It played for over an hour, during which the station management arrived, police and paramedics showed up (in case Joey was incapacitated). It was . Hengerers was selling Beatles records and wigs. only real radio geeks remember that Armstrong was thereIf for nothing else many remember the hand off between Danny and Joeyand don't forget the Purple Wax . We offered a reward to the listener who could first find Dick and return him to KB. At 3 PM in the huge Central Park Plaza, several thousand persons of all ages turned out in pouring rain to greet WKBWs brand new disc jockeys who put on a free star-studded stage show. Back at the studio, KB was broadcasting the details of the first of several promotional stunts designed to create immediate interest in the new format. The programs and talent that WKBW Radio was promoting in 1956 only a matter of months before rock n roll Top 40 would change radio forever looks much more like KB did in 1930 than it would in 1960. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News). When he left I told somebody: My boss is going to the movies, and if you see him going down Main Street, hes got a gray Chevy Impala convertible throw stones at him. As host of the "Don Weeks And The WGY Morning News" for almost three decades, Weeks is one of the Capital Region's most well-known and respected radio personalities. The Joey Reynolds Show was a resounding Number 1 in Buffalo. At "KB" and WBNY, the rock-jock rosters were dotted with the splendid talents of DAN NEAVERTH, TOM SHANNON, JOEY REYNOLDS, DICK BIONDI, PERRY ALLEN, LUCKY PIERRE, TOM CLAY, FRED KLESTINE, and RUSS "THE MOOSE" SYRACUSE. According to Al Anscombe, GM at the time, advertisers who associated with the traditional format were given to option of continuing their schedules free of charge through the Future Sonic change with many renewing at greater levels a month into the new sound. Before Top 40 came to KB, Stan Barron hosted the Morning Clockwatcher show, live each morning outside the Main Street studios. Sandy says he was prepared for the first day fifty years ago, but Stan Roberts advised him to rent furniture, adding "he didn't exactly say I know you're going to make it big here. Station Management promptly suspended him which created an outcry of public support from his listeners. Click image to learn more. Station manager Al Anscombe had been studying the modern top40 trends in broadcasting as markets across the country felt the power of the format. Bailey was recently let go as the morning news weekday co-anchor at WBBM-TV in Chicago, a role she has had since 2017. In the Nations Capital, he sat on the Board of Directors of AFTRA, was a staff announcer for WPIK and WWDC, and a freelance television performer. For most of my generation, I would imagine thoughts of Stan Jasinski beckon thoughts of grandparents, and this is true for Edmund Haremski as well. Youll hear Stan speaking between the songs, and if youre like me with a very limited understanding of Polish The only words youll understand are a few numbers, and the words Lucki-Urban and Stromberg-Carlson, the latter being a manufacturer of some of the finest radios of that era. http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/vampires.mp3, http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/wotw68.mp3. Known for his trade mark humor and his cutting edge comments, Sandy says his sense of humor would get him in trouble when he was in school "I had to walk home nearly everyday because I had. George Hound Dog Lorenz, the Godfather of rock n roll radio (not just in Buffalo, but PERIOD) first plied his trade in Western New York at Niagara Falls WJJL, as early as 1951. He's a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. Tom Clay, one of many disc jockeys to use the name Guy King on WWOL, was arrested after his playing Rock Around the Clock over and over again, while perched atop a billboard in Shelton Square. This page is not available in other languages. Lee Forster brought the sounds of Western music and folk music to KB, as he had also done on Ch.4s Barn Dance show. If you tuned to WBNY in the late 50s, you were likely to hear the voice of Daffy Dan Neaverth, Joey Reynolds (right), Fred Klestine and Henry Brach. With hope and dreams, I turned on the ever present transistor receiver. http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/thebed.mp3, http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/themonkeyspaw.mp3. Some images and text used throughout the site are protected by individual copyright holders. WKBW, Buffalos Most Powerful Radio Station, mid-50s letterhead. He returned to WWKB (formerly WKBW) in 2003 astheir morning man (6-10 daily) rejuvenating that station's ratings. Program from the night Joey Reynolds and Fred Klestine wrestled the Gallagher Brothers at Memorial Auditorium.. If theres a start date for Beatlemania, you might choose Feb. 9, 1964 the date of the bands first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. About 60 percent of American televisions were tuned to the performance of the nations No. For three weeks prior to July 4th, a teaser campaign was used to stimulate interest in the arrival of audio activity when Future Sonic Radio comes to Buffalo. Local newspapers carried story after story about the impending big change at WKBW. Each of the new personalities was rated #1 in their respective markets and their