(Buffalo Stories archives). Sanders, who was hired by Channel 7s legendary Irv Weinstein as newsroom secretary and eventually became the stations assistant news director, was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2013. The new format included a large amount of public interest information and services. It became a cornerstone for a company that would later acquire the ABC television network before selling that to the Walt Disney Company. "The Commander Tom Show" anchored the afternoons with a mix of cartoons and information with Tom Jolls and puppets "Dustmop" and "Mattie The Mod!" What to my wondering ear should appear but a polka, hold everything! The person: Rick Azar. While Program Director Jeff Kaye might be best remembered for that deep resonant voice which he used like Horowitz on a Steinway, he was also perhaps the greatest producer and writer that is to say, the greatest radio mind of the generation. Joey Reynolds was in the category of disc jockey, playing music on music intensive radio stations from the very late 1950s until the mid-1980s during his time on Z100 and WFIL. The Kings Ball was the easy part, we had over a thousand people outside that the fire marshal would not let in. Tommy Shannon first made girls swoon at WXRA Radio, from a location way out in the boonies. The day: November 30, 1958. Henry Ford didnt invent the automobile, he was just the first to make the same car available to everyone. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News). The rock nroll era had arrived on a respectable, long established Buffalo radio station. Here's where reporters who left WIVB landed, along with other media nuggets. This photo shows two well-known figures in 1970s Buffalo getting together to talk about jazz in in the WADV-FM studios. [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]. Never before, and never since, has a radio station been so dominant in Buffalo. It presented, in capsule from, a regular broadcast day, on the even newer KB. He also started an on air club for his listeners called The Royal Order Of The Night People. In fact, The Hounds lead-in show six nights a week was Stan Jasinskis Polka Beehive. 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. I had promised a free Kings Ball rock and roll concert if I won, and also promised the person with the longest list of votes that I would carry their books to school every day for a week. Nicknamed The Singing Evangelist, The Encyclopedia of America Gospel Music calls Beck a seminal figure in the formative years of modern African-American gospel music. His shows aired Sunday nights on KB. By 1995, Joey was no longer playing music on his shows and in 1996 he arrived at WOR in New York. K-BIG Feature #2: Visit the history WKBW Radio Studios located at 1430 Main Street. The writing and production stands up almost 50 years later, and gives the listener a true sense of the talent that went into playing the hits on KB. The guy was a bug. He exited WNBC at the end of February 1987 and was replaced by Alan Colmes. He would join WGR in 1972 where he . Some personalities are so renowned and celebrated just one name will do. Reynolds' last show, which was segregated into the "Final Gay Hour," the "Final Jewish Hour" and "The Final Hour," aired the morning of April 3, 2010. 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. As the man who helped make the way for the Juice, McKenzie even became a spokesman for Niagara Mohawk. Didnt know a think about KB prior to getting off the plane in Buffalo, said Perry Allen. During his time in Buffalo, he and fellow DJ Danny Neaverth recorded a novelty single entitled "Rats in My Room" (an expanded and rearranged cover of a Leona Anderson song of the same name). He has been a talk show host since. Copyright 2020Buffalo Broadcasters. Some images and text used throughout the site are protected by individual copyright holders. Hengerers was selling Beatles records and wigs. It starts with The Perry Allen show, with an Irv Weinstein KB Pulsebeat Newscast with some of the great writing and style Irv would become known for in Buffalo over the next 40 years. Anyone who worked at KB in its heyday has stories. The rock n'roll era had arrived on a respectable, long established Buffalo radio . 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. 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. 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. Career. The program began with hosts Brian Kahle and Nancy Foreman, and continued with Linda Pellegrino, and reporter/co-host Jon Summers, and is currently hosted by Emily Lampa and Mercedes Wilson. McDonald's has closed its U.S. offices through Wednesday and told its corporate staff to work remotely as it prepares to announce a round of layoffs. We look forward to many more years of delivering 7 News, weather, sports, programming, and information into your home every day! Ricardo Efrain Thomas Aquino Carballada de Babilon[1] (April24, 1929[2] March 25, 2021), known professionally as Rick Azar, was an American broadcaster who spent 31 years at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. A leader in technology, WKBW-TV was one of the first stations in the country with LIVE EYE microwave units in the 1970s and first in the market with a satellite newsgathering truck, NEWSTAR 7, in 1991. Reynolds is often regarded as an early progenitor of "shock talk radio", whose sometimes outlandish on and off-air stunts garnered widespread publicity. Dorothy Ireland was on the air daily as Kay B. Cooke with interviews and