I did an AI assisted search on Google and here is what I came up with:
The mascot was named after an out-of-town owner or executive of
WBUF-FM who was nicknamed "Big Al" due to a former boxing career.
The real story of how the parrot came to be, and its connection to Bob Allen, involves a mix of radio rebellion and station migration:
- The Real Namesake: While the station's owner ("Big Al") was away, the DJs traded commercial airtime with a local pet shop to acquire a parrot. They named the bird "Big Al" as a humorous nod to their boss. When the real Big Al refused to give the DJs raises, the staff famously trained the parrot to squawk "F U Big Al".
- The Connection to Bob Allen: Bob Allen was the program director and DJ who pioneered the free-form, progressive rock format at WBUF (93.0) in the mid-1970s. Because of this, he became the primary caretaker of Big Al the parrot
- The Strike: When the station owner refused to grant them raises, the original WBUF crew collectively trained Big Al to squawk insults at management, solidifying the bird's status as a local legend of radio rebellion
- The Mascot's "Migration": When WBUF shifted away from free-form rock in 1978, the parrot "flew the coop". When Bob Allen later launched his "Town Crier" show on WUWU-FM (107.7) in 1982, he brought Big Al the parrot along with him. The bird officially became the on-air mascot and logo for WUWU as well
I was 13 when I was first exposed to progressive radio in Buffalo and fell in love with music as a result. I was especially thankful to have heard the music of the likes of Weather Report, Return to Forever, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra and more. Turned me into a life long lover of jazz, not to mention fusion, progressive rock, jam bands, folk influenced rock. I look back on that era fondly as I think the diversity and creativity in the various musical genres that were being created has never been better in popular music.
