The proof is in a quick search of WKBW on your favorite search engine. With hope and dreams, I turned on the ever present transistor receiver. As often happens, over the last 50 years, for better or for worse, people who remember Guy King or the earliest Tom Shannon or Daffy Dan Neaverth shows, will think they heard those things on KB, forgetting those early pioneering rock nroll days. His old friends and former co-workers gathered in the studio at WBEN 930am to congratulate Sandy Beach on a half century of Buffalo broadcasting. The Joey Reynolds Show was a resounding Number 1 in Buffalo. Steve's Buffalo roots run deep: all eight of his great-grandparents called Buffalo home, with his first ancestors arriving here in 1827. Moreover, he has been invited to speak about entertainment media at several radio industry conferences. WKBW-TV followed the team to the current facility in Orchard Park, N.Y. in 1973 (known then as Rich Stadium and now as Ralph Wilson Stadium). 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. "She was very proud of it, too. Western New Yorks embedded in his DNA. For my first two months in Buffalo, I nearly lived in Dick Lawrences office. [5], Azar also served as a color analyst on WKBW's (now WWKB) radio broadcast of the Buffalo Bills games, play-by-play man on the Bills preseason games televised on WKBW-TV and an intermission host on Buffalo Sabres hockey games televised in the 1970s on Ch 7. It played for over an hour, during which the station management arrived, police and paramedics showed up (in case Joey was incapacitated). The late newsman Ed Little wouldremember being in the room as packages containing female lingerie were opened; sent from Maryland by an obviously big fan. 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. The rock nroll era had arrived on a respectable, long established Buffalo radio station. In 1964, "Dialing For Dollars" hit the air with Liz Dribben and Nolan Johannes. Through the years, WKBW-TV changed ownership and location. 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. The first broadcast on that snowy night was the Jimmy Cagney classic film, "Yankee Doodle Dandy!"
Buffalo Radio - Buffalo Broadcasters Association Listeners were told to ask everyone they saw if they had the missing key for a Thunderbird that was sitting in a downtown dealerships window, and all you needed to do was find the key and start the motor. 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. Don Weeks. 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. Western New Yorks embedded in his DNA. Reynolds made a cameo appearance on the ill-fated Buffalo Night in America broadcast on WBBZ-TV in July 2012. Was it the haircuts, asked the Courier-Express Enquiring Reporter of Western New York high school students? The changes at the station went far deeper than programming and promotion. Tucker Carlson is joining a long list of nightly news hosts who once commanded huge audiences before quick departures from their networks. The view of Seneca Street from the Cichons porch on Fairview Place. New Summer Internships jobs added daily. 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).
The station began under the direction and ownership of the late Dr. Clinton H. Churchill. Reynolds excelled at comedic voice characterizations, his means of social commentary without it being directly attributable to "Joey Reynolds". They got a good gimmick and made it work.. Many of Buffalos Beatles dreams finally came true on Oct. 22, 2015, when Paul McCartney made his first appearance in Buffalo, singing songs that many in the audience had first heard 51 years earlier for the first time on a Sunday evening with Ed Sullivan. 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. Even though the present building is 30 years old, it still stands as a modern fixture in the city landscape with silver reflective panels. All outside as well as on air references confined station identification to KBW. 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. Buffalo Stories Archives. Lorenz wanted nothing to do with a Top 40 style format. He exited WNBC at the end of February 1987 and was replaced by Alan Colmes. As songs like Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets hit number one on the charts, Elvis Presley was still receiving second billing to Slim Whitman and Andy Griffith in stage shows around the south. 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. The 25-year veteran of Buffalo radio and television has written five books and curates The Buffalo Stories Archives-- hundreds of thousands of books, images, and audio/visual media which tell the stories of who we are in Western New York. Station manager Al Anscombe had been studying the modern top40 trends in broadcasting as markets across the country felt the power of the format. While Reynolds' present persona can be considered mellower by comparison, he still retains a loyal audience. 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. Most of the names already mentioned here made their way to KB, and many reading this might not know or remember they worked elsewhere. Don Yearke, known as Don Keller the Farm Feller back in the early 60s on KB, was recognized along with his KB Litter Box by a fan in Southern Pennsylvania. Read more . Young people were paying attention, but society not yet. She joined the station in 2012 as a weekend morning co-anchor. 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. . 53 television market. The Beatles in Buffalo? Four disc jockeys, brand new to the Buffalo audience were imported from major markets to from the base for the even newer WKBW. But eventually, a base of homegrown talent sprinkled with some of the most talented people from around the country, KB built an unprecedented following in Buffalo and around the country. 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. He was also the color man on Buffalo Bills broadcasts alongside Van Miller. The guy was a bug. The day: November 30, 1958. The young lady who won lived 100 miles from Buffalo. When station manager Al Anscombe first convinced the Reverend Clinton Churchill to make the switch to Top 40, initially, the station was stocked with out-of-towners at the direction of the man whod established WBNY as the citys Top 40 leader, program director Dick Lawrence. 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. Perry Allen, from KTLN in Denver was hired to fill the early morning 6 to 9 AM slot. The names change, but from Frank Sinatra to Justin Bieber, rigid-minded adults cant understand all the swooning over (some singer) with (some bizarre haircut, bizarre dance, etc.). 24 market in the country. With its clear-channel 50,000 watt signal, KB was heard all over the eastern half of North America.
