Quite an accolade. The Hound, as well as the many who helped him and his sons create and sustain WBLK, would be proud. Drake paid tribute to the radio station he "grew up listening to" while living in Toronto. In those days 93.7 came in "like a local." These days, not so much, with encroachment, flotsam and jetsam flanking so many US and Canadian FM frequencies. Many people outside the market are unaware of the great heritage that sprang forth from this region's AM and FM radio stations. Lorenz put WBLK on the air during a time when many people on both sides of the speakers thought FM was some crazy, short-lived radio experiment. A time when some operators turned in their FM licenses. Others, like WKBW which had an early hold on the 105.7 frequency, failed to build out their CPs.
While most FM stations simulcast their AM sisters or aired classical or "elevator" music, The Hound was wailin' and playin' the blues. His station at first was block programmed, doing Country in mornings and early middays, followed by R&B from 3 to midnight, and jazz and blues later in the night. More than a few Buffalo radio legacies have opined that Alan "Moon Dog" Freed copped his moniker from George "Hound Dog" Lorenz when "the Hound was around in Hound Town," playing R&B "race music" for Western New York and Northeast America on 50 thousand watt WKBW. Whether that is in fact true, is debatable.
WBLK has maintained its core format and original call letters for more than 50 years. Lorenz and WBLK were trendsetters; testimony provided by none other than one of the biggest hip hop performers in the business. Yeah, some serious props.