homemaking tips. Program from the night Joey Reynolds and Fred Klestine wrestled the Gallagher Brothers at Memorial Auditorium.. For 70 years, more mature generations have been panning the choices of teenage girls and especially the fervor with which they make those choices. By Steve Cichon 25 overall in NFL draft, Former waitress sentenced to 2 to 5 years in prison in $50,000 lottery scheme, M&T to relocate 400 employees as it sheds 12% of local office space because of remote work, Tracking UB football's undrafted free-agent signings: LB James Patterson to join Bills for rookie camp, WR Justin Marshall heads to Atlanta, UB releases salaries for men's, women's basketball assistants and support staff, New UB men's basketball coach George Halcovage III gets 5-year contract with annual base salary of $325,000, UB women's basketball hires former Buffalo State standout Jacey Brooks as associate head coach, Five things to know about Buffalo Bills seventh-round pick Nick Broeker, Five things to know about Buffalo Bills seventh-round pick Alex Austin, Five things to know about Buffalo Bills fifth-round pick Justin Shorter, New Buffalo Bills guard O'Cyrus Torrence talks about his play. She deserves all the praise she is getting over her work at WKBW-TV (Channel 7) during its glory days and at WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) and WIVB-TV after that. 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. Azar was a graduate of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and Canisius College; he chose the surname Azar as a nod to his Hispanic ancestry, as many Spaniard names ended with "-azar." Later during KBs first month under the FutureSonic format, another promotional stunt which meet with tremendous interest and success was the KB Beach Buddy, KB Beach Beauty contest. Michael Brocia hosted music and news in Italian on Saturdays on WKBW. The first broadcast on that snowy night was the James Cagney classic film, Yankee Doodle Dandy. Click image for more. It was under the direction of Al Anscombe that the mostly staid, conservative, WKBW would up-end radio not just in Buffalo but around the country when, as their ad campaign said, KB Goes KA-BOOM! introducing a Top-40 style rock n roll format which debuted 19 months after the 30thanniversary of Doc Churchills WKBW was celebrated in 1956. 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." When the station went rock and roll in 1958, Tommy would dominate not only Western New York but also about 17 states and a couple of Nations. The gauntlet was tossed to the audience, Find the individual concerned and win a swimming pool. Clues lead to the ultimate uncovering of the culprit who had in his possession a letter W.. Learn how and when to remove this template message. While inspiring many of the changes that came to KB and many other stations around the country, the Hound stayed true to his style, and founded WBLK Radio; where he continued to uncover and spotlight new artists, both in Buffalo, and to a syndicated audience around the country. Dan Bongino, one of the most right-leaning hosts in the Fox News stable, is leaving the network after the Fox Corp.-backed outlet and he could not come to terms on a new contract. He worked at various other radio stations in North Carolina. Ironically, the man who brought Elvis to Memorial Auditorium was out at KB when the station went Rock n Roll full-time. He's been inducted into three halls of famebut admits that early on, he did consider being a CPA instead of a radio broadcaster. For those who remember listening to Jasinski near the end of his broadcast career as I do, his cadence and voice is amazingly consistent, sounding virtually identical, and very much recognizable, 40 years earlier. Why? The result was a frenzy in which people called each other asking, Is this the WKBW $200 mystery telephone number?. He found superb vehicles not only for his own talent, but also put the stars of KB in situations where they could shine brightest. 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. Young people were paying attention, but society not yet. For the last fifteen years he's been a talk show host at WBEN930am. A week into the contest, a lady slid into the car, took out her old Ford key, and fired up the T-Bird. Reynolds' career memoir is titled, Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella, But Dont Get a Mouthful of Rain. Jeff Kaye narrates with the KB Players in The Darkness. 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. Through the years, he called Canisius and Niagara basketball, Buffalo Bisons baseball and Buffalo Bisons hockey. 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. 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. The answer laid in an even newer, more modern, up-to-date formula, which according to Lawrence responded to the wide-spread, major appeal necessary in the highly competitive broadcasting industry of 1958. First appeared on album form from the industry periodical Programmers Digest., Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com. Baffos bar on Main Street. No content may be copied or reused without written permission fromForgotten Buffalo. 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. Azar lived in Pinehurst, North Carolina with his wife Edith, and hosted a weekly jazz radio program on WLHC-FM Life 103.1 through at least the late 2000s. It would have been the Beatles' first concert in North America. KB goes KABOOM with FUTURESONIC RADIO! writing about the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. Station manager Al Anscombe had been studying the modern top40 trends in broadcasting as markets across the country felt the power of the format. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Steve Garrin was the producer and guest booker. WKBW-AM History. His next programs were morning shows and at that point Joey had evolved into more of a talk intensive program. Remembered as one of Buffalos most beloved sports broadcasters, Stan Barron was also a disc jockey through most of his time in Buffalo radio, including his turn as WKBWs Clock Watcher. The Joey Reynolds Show was a resounding Number 1 in Buffalo. She has told her social network followers that she is considering her next step while being paid through June 1. KB broadcast to the white area on the map. The Beatles in Buffalo? 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. From 1958 to 1988, Al Lafler had his hand on the rudder of the production sound that allowed KB to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Please contactus at. Rick Azar was the first voice heard on WKBW-TV on November 30, 1958. In 2014, the station was acquired by the prestigious E.W. Despite a pioneering spirit and great imaginative programming, each of those true rock nroll pioneer stations had unique problems. Through the years, WKBW-TV changed ownership and location. As the popularity of the station grew during 1958 and 1959, the promotion became more intense. Other, that is, than the fact is was a 50kw NBC affiliate. Bono. While inspiring many of the changes that came to KB and many other stations around the country, the Hound stayed true to his style, and founded WBLK Radio; where he continued to uncover and spotlight new artists, both in Buffalo, and to a syndicated audience around the country. He was a member of the staff that included Perry Allen, Russ "the Moose" Syracuse, Art Roberts and Dick Biondi along with Jack Kelly (all Night). Youll hear snippets of disc jockeys Stan Roberts, Fred Klestine, Jay Nelson, Dan Neaverth, and Joey Reynolds at work, followed by a Henry Brach newscast, and a quick excerpt from Irv Weinsteins documentary Buffalo and La Cosa Nostra. Many KB commercialsand contests follow. Halcovage's contract began March 30, 2023, and runs through March 29, 2028. Dan Lesniak, right, with Cassie Lanzalaco, was a KB salesman who founded one of the stations that helped usher in the FM era of Buffalo radio as the owner of WADV-FM. His old friends and former co-workers gathered in the studio at WBEN930amto congratulate Sandy Beach on a half century of Buffalo broadcasting. "My daughter Sarah is a former Countess Pulaski," said the proud father. In 1964, "Dialing For Dollars" hit the air with Liz Dribben and Nolan Johannes. Schanz landed a job at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, the nation's No. Buffalo Evening News headline, 1964. The first day was awesome, remembers Art Roberts. My proudest promotional moment was when the audience voted me KB King, recalls Art Roberts. Jack Kelly, KBs all night jock prior to July 4th, was only of the few voices to be carried over to the new format. It played for over an hour, during which the station management arrived, police and paramedics showed up (in case Joey was incapacitated). Friday, July 4th in Independence Day, and WKBW goes K-Boom! Over a thousand imitation firecrackers, each containing the Its Hot flier, were mailed to ad agencies, clients and members of the trade press. Each of the new disc jockeys showcased in a nearly wrapped music package, surrounded with all the happy excitement the stations new sound was to feature. He instead stated that, though he was comfortable being in the public spotlight, he did not feel an overwhelming need for it and felt that he retired at the right time. Today’s top 694 Summer Internships jobs in Paris, le-de-France, France. Art Roberts, formerly with Gordon McClendon and more recently the afternoon man at WCUE, Akron Ohio handled the 2 to 6 PM slot. Stan Jasinskis Complete Christmas 1954 broadcast on WKBW Radio, with the Paderewski Singing Society. The addition of Brooks, who was the head coach of the . Weather Bureau forecast. 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. By Alan Pergament. Catching up with names in the news while I was out of the country: Nancy Sanders: A local legend in media circles who has worked behind the scenes at all three local news departments, Sanders left her job as news operations manager at WIVB-TV (Channel 4) this week and is getting social media love from those she has mentored in a 45-year broadcasting career. K-BIG Feature #1: Forgotten Buffalo Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of KB's Format Change to Top 40. War of the Worlds 1971: The broadcast featuring an intro by Jeff Kaye, Joe Downey-KB Radio News, and Jack Armstrong- KB Radio Music. Either they werent well financed, or had daytime-only signals so weak that they couldnt be heard throughout the city and all the nearby suburbs. ", Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. The new KB also introduced a service unique to the market with meteorologist Louis Allen. Buffalo Evening News, 1964. http://blog.buffalostories.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/KB72sm.mp3, The famous Jeff Kaye produced and narrated look at KB in 1971, with jocks Danny Neaverth, Jack Sheridan, Don Berns, Sandy Beach, Jack Armstrong, Bob McCrea, and Casey Piotrowski, with Kayes thoughts and insights on each in between. creative names for data analytics team, icon i40 golf cart accessories,