694 Summer Internships Jobs in Paris, le-de-France, France - LinkedIn Some personalities are so renowned and celebrated just one name will do. Listeners were asked to search for the WKBW $200 Mystery Telephone Number, a number chosen from the Buffalo directory. BUFFALO, NY In the 1960s and 70s, Buffalos WKBW Radio billed itself as one of Americas two great radio stations.Never was that more on display than on Halloween night. He signed the station on with the words, "Ladies and Gentlemen .
John Zach: 50 years on Buffalo radio airwaves - ampoleagle.com Tucker Carlson ousted at Fox News amid lawsuit alleging sexism : NPR The addition of Brooks, who was the head coach of the . In 2014, the station was acquired by the prestigious E.W. 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. (Buffalo Stories archives). Anyone who worked at KB in its heyday has stories. Its general assembly is made up of elected business leaders and acts to represent and defend the interests of businesses with public authorities, as well as taking positions . Here's where reporters who left WIVB landed, along with other media nuggets. Starting in the mid 50s, and running through the mid 70s, its fair to say cumulatively, that nighttime KB disc jockeys like George Hound Dog Lorenz, Dick Biondi, Tommy Shannon, Jay Nelson, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Beach, and Jack Armstrong enjoyed more listeners on a single radio station during that clear-channel time in the evening, than any other station in the country.
WKBW RADIO 1520AM Buffalo New York 50,000kw - Forgotten Buffalo WKBW had a long 6 hour evening shift in it's glory days as Top 40. Who do you think is the biggest star or stars to do that stint? BUFFALO, NY Its funny the way memories begin to haze. He writes about Buffalos pop culture history. My initial handshake with the radio station came upon landing in Buffalo, recalls Perry Allan. For 70 years, more mature generations have been panning the choices of teenage girls and especially the fervor with which they make those choices. 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. His big break came in 1966, when he joined WIXY Radio in Cleveland. 20 market in the country. Hes remembered most for peeking at us through the hole in the record behind the microphones of upstart WBNY radio in the 1950s as Daffy Dan, then WGR Radio, and then 25 years at WKBW Radio with most of those years as Buffalos morning man. You have permission to edit this article. War of the Worlds 1971: The broadcast featuring an intro by Jeff Kaye, Joe Downey-KB Radio News, and Jack Armstrong- KB Radio Music. 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 . Beyonce. Don Yearke, known as Don Keller the Farm Feller back in the early 60s on KB, was recognized along with his KB Litter Box by a fan in Southern Pennsylvania. WYSL-AM made a valiant effort to take on "KB" but never managed to topple the legendary giant. But it wasnt just radio Neaverth was also a TV weatherman on Channel 7 and later Channel 2. This page is not available in other languages. War of the Worlds 1968: The original broadcast featuring an intro by Dan Neaverth, Joe Downey-KB Radio News, and Sandy Beach- KB Radio Music. 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. 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. 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. 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. Christoforosreturned to her New England area home and has taken a job in public relations in Watertown, Mass. The program is completely on Polish, save the opening and closing voiceover by an WKBW staff announcer, perhaps Larry Brownell. In 1974, Jeff Kaye became the afternoon drive host on KBs competitor WBEN, effectively ending any future reworking of the covering of the invasion half of the show which remained mostly unchanged through the different broadcasts. Sandy Beach started in 1968 at WKBW Radio. Buffalo Stories archives.
