His work in the community for dozens of causes and charities over the last 60 years has been unmatched. The result was a frenzy in which people called each other asking, Is this the WKBW $200 mystery telephone number?. 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. Buffalo Stories Archives. 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. KB and the city of Buffalo played such a special, memorable role in my checkered, disreputable life. The Joey Reynolds Show was a resounding Number 1 in Buffalo. It was a McClendon station. Like all the departing Channel 4 reporters, she had nothing but nice things to say on social networks about her time in Western New York. 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. 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. 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. Through the years, WKBW-TV changed ownership and location. The club included a weekly newsletter and discounts from KB advertisers. WXRA later became WINE, where Hernando played host. One night, Reynolds started playing an endless loop of a The Four Seasons song, and locked the studio door from the inside. His big break came in 1966, when he joined WIXY Radio in Cleveland. Lorenz wanted nothing to do with a Top 40 style format. The rock nroll era had arrived on a respectable, long established Buffalo radio station. 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. Paul McCartney during his 2015 show at First Niagara Center. 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. By Alan Pergament. Each of the holsters held a transistor radio one to our station and one to WBNY.. Neaverth, perhaps with his boyish good looks and demeanor, evaded arrest for his stunt. Thats especially true when you consider what Oats said in one of his priceless TV interviews, -- after signing what turned out to be a meaningless contract extension -- that he would be at UB unless some other school came in with something crazy. Alabama came through with something crazy at around $2.5 million a year. Through the years, WKBW-TV has served a mix of local programming, and news that serves the Western New York community, with many viewers in Southern Ontario as well. Why? As many of the smaller stations in Buffalo were churning out rhythm and blues music all day, at night, for Buffalo and the entire eastern seaboard, the Hound Sound was around.. "Rocketship 7" kicked off the day with host Dave Thomas and "Promo The Robot!" Never before, and never since, has a radio station been so dominant in Buffalo. Buffalo Bills guard Reggie McKenzie and WADV-FM disc jockey Fred Klestine. 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. . Local radio legend Sandy Beach retires after 60 years - WKBW Schanz landed a job at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, the nation's No. KB goes KABOOM with FUTURESONIC RADIO! WKBW-TV signed on and continues as one of the top ABC affiliates in the country. 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. Suivez l'actualit francilienne, le trafic en temps rel, la mto, les faits divers, les bons plans culture et loisirs avec BFM Paris le-de-France, premire chane info de Paris et d'le . Western New Yorks embedded in his DNA. For the last fifteen years he's been a talk show host at WBEN930am. Through the years, he called Canisius and Niagara basketball, Buffalo Bisons baseball and Buffalo Bisons hockey. In 1978, the station moved from Main Street to the current facility near Buffalo's waterfront, at 7 Broadcast Plaza (Church and South Elmwood Sts.). 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. PHOTOS: WGR turns 100-years-old! - Audacy 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. Young people were paying attention, but society not yet. 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. Soon to be gone was KBs ethnic, country & western and religious programming as well as George Lorenz who would not conform to a strict top40 play list. The view of Seneca Street from the Cichons porch on Fairview Place. #KgopoloReports . Sandy Beach was in the original broadcast in 1968, Jack Armstrong was in the 1971 version, and Shane in 1973. Most of these recordings played several times through the years, starting in 1967 and running through the late 70s. A specially written and produced KB Preview Party was broadcast from 12 Noon to 2 PM on Friday, July 4th. Of course, his face and voice were everywhere for Bells Supermarkets and dozens of other Western New York businesses through the years. Even though The Hound was on KB in 1955, his sound was not reflective of the station by any means. 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 energetic Lawrence formed the National Association of Independent Program Directors while at KB. Two crack time salesmen and a commercial manger where hired to insure that FutureSonic was profitable, Don Bannister and Warren Potash filled the sales office and Tony Rocco, well know in Buffalo advertising circles at the time became the sales manger. Shelton Square, featuring The Palace Burlesk and WWOL Radio. Stations like WBNY, WWOL, WXRA, and later WYSL and a host of others were capturing the imaginations of young people in Buffalo. She joined the station in 2012 as a weekend morning co-anchor. Some images and text used throughout the site are protected by individual copyright holders. The primary difference in each is the news guy, disc jockey and the music at the start of the show. Local bands like the Buffalo Beetles, later renamed the Mods, enjoyed popularity and even their own records on the radio. First appeared on album form from the industry periodical Programmers Digest., Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com. Station manager Al Anscombe had been studying the modern top40 trends in broadcasting as markets across the country felt the power of the format. The Disc Jockeys of WKBW. Biondi, known by many as the Wild Itralian had a legendary temper. Read more . 