It’s been a week since “the day the music died” … again. The day that WWKB 1520/ Buffalo switched formats. The first time in ‘88 was not unexpected. This time it hurt badly. First, let me state flat out that I don’t live in the area. As a matter of fact, I’m 523 miles away from Buffalo as the crow flies, in downeast Maine. So whatever I say won’t influence the powers that be at Entercom or anyone else for that matter.
WKBW is a truly unique station, always has been. Its signal and history will always insure its place of radio greatness. I do applaud Entercom for trying to bring it back to its musical roots for the last three years. The radio “business” has changed so dramatically though, I almost understand why they killed it … again. WKBW was a station for those of us who wanted to keep reliving the glory days of this once great station. The music was secondary compared to hearing Danny and Tom and Jackson and the jingles. And to hear it coming out in mono on the AM band was why I listened. Sure I could hear the same songs on local “oldies”/satellite stations, or on the satellite dish, or remastered CD’s, or burn it off the computer. But that wasn’t WHY I listened to KB. It was for the experience of listening to KB.
As a 48 year old boomer, I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s with the AM band and listening to our local daytimer WGUY 1250/Bangor. After sunset though, the world opened up with WRKO 680/Boston, WBZ 1030/Boston, WMEX 1510/Boston, WNBC 660/New York, WABC 770/New York, WPLR 1540/Albany and THE station that all the ‘cool’ people had on WKBW. I can still recall hearing the Beatles coming through my Dad’s ‘63 Chevy Belair up on Craig’s Pond. Later in ‘76 - ‘77 on my own, KB was playing the latest tunes through my old Chevy Malibu and then my new Ford Pinto. I couldn’t understand why Mom and Dad didn’t like that new music. Now I can understand fully their frustration as the sounds on the current CHR stations make me turn my head and go “huh?”.
In the world of radio, my demographics are quickly becoming unattractive to advertisers. I don’t like it, but I will live with it. I’ve called Greg Ried at 716 843-0600 at Entercom and left my message on his machine. Whether he ever heard it or if he just presses the button to “erase all” each morning, I’ll never know. Either way, it’s not a nice way to treat the public. But then again he’s not hired to serve the public interest outside of Buffalo. Is he even hired to serve the public interest in Buffalo??? It’s too bad that this blowtorch signal that serves the eastern seaboard and Canada is just now another station with programming that is available everywhere else.
Will we see massive campaigning to return the station to what we’d like it to be? Probably not. I think back to the pilot episode of “WKRP In Cincinnati” when the station flipped from “old people” music to rock and roll. I feel like Nedra Volz looking for her cat. No one is going to listen to me anyway because I’m too old. But Entercom will take advantage of any protests to promote the “new KB”. Here just stand underneath this logo while you hold your protest sign.
The powers that be are going to look for that mighty advertising dollar. Will they find it with “Buffalo’s Left Station”? No, but they will use it as a pawn to make one of their other stations in the cluster achieve bigger ratings. And that’s what saddens me the most. The owners have no concept on how to treat this station that was once the crown jewel of radio stations. Or what wkbwradio.com owner David Fill means when he calls it “one of America’s two great radio stations.”
With what I see as programming blunders like this just keeps driving listeners away from terrestrial stations and makes us look harder at XM and Sirius. I was thinking of it before and I’ll look at it even more. I just might wait a little bit longer and see if Jack Armstrong should wind up with Cousin Brucie on Sirius before making a decision.
So long KB. It was nice having you back, even if it was for too short a time and even if it was not at your full potential. I’ll now erase you from my presets but I’ll keep the good memories.
WKBW is a truly unique station, always has been. Its signal and history will always insure its place of radio greatness. I do applaud Entercom for trying to bring it back to its musical roots for the last three years. The radio “business” has changed so dramatically though, I almost understand why they killed it … again. WKBW was a station for those of us who wanted to keep reliving the glory days of this once great station. The music was secondary compared to hearing Danny and Tom and Jackson and the jingles. And to hear it coming out in mono on the AM band was why I listened. Sure I could hear the same songs on local “oldies”/satellite stations, or on the satellite dish, or remastered CD’s, or burn it off the computer. But that wasn’t WHY I listened to KB. It was for the experience of listening to KB.
As a 48 year old boomer, I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s with the AM band and listening to our local daytimer WGUY 1250/Bangor. After sunset though, the world opened up with WRKO 680/Boston, WBZ 1030/Boston, WMEX 1510/Boston, WNBC 660/New York, WABC 770/New York, WPLR 1540/Albany and THE station that all the ‘cool’ people had on WKBW. I can still recall hearing the Beatles coming through my Dad’s ‘63 Chevy Belair up on Craig’s Pond. Later in ‘76 - ‘77 on my own, KB was playing the latest tunes through my old Chevy Malibu and then my new Ford Pinto. I couldn’t understand why Mom and Dad didn’t like that new music. Now I can understand fully their frustration as the sounds on the current CHR stations make me turn my head and go “huh?”.
In the world of radio, my demographics are quickly becoming unattractive to advertisers. I don’t like it, but I will live with it. I’ve called Greg Ried at 716 843-0600 at Entercom and left my message on his machine. Whether he ever heard it or if he just presses the button to “erase all” each morning, I’ll never know. Either way, it’s not a nice way to treat the public. But then again he’s not hired to serve the public interest outside of Buffalo. Is he even hired to serve the public interest in Buffalo??? It’s too bad that this blowtorch signal that serves the eastern seaboard and Canada is just now another station with programming that is available everywhere else.
Will we see massive campaigning to return the station to what we’d like it to be? Probably not. I think back to the pilot episode of “WKRP In Cincinnati” when the station flipped from “old people” music to rock and roll. I feel like Nedra Volz looking for her cat. No one is going to listen to me anyway because I’m too old. But Entercom will take advantage of any protests to promote the “new KB”. Here just stand underneath this logo while you hold your protest sign.
The powers that be are going to look for that mighty advertising dollar. Will they find it with “Buffalo’s Left Station”? No, but they will use it as a pawn to make one of their other stations in the cluster achieve bigger ratings. And that’s what saddens me the most. The owners have no concept on how to treat this station that was once the crown jewel of radio stations. Or what wkbwradio.com owner David Fill means when he calls it “one of America’s two great radio stations.”
With what I see as programming blunders like this just keeps driving listeners away from terrestrial stations and makes us look harder at XM and Sirius. I was thinking of it before and I’ll look at it even more. I just might wait a little bit longer and see if Jack Armstrong should wind up with Cousin Brucie on Sirius before making a decision.
So long KB. It was nice having you back, even if it was for too short a time and even if it was not at your full potential. I’ll now erase you from my presets but I’ll keep the good memories.