What's Next for Tucker Carlson? Former Anchors Chart a Possible Course Beatlemania continued at a fever pitch through all of 1964 and 1965. Under the guidance of Dick Lawrence, Director of Programming, Promotions and Publicity for the station, KB made a drastic change in its format by virtually eliminated all previously carried programs, both network and local, and substituting what Lawrence called, ultra modern broadcasting techniques designed to entertain, inform and serve the greatest majority of the radio audience.. Lee Forster brought the sounds of Western music and folk music to KB, as he had also done on Ch.4s Barn Dance show. Half of the audience was listening to KB. No one could ever find it until the station gave an easy clue on the air. Prior to coming to WKBW, Azar was an actor and musician in New York City, as well as a staff announcer for NBC in New York, leaving New York City after failing to secure long-term employment there. Many others agreed, but said it was the combination of talent and different looks that made the Beatles just far out., Buffalo Courier-Express. The rock nroll era had arrived on a respectable, long established Buffalo radio station. That station was attempting to move into a more talk intensive full service format with music taking a backseat but was still heard. BUFFALO, NY For me, hearing the name Stan Jasinski conjures up images of my grandfather, sitting on his South Buffalo porch listening to cassette tapes of polka radio shows he had taped the previous weekend. Their 30-year tenure became the cornerstone for "Eyewitness News" and that tradition continues today. He's been inducted into three halls of famebut admits that early on, he did consider being a CPA instead of a radio broadcaster. After the July, 1964 release of The Beatles first film A Hard Days Night, the summer of 1965 saw the release of the Beatles secondmovie, Help!, which opened at Sheas before moving onto the smaller theaters and the drive-ins. Click image to learn more. KB was a hit from day one.. 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. 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. Girls scream for The Beatles on the big screen at the Paramount Theatre, March, 1964. The first day was awesome, remembers Art Roberts. Narrated by then-KB Radio newsman Irv Weinstein, this piece reflects the KB staff from its first year as a Top 40 station. The late newsman Ed Little wouldremember being in the room as packages containing female lingerie were opened; sent from Maryland by an obviously big fan. Jack Kelly, KBs all night jock prior to July 4th, was only of the few voices to be carried over to the new format. Narrated by Irv Weinstein, Instant KB was actually released on a single-sided album sized record for distribution sponsors on the local and national level. "My daughter Sarah is a former Countess Pulaski," said the proud father. writing about the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. 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. The 25-year veteran of Buffalo radio and television has written five books and curates The Buffalo Stories Archives-- hundreds of thousands of books, images, and audio/visual media which tell the stories of who we are in Western New York. He signed the station on with the words, "Ladies and Gentlemen, WKBW-TV Channel 7 is on-the-air!" KB goes KABOOM with FUTURESONIC RADIO! In Denver, Colorado, he hosted a radio-television simulcast on KOA-AM, and launched (and hosted) the first nationwide satellite radio programming featured on more than 35 radio stations coast-to-coast. A specially written and produced KB Preview Party was broadcast from 12 Noon to 2 PM on Friday, July 4th. By the mid 50s, Lorenzs hip daddy style, and the fact that he was spinning records from black artists, made him an institution. 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. Lawrence meant the 4th of July; Allen showed up the 4th of May. Listeners were urged to apply adhesive tape to their backs in the form of the station call letters and asked to allow themselves to tan in the sun. In addition, a WKBW Community Bulletin Board was featured on all disc jockeys shifts which highlighted activities of local churches, schools and civic organizations. Find out more about our newscasts, our personalities, our mobile apps, our newsletters and more - all in one place. It is unlikely she would return to Buffalo TV. 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. Fueled by the notion of carving out a demographic niche among Buffalo teens and very young adults, the little 250-watt station went rock and roll in a bold move that would soon change the . 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. ", 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.". Buffalo Evening News, 1964.