reputations for ingenious broadcasting techniques was unmatched in the industry according to Lawrence. Using ultra modern production methods, ambition and his own fertile idea factory, Lawrence accomplished what many considered would be almost impossiblethe duplication of his successful methods of operation that were still being used with effect on another WBNY. Across town at WBNY-AM, the first true Top 40 format in Buffalo was inaugurated in the summer of 1957. Local bands like the Buffalo Beetles, later renamed the Mods, enjoyed popularity and even their own records on the radio. The first broadcast on that snowy night was the James Cagney classic film, Yankee Doodle Dandy. Tag on a dozen more years at WHTT, and a few more at KB again, and Danny moved our fannies on the radio for half a century. Strictly from a Buffalo point of view, in the late 50s and early 60s, KB was one of many stations cranking out the music and antics that made for great rock n roll radio. View all posts by Steve Cichon, Buffalo's Pop Culture Heritage | Buffalo's Radio & TV | Buffalo's Neighborhoods | Parkside | Family & Genealogy | &c, &c, &c:Reflections from Steve's desk, All Content Buffalo Stories LLC | Contact Steve, The Mound in the Meadow: Buffalos Tomb of the Unknowns at Delaware Park, Torn-Down Tuesday: Main & Amherst in the 1940s, Steve Cichons podcast: Wonderin How I Got Here, Buffalos Past By Steve Cichon in The Buffalo News, Talks, Seminars, & Workshops by Steve Cichon, &c, &c, &c: reflections from Steve's desk, http://blog.buffalostories.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/KB58sm.mp3, http://blog.buffalostories.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/KB61sm.mp3, http://blog.buffalostories.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/KB72sm.mp3. The un-climatic ending did not discourage Clint and he immediately ran a Find the Missing Car Key contest. Lorenz wanted nothing to do with a Top 40 style format. Hernando, on a WINE promo with a microphone flag edited from WXRA to read WINE. On July 4, 1958, Futursonic Radio was alive on WKBW. First appeared on album form from the industry periodical Programmers Digest., Steve Cichon writes about Buffalos pop culture history. (Buffalo Stories archives). Part of the legendary lineup of DJ at WKBW in the early 70s, . [6], Azar was noted for his tough, blunt personality and willingness to editorialize on-air in an era when sports talk was not yet a developed medium. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Zach's radio career began at WKBW Radio in September 1961, when he was hired by a news director who would later become a fixture on local television screens, Irv Weinstein. Azar did not become sports director at WKBW until 1965, when the station's original sports director, Stan Barron, was effectively traded to crosstown rival WBEN-TV in exchange for weatherman Tom Jolls, while Irv Weinstein moved over from AM 1520 to become news director. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. The Joey Reynolds Show was a resounding Number 1 in Buffalo. Among the others on KBs deejay staff in the mid-50s were Herb Knight, George Hound Dog Lorenz, and Larry Brownell. In 1964, "Dialing For Dollars" hit the air with Liz Dribben and Nolan Johannes. From the earliest days of the internet, Steve has been writing, digitizing, and sharing the stories and images of all the things that make Buffalo special and unique. His young fans, bobbysoxers, were the first teenagers to swoon in force at the voice of a matinee idol and singing sensation. The series ended on April 25, 2011. Dave became a weatherman for WPVI-TV in Philadelphia until his retirement in 2009, after working in his hometown of Buffalo from 1961 until 1978. This mix of talk, entertainment, and game show was an instant hit and led to the creation of "AM Buffalo" in 1978 to continue that tradition. Azar also did basketball play-by-play on St. Bonaventure basketball games on Ch 7 during the Bob Lanier era. Reynolds is often regarded as an early progenitor of "shock talk radio", whose sometimes outlandish on and off-air stunts garnered widespread publicity. (Buffalo Stories archives). War of the Worlds 1971: The broadcast featuring an intro by Jeff Kaye, Joe Downey-KB Radio News, and Jack Armstrong- KB Radio Music. The half hour program was recorded on these transcription records, sometime before Christmas Day 1954, for playback on that date. The place: 1420 Main Street in Buffalo, New York - the original home of WKBW-TV. Jeff Kaye narrates with the KB Players in The Monkeys Paw. She joined Jenn Schanz, Marissa Perlman, Angela Christoforos and Kaylee Wendt in exiting Channel 4 after finishing their contracts at a station in the nation's No. He's been inducted into three halls of famebut admits that early on, he did consider being a CPA instead of a radio broadcaster. Buffalo News archives. The person: Rick Azar. After that, he continued at several venerable stations, including WKBW in Buffalo, New York, WNBC and WOR in New York City, KQV in Pittsburgh, KMPC and KRTH in Los Angeles, WPOP and WDRC in Hartford, WIXY in Cleveland, and WIBG and WFIL in Philadelphia.. Many who played a part in making those smaller stations great feel slighted by the fact that KB has swallowed up the collective memory of the early rock nroll era; but its no slight on those great stations and the folks who worked there: Its more a