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. 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. According to sources, her husband is a lawyer in Chicago. 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. 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. On July 4, 1958, Futursonic Radio was alive on WKBW. Beyonce. Steve Garrin was the producer and guest booker. By Steve Cichon http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/thebed.mp3, http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/themonkeyspaw.mp3. Steve's Buffalo roots run deep: all eight of his great-grandparents called Buffalo home, with his first ancestors arriving here in 1827. His old friends and former co-workers gathered in the studio at WBEN930amto congratulate Sandy Beach on a half century of Buffalo broadcasting. 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. writing about the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. Tommy Shannon first made girls swoon at WXRA Radio, from a location way out in the boonies. People from all over the country, and not just Buffalo transplants, have built websites dedicated to keeping the memory of WKBW alive. 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. http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/mccartney.mp3, Jeff Kaye, Dan Neaverth, Stan Roberts and the K-Big DJs added gasoline to the Paul is dead fire with Paul McCartney is alive and Well Maybe?, http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/dontturnaround.mp3. Radio legend celebrates 50 years in Buffalo - WKBW 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. Much of the time he simply hid in the Old Cathedral. Here's where reporters who left WIVB landed, along with other media nuggets. Mongiovi is now a reporter at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, the No. 694 Summer Internships Jobs in Paris, le-de-France, France - LinkedIn 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. War of the Worlds 1973: The broadcast featuring an intro by Jim McLaughlin, Ron Baskin-KB Radio News, and Shane!- KB Radio Music. All rights reserved. This photo shows two well-known figures in 1970s Buffalo getting together to talk about jazz in in the WADV-FM studios. Tom Shannon, a nationally known disc jockey who made his mark in local broadcasting in the late 1950s with the old WKBW-AM 1520, will retire March 31 as afternoon DJ at WHTT-FM 104.1, a rock. K-BIG Feature #2: Visit the history WKBW Radio Studios located at 1430 Main Street. 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. It was fifty years ago to the day that Sandy was first heard on the airwaves of WKBWradio. 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. 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. 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. Ironically, the man who brought Elvis to Memorial Auditorium was out at KB when the station went Rock n Roll full-time. Scripps Company, which has been a guiding light in journalism since being founded by Edward Willis Scripps in 1878. One night I got mad at my boss who had just come home from his honeymoon. "Folks, reg 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, 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, Buffalo in the 70s: Reggie McKenzie & Fred Klestine, Buffalo in the 60s: Beatlemania in the Queen City, Buffalo in the 70s: Danny Neaverth, one of Buffalos greatest pop culture stars, Stan Jasinski on WKBW, Christmas Day 1954. . 14 market. The call letters of WADV-FM were changed to WYRK-FM in 1981. Lorenz wanted nothing to do with a Top 40 style format. Dan Neaverth narrates People places things. No content may be copied or reused without written permission fromForgotten Buffalo. WKBW History - Our past as we continue to serve WNY | WKBW.com Azar wrote a memoir, "Tales From Azar's Attic". With an eventual 50% of the marketshare, KB quickly blew all of the much smaller competitors out of the water. WKBW RADIO 1520AM Buffalo New York 50,000kw - Forgotten Buffalo Here's where reporters who left WIVB landed, along with other media nuggets. About Us - Our newscasts, staff, and more - WKBW 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 . No one should begrudge him for leaving for that deal. 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. What was it about the Beatles? 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. All contents of this site 2020 byForgotten Buffalo. Steve Cichon is a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. SHANNON SIGNING OFF AFTER 50 YEARS IN RADIO - Buffalo News 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. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: FINDING THE TOUGH ONES - Buffalo News The listening audience was, of course, outraged. Youll also hear Stas singing along with the Paderewski Singing Society, working Lucki-Urban into Polish Christmas carols, including a Polish version of Jingle Bells. This page is not available in other languages. He began his radio career as a 14-year-old in 1960 at WCHL Radio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Tommy Shannon first made girls swoon at WXRA Radio, from a location way out in the boonies. His stories of Buffalo's past have appeared more than 1600 times in The Buffalo News. 