Kgopolo on Twitter: "CASTING NEWS: Faith Mangope & Brighton Mhlongo 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. New Registered Nurse jobs added daily. 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. Oats was always a terrific interview. No one should begrudge him for leaving for that deal. Neaverth, perhaps with his boyish good looks and demeanor, evaded arrest for his stunt. Perlman landed at the CBS owned and operated station in Sacramento, Calif., which is the No. He was the public address announcer for the NBA Braves and the NFL Bills. Azar died March 25, 2021, at age 91 at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital in Williamsville, New York, following years of old age-related decline.[7][2]. [3], Rick Azar began his career at WHLD radio in Niagara Falls in the early 1950s. 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. What to my wondering ear should appear but a polka, hold everything! The person: Rick Azar. I also ripped a phone off the wall and threw it at Mike Joseph in Buffalo missing him by a hair. Click image for more. For that reason, KB owns a special place not only in Buffalos pop cultural lexicon, but also for thousands and thousands of fans, who just like the ones in Buffalo, fell asleep with their transistor under their pillow, wondering where the hell Lackawanna was. 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. Rhythm and blues was still working its way into rock n roll, and it was still a little time before Elvis started to become recognized first as the hottest hillbilly attraction and the king of western bop..
SHANNON SIGNING OFF AFTER 50 YEARS IN RADIO - Buffalo News 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"). Why? He spent much of his retirement in Whispering Pines, North Carolina before returning to Buffalo in 2014.[2]. Today’s top 47 Registered Nurse jobs in Paris, le-de-France, France. 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. (O . As the outgoing public face of The Electric Company, Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Reggie McKenzie and his fellow guard Joe DeLamielleure were given plenty of credit for O.J. The Beatles are different. Amstrong was born John Charles Larsh in December 1945. For a period of time, Dick just disappeared from public view. Id been offered a gig, at the same time, from KLIF in Dallas. He would join WGR in 1972 where he . Gotta be careful what you say on a 50,000 WATT radio station., In the latter part of the50sJohn Barrett and Perry Allen evolved a call letter-napping. Someone, as established in the promo spots, had stolen one of our Ws, recalls Allen. Well, a week into the contest, a kid playing in the area, finds the bankbook, and his parents claim the prize. Dan Neaverth was inducted in the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2000.
When you browse the blog here at Buffalo Stories LLC, youre bound to not only relive a memory but also find some context for our pop culture past and see exciting ways how it might fit into our regions boundless future. For the last fifteen years he's been a talk show host at WBEN930am. Among the others on KBs deejay staff in the mid-50s were Herb Knight, George Hound Dog Lorenz, and Larry Brownell. The studio was on rural Niagara Falls Boulevard, in a location which soon would be the home of Swiss Chalet for the next 50 years. Youll also hear from Russ Syracuse, Johnny Barrett, Art Roberts, and Dick Biondi. The first broadcast on that snowy night was the James Cagney classic film, Yankee Doodle Dandy. (Buffalo Stories archives). A strong WBEN, and impending loss of WKBWs NBC affiliation combined with WBNYs success was enough to convince Anscombe to hire Dick Lawrence away from the small station. He found superb vehicles not only for his own talent, but also put the stars of KB in situations where they could shine brightest. When you browse the blog here at Buffalo Stories LLC, youre bound to not only relive a memory but also find some context for our pop culture past and see exciting ways how it might fit into our regions boundless future. [1] Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV in Buffalo at WGR TV 2 and he worked at various stations, including at WNBC. Whether you loved the Beatles or hated them, they were clearly a growing economic force to be reckoned with. The new KB also introduced a service unique to the market with meteorologist Louis Allen. (News file photo) By Sharon Cantillon. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. One boy from Cardinal OHara High School was convinced that it was The Beatles weird looks more than their musical ability thatmade them popular. The person: Rick Azar. It is hard to believe anyone would criticize him for taking a job that pays three times as much as UB could afford and that sets his family up for life. Sixteen-year-old Jay Burch of Orchard Park High School described Beatlemania from the midst of it in 1964 this way: The Beatles singing is OK, but its the haircuts and dress that make them standouts. Station management gave each of the new disc jockeys a membership in the Junior Chamber of Commerce and several other civic organizations in-order increase their visibility not only to listeners but to business and civic leaders who would supply KB with needed advertising dollars.