ref name=Sledge>{{Cite web |last=Sledge |first=Matt |date=January 2, 2023 |title=Rebecca Pratt, former New Orleans radio personality, dies at 55 |url=https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/former-john-osterlind-new-orleans-radio-personality-dies/article_d2401346-8add-11ed-87c9-977aafb07019.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]] |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Rebecca}} [[Category:1967 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:American broadcasters]] [[Category:People from Fairfield, Connecticut]] [[Category:People from Norwalk, Connecticut]] [[Category:Dean College alumni]] [[Category:American transgender women]] [[Category:Entertainers from Connecticut]]