testament to the incredible juggernaut that KB was. The promotion worked. ", Over the years Sandy has changed stations, formats and hairstyles but feels that Buffalo was always a good fit, saying " I managed to pick places where my personality and the things I like to do fit.". Didnt know a think about KB prior to getting off the plane in Buffalo, said Perry Allen. Faron Young, Capitol Records star, flew in to Buffalo from Nashville; The Pony Tails drove up from Cleveland; The Four Dates and Fabian of Chancellor Records flew in from Philadelphia; and the local recording group, The Tune Rockers, performed on the roof of one of the stores in the plaza. He writes about Buffalos pop culture history. Today’s top 694 Summer Internships jobs in Paris, le-de-France, France. It was built out in 1951 in the parking lot of Tabernaclewhich by the end of the decade was destined to become the home of WKBW-TV Ch.7. These Halloween productions are brilliant examples. Wally Wagoner was WKBWs Farm Director. Cichon puts his wide range of professional experiencefrom college professor, to PBS documentary producer, to radio news director, to candidate for countywide elected officeto work in producing meaningful interpretations of the two centuries worth of people, places, and events that make Buffalo the unique place that we love. By Alan Pergament. Azar, Jolls and Weinstein held their respective positions until Azar's retirement in June 1989. Much of the time he simply hid in the Old Cathedral. [1] With his wife, he had four children. "Folks, reg Id been offered a gig, at the same time, from KLIF in Dallas. Neaverth recalled that his first radio work was as a young teenager, when he, his longtime friend and collaborator Joey Reynolds, WEBR jockey Danny McBride, and others set up a closed-circuit radio station at a Boys Club in Buffalo, under a sponsorship deal with a local pizzeria that "paid" the jockeys in free pizza. His wife was having a pajama party. Rachele Mongiovi: The Channel 4 reporter left the station last week, a move that was reported here weeks ago. In addition to his duties with WKBW, he owned an artist-management firm, a music publishing company and was associated with the Mike Conner Publicity-Promotion office which was headquartered in Beverly Hills. The addition of Brooks, who was the head coach of the . You hear the voice, writing and production of Jeff Kaye; the engineering and production of Al Lafler, Dan Kreigler, and many others; the voices and writing of Dan Neaverth, Jim McLaughlin, Don Berns, Stan Roberts, Sandy Beach, Jack Armstrong, Shane Gibson, Joe Downey, Ron Baskin, Henry Brach, Jim Fagan, Don Lancer, Irv Weinstein, and others. With its clear-channel 50,000 watt signal, KB was heard all over the eastern half of North America. Ironically, the man who brought Elvis to Memorial Auditorium was out at KB when the station went Rock n Roll full-time. The stunt earned nationwide acclaim, and the group thanked Joey by producing a special radio jingle to introduce of his daily radio show, set to the tune of their hit "Big Girls Dont Cry"). Carlson was by far the network's most prominent personality, stepping in smoothly to replace former star host Bill O'Reilly after a series of sexual harassment allegations forced his departure. Enter WKBW Radio, soon with the corporate backing of owner Capital Cities (now THE DISNEY CORPORATION, by the way), and its monstrous 50,000 watt signal. Nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic . The concept of the American Teenager as we know it today is a relatively new one. WYSL-AM made a valiant effort to take on "KB" but never managed to topple the legendary giant. A Reynolds WPOP theme song put lyrics to the sax-laden hit "Wild Weekend", by Buffalo, NY group The Rockin' Rebels (the song had been written as a theme for another Buffalo radio personality, Tom Shannon). [2] Such was Azar's popularity that one of the sports anchors hired to replace him (the unrelated Jerry Azar) was chosen specifically because his last name was also Azar.[2]. Click image to learn more. Apr 5, 2019. Ed Edziu Cichon would sit out there, looking at the comings and goings on Seneca Street with a serene smile on his face, enjoying the music, his grandkids, and life in general. It was sort of weird a woman coming home from her honeymoon and on the first night shes has a pajama party? War of the Worlds 1973: The broadcast featuring an intro by Jim McLaughlin, Ron Baskin-KB Radio News, and Shane!- KB Radio Music. One boy from Cardinal OHara High School was convinced that it was The Beatles weird looks more than their musical ability thatmade them popular. BUFFALO, NY Its funny the way memories begin to haze. K-BIG Feature #3: The Story About WKBW's format switch to Top 40 in 1958. Moreover, he has been invited to speak about entertainment media at several radio industry conferences. Half of the audience was listening to KB. As the man who helped make the way for the Juice, McKenzie even became a spokesman for Niagara Mohawk. Roberts was the morning personality on WKBW from 1963 to 1971 before leaving to take in Boston. The station was located at 1420 Main Street in Buffalo, New York, and the call letters stood for "Well Known Bible Witness". This photo shows two well-known figures in 1970s Buffalo getting together to talk about jazz in in the WADV-FM studios.
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