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. He had a nightly ritual wearing a purple robe lighting a purple candle on his purple radio while talking over his Night People" instrumental theme which was "Tarantula" by The Tarantulas. 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. 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. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Click image for more. Its a part of Buffalos past of which we should all be proud. [1] Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV in Buffalo at WGR TV 2 and he worked at various stations, including at WNBC. [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. Spot surveys taken over the first weekend of the new operation found literally hundreds of persons dotting beaches and back yards with WKBW large and white on their backs, arms and legs. The Beatles also played a concert at Torontos Maple Leaf Gardens in August 1965. Born in Boston, educated in suburban Philadelphia, Lawrence considered Washington, D.C. his home. K-BIG Feature #2: Visit the history WKBW Radio Studios located at 1430 Main Street. With its clear-channel 50,000 watt signal, KB was heard all over the eastern half of North America. Stan Jasinskis Complete Christmas 1954 broadcast on WKBW Radio, with the Paderewski Singing Society. The next day I was fired.. 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. http://www.staffannouncer.com/kbhalloween/peopleplacesandthings.mp3. Carroll Hardy, who would go on to become one of WEBRs legendary jazz deejays, was one of the many men who served as WKBWs Clock Watcher, broadcasting live from the front lawn of the radio station on Main Street near Utica every morning. Many others agreed, but said it was the combination of talent and different looks that made the Beatles just far out., Buffalo Courier-Express. They have continued their careers . It would have been the Beatles' first concert in North America. By 1964, American fuddy-duddies had withstood the waves of bobbysoxers and Elvis wagging hips but the arrival of a moppy-headed quartet of singers from England took the genre up another notch. Jack Kelly, KBs all night jock prior to July 4th, was only of the few voices to be carried over to the new format. 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. The program is completely on Polish, save the opening and closing voiceover by an WKBW staff announcer, perhaps Larry Brownell. His next programs were morning shows and at that point Joey had evolved into more of a talk intensive program. Fox News Parts Ways With Weekend Host Dan Bongino - Variety He is followed by another top flight personality, Dick Biondi, who was most recently with WHOT, Youngstown, Ohio. 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 was a concert promoter and recording artist (who could forget Rats in My Room, even if they tried?). He's a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. 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. What helped him decide his career path was he says he wanted to entertain people and didn't want to wear a tie. As many of the smaller stations in Buffalo were churning out rhythm and blues music all day, at night, for Buffalo and the entire eastern seaboard, the Hound Sound was around.. 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. Deejay Shane Gibson, 'The Cosmic Cowboy,' dies at 78 - Buffalo News Rick Azar & Tom Jolls", "Legendary 7 Eyewitness News broadcaster Rick Azar has died", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Azar&oldid=1098589138, This page was last edited on 16 July 2022, at 15:16. 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. Program from the night Joey Reynolds and Fred Klestine wrestled the Gallagher Brothers at Memorial Auditorium.. [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]. My great grandfather lived in an apartment in the yellow house on the right. 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. Cher. It wasnt just with the expected idea of record sales at places like Twin Fair, more staid institutions such asAM&As were offering The Beatle Bob in their downtown and branch store beauty salons. One boy from Cardinal OHara High School was convinced that it was The Beatles weird looks more than their musical ability thatmade them popular. 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. BUFFALO, NY Its funny the way memories begin to haze. The Joey Reynolds Show was a resounding Number 1 in Buffalo. The King and The Hound, Memorial Auditorium. Before Top 40 came to KB, Stan Barron hosted the Morning Clockwatcher show, live each morning outside the Main Street studios. Neaverth has entertained his present and former fan base by featuring his quick wit and the great memories of WKBW Radio. I also ripped a phone off the wall and threw it at Mike Joseph in Buffalo missing him by a hair. WKBW | RadioDiscussions steve@buffalostories.com My proudest promotional moment was when the audience voted me KB King, recalls Art Roberts. Most of the names already mentioned here made their way to KB, and many reading this might not know or remember they worked elsewhere. The first day was awesome, remembers Art Roberts. 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. (News file photo) By Sharon Cantillon. 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. The first broadcast on that snowy night was the James Cagney classic film, Yankee Doodle Dandy. 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. 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.