# Rebecca Pratt

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American radio broadcaster (1967–2022)

"John Osterlind" redirects here; not to be confused with [John Österlund](/source/John_%C3%96sterlund).

**Rebecca Pratt** (March 10, 1967 – December 29, 2022) was an American radio broadcaster. A [transgender woman](/source/Transgender_woman), Pratt was well known professionally as **John Osterlind**.[1]

## Biography

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Pratt was born in [Norwalk, Connecticut](/source/Norwalk%2C_Connecticut), on March 10, 1967. She graduated from [Roger Ludlowe High School](/source/Roger_Ludlowe_Middle_School) in [Fairfield, Connecticut](/source/Fairfield%2C_Connecticut), in 1985 and from Dean Junior College in [Franklin, Massachusetts](/source/Franklin%2C_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 [WWRX](/source/WVEI-FM) in [Providence, Rhode Island](/source/Providence%2C_Rhode_Island), from 1987 to 1988. She was on air in evenings and afternoons on rock station [WCCC-FM](/source/WCCC_(FM)) in [Hartford, Connecticut](/source/Hartford%2C_Connecticut), from 1989 to 1992, in evenings on rock station [WAAF FM](/source/WKVB_(FM)) in [Boston](/source/Boston), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts), from 1992 to 1994 and from 1994 to 2001, music director[2] and midday jock on WAAF. She was morning co-host on [WRKO AM](/source/WRKO) in Boston with former Massachusetts Congressman [Peter Blute](/source/Peter_Blute) from 2001 to 2003. Until the evening of January 7, 2015, she was the successful evening talk host on [WRNO FM](/source/WRNO-FM) in [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans), [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana).[3] 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.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Sledge_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Sledge_1-1) Sledge, Matt (January 2, 2023). ["Rebecca Pratt, former New Orleans radio personality, dies at 55"](https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/former-john-osterlind-new-orleans-radio-personality-dies/article_d2401346-8add-11ed-87c9-977aafb07019.html). *[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate](/source/The_Times-Picayune%2FThe_New_Orleans_Advocate)*. Retrieved February 13, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hay, Carla (March 25, 2000). ["Artemis Teen Rockers Kittie Claw up the Billboard 200"](https://books.google.com/books?id=sg4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22John+Osterlind%22&pg=PA13). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Vol. 112, no. 13. p. 13. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0006-2510](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0006-2510). "The novelty of a band of Canadian underage girls is appealing," says John Osterlind, music director of rock station WAAF Boston

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["WRNO - John Osterlind"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110523061929/http://www.wrno.com/pages/johnosterlind.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.wrno.com/pages/johnosterlind.html) on May 23, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2010.

Authority control databases: Artists MusicBrainz

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rebecca Pratt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Pratt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Pratt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.