> Michael Spears, aka Hal Martin (KLIF, CKLW) has lost a
> lengthy battle against cancer. Details and a tribute (We
> Were Invincible), including funeral arrangements, can be
> found at Larry Shannon's
http://www.radiodailynews.com
>
> I believe Michael/Hal programmed WYSL in Buffalo for a time
> in the early '70s.
>
If it's the same guy, yeah, he did. I remember him doing the morning show. In WYSL's effort at the time to compete against the more powerful KB, WYSL, under Hal Martin's leadership, introduced what the station was calling the "new" music in 1970. By that, the station was taking the unheard of step in Top 40 radio of playing other cuts from an album a particular hit single came from. I was just in high school at the time. So, I don't know how well that concept worked. Obviously, it did on FM with the birth of album oriented rock. But I do remember that the "new" music tag didn't last long.
I know we've talked about this a lot on this board. But it appeared to me as a listener at the time that WYSL did itself proud with its 1,000 watt daytime signal (250 at night, right?) To me, Kevin O'Connell and Rufus Coyote were on par with Sandy Beach and Jack Armstrong. I would go back and forth between the two stations. Ah, those were the days!
