an obscure question

[talkjim]

But I'm sure some of the historians on this board can answer it. I've been reading Tom Brokaw's book that came out last year on the 60's--it's well done--he talked to a lot of people who came of age in the 60's--famous and not-so-well-known--about their experiences and how those experiences affected them.

As might be expected, Tom talked to the late and beloved Tim Russert for this book and Tom talks in one part of the book about Tim going to Woodstock--"Russert and three pals arrived on the first night, Thursday, with eight cases of beer stacked atop their car, which displayed a banner advertising WBTA 1490, a Buffalo, New York, rock station."

I know that there were some notable experiments with rock (non-Top 40 rock) on AM in the late 60's and early 70's--WFSO/Tampa-St. Petersburg and WCAS/Cambridge-Boston come to mind. So I guess WBTA went this route as well for awhile? Anybody know any details?

Thanks, and I am the first to realize that there are more pressing questions facing the earth at this moment.

 

[Mark Giardina]

I do believe, and I might be wrong about this, but WBTA has always been in the city of Batavia, which is located between Buffalo and Rochester, as far as I can remember. It was never an exclusive Buffalo radio station; at least to the best of my memory. :-\

 

[heydaybegone]

I do believe, and I might be wrong about this, but WBTA has always been in the city of Batavia, which is located between Buffalo and Rochester, as far as I can remember. It was never an exclusive Buffalo radio station; at least to the best of my memory. :-\

I concur MarK. (Surprised the bad press went Buffalo instead of Rochester- Tim's "hometown" tie in maybe?)

 

[talkjim]

Having worked in Buffalo, I realize that WBTA is not a Buffalo station--at least in the strict sense. But my question is whether they ever did a rock format, as is hinted at in Brokaw's book?

 

[heydaybegone]

Having worked in Buffalo, I realize that WBTA is not a Buffalo station--at least in the strict sense. But my question is whether they ever did a rock format, as is hinted at in Brokaw's book?

Good question! Ever been to Batavia? If yes, see any market for a local rock station? Not likely!! Might be wrong on it's history but lived on both sides of the market (um, more like the street in this case).

 

[Savage]

I used to hang out at WBTA in the late 60s, the era when I was launching my career in this wacky biz. I would stop by the station while visiting my grandmother, aunt and cousins in Batavia.

At the time Woodstock occurred, summer 1969, the station was housed in a little freestanding concrete-block building in a parking lot-alley off Main Street in Batavia named Seaver Place. Wayne Fuller was my acquaintance who still lives in Batavia and is today the PA announcer and radio voice of the MuckDogs minor-league baseball there. I used to hang around the control room while Wayne sat behind the Gates Studioette (remember when hanging out in radio stations was actually entertaining??)

I can confirm that WBTA 1490 never programmed "rock" as that moniker is currently understood. It was a typical full-service small-market AM offering local news blocks, MOR-leaning music in mornings and middays and more Top-40 style offerings later in the day and on weekends. The station aired want ads, birth announcements, lost dogs, a Tradio-style live show and so forth. In fact WBTA's 1969 format was not dissimilar to what they are programming today - music, news, local talk and service elements. Not "rock."
And it certainly doesn't put what I would call a useable signal into Buffalo.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

IIRC, WBTA did block programming for a few hours each week night night, probably 1969-71, featuring Top 40 hits. How long the program lasted, can't say. As to Russert flying a WBTA flag at Woodstock, who knows. More likely it was a WYSL-FM or WKBW flag. I've read both of Russert's books and he recalls his experience at Woodstock mostly as him hitting the road with a few friends and a case of beer, being a bit out of place, throwing around a football and having some bears in the midst of the drugs, mud and music. Tim is remembered whenever I drive down Seneca Street, past the (famed) Caz park golf course, passing Kirkwood Avenue, the street on which his dad lived and where much of the footage from his Big Russ & Me features was taped. There's still an NBC Peacock hanging on the front door. Tim is missed by many Buffalonians. He was one of the area's greatest advocates; a character, native son, well-educated and regular guy. Gone too soon.

 

[qman]

IIRC their FM @ 101.7 had a modern rock format for awhile as the Fox in the 90s before being sold to Holy Family Communications. I believe the calls were WXOX.

 

[talkjim]

Thanks, Jim Pastrick--I figured you might have some info on Tim and WBTA. I don't think you and I actually ever met, but I was a news anchor at WGR in the long-gone days of Taft Broadcasting in the early 80's, and I remember the impressive production you did at 97 Rock in those days.

One other little-known fact about Tim--as a college student in Cleveland in the early 70's, he was involved in some concert promotion, and helped to promote an early concert by the then-hardly-known Bruce Springsteen. As I understand it, Tim and Bruce remained friends for life, although Tim failed in a few attempts to get Bruce on Meet the Press. But I do remember hearing that Bruce eulogized Tim on the night of his death--if memory serves, Bruce was doing a show in Paris that evening.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

IIRC, WBTA did block programming for a few hours each week night night, probably 1969-71, featuring Top 40 hits. How long the program lasted, can't say. As to Russert flying a WBTA flag at Woodstock, who knows. More likely it was a WYSL-FM or WKBW flag. I've read both of Russert's books and he recalls his experience at Woodstock mostly as him hitting the road with a few friends and a case of beer, being a bit out of place, throwing around a football and having some bears in the midst of the drugs, mud and music. Tim is remembered whenever I drive down Seneca Street, past the (famed) Caz park golf course, passing Kirkwood Avenue, the street on which his dad lived and where much of the footage from his Big Russ & Me features was taped. There's still an NBC Peacock hanging on the front door. Tim is missed by many Buffalonians. He was one of the area's greatest advocates; a character, native son, well-educated and regular guy. Gone too soon.

Wow and to think my Uncle and now cousins live on Geary Street, not that far away. We could have run into Tim or his family and never realized it! Didn't Danny N. grow up around there? Must be something in the water!