Tony Venturoli New Program Director at WEBR Radio

[Bill Yuhnke]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 2, 2023
Contact Bill Yuhnke, 716-867-1700

Yuhnke Makes Maestro Move at WEBR,
Hires Top Radio Jock to Lead Programming

Liberty Taxi legend and broadcasting maestro Bill Yuhnke is making news
again with the hiring of veteran radio jock Tony Venturoli as the new program
director at WEBR Radio 1440 AM on your dial.
"I'm very excited and pleased to announce that Tony will be taking over as
program director immediately," said Yuhnke who in January purchased Lockport -
based WLVL-AM, calling it a "sister" station to WEBR which he purchased just a
few years ago, expanding his entrepreneurship from running legendary Yellow
Cab to broadcasting.
"Tony has a long record in radio and is a perfect fit for what we are doing at
WEBR," said Yuhnke. "We are committed to offering our listeners the best radio
that we can and Tony fits perfectly with that effort."
And Venturoli said in a telephone interview that he is just delighted to get
the call from Yuhnke and is anxious to continue the local flavor of the station,
emphasizing he is a "blue-collar kid from South Buffalo" and will use his many
years of experience in radio dating back to 1972 to support Yuhnke's commitment
to make the station the best it can be.

"There's no secret to my radio formula," said Venturoli, "just be yourself
and be who your are. I come from South Buffalo and I've used my real name all
the way, dating back to when I first started in radio at top 40 station WNIA in
1972."

And he has a long history of being himself in radio with stints at WBUF for
several months while going to Buffalo State College and later working with people
like Frank Benny and Stan Roberts at WGR Radio "where we worked the Sabres
games and I did production for the great John Otto."

Tony also spent 17 years at oldies station WHTT, 104.1 where he did
"everything that needed to be done" before joining WEBR in 2021 for the noon to
3 shift.

Venturoli is on the Board of Directors at a Hilton Head, S. C., condo
complex and will continue that role where he is required to be present four times a
year. He will also work from there and of course be at WEBR much of the
remaining time to, as he puts it, "run a tight ship with a great staff," sharing
Yuhnke's passion and to the community "to make the station as best as it can be."
It sure looks like Yuhnke and Venturoli are a perfect fit and this seems
to be a move that will add a world of experience to the station and allow Yuhnke to
continue his radio broadcasting reach with a top veteran radio figure like like Tony
Venturoli.

 

[davideduardo]

Is this significant, or should it be filed under "if a tree falls in the forest..."?

It is, other things aside, an excessively long and tedious release that certainly did not need to mention "board membership at a condo in the Carolinas".

Question of style: does anyone today talk about "on your dial" for radio station identification? Nearly no radios now have "dials" as they digitally display the frequency. "@ 14-40" or "pick 14-40" or "check out 14-40" may be a better way of positioning the station. And there is zero mention of a stream (if there is one).

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Is this significant, or should it be filed under "if a tree falls in the forest..."? It is, other things aside, an excessively long and tedious release that certainly did not need to mention "board membership at a condo in the Carolinas". Question of style: does anyone today talk about "on your dial" for radio station identification? Nearly no radios now have "dials" as they digitally display the frequency. "@ 14-40" or "pick 14-40" or "check out 14-40" may be a better way of positioning the station. And there is zero mention of a stream (if there is one).

Mr. Yuhnke is known to operate a long successful taxi cab business, and for this he deserves ample credit. Posts on this board aren't literary masterpieces, but the ongoing WEBR press releases tend to make readers wonder about the owner's ability to communicate, let alone manage a radio station. The number of personnel changes over the last few years, and the many modifications of the radio station's format, underscore this point. Hiring Tony Venturoli appears to be a good move, as long as Venturoli is allowed to program the radio station without family meddling.

David Eduardo, having demonstrated his editing (grammar, spelling and syntax) expertise in modifying a previous press release from Mr. Yuhnke, might consider sending an invoice for services rendered. That aside, more than a few high school English teachers have pointed their students to this invaluable primer.

 

[davideduardo]

Mr. Yuhnke is known to operate a long successful taxi cab business, and for this he deserves ample credit. Posts on this board aren't literary masterpieces, but the ongoing WEBR press releases tend to make readers wonder about the owner's ability to communicate, let alone manage a radio station. The number of personnel changes over the last few years, and the many modifications of the radio station's format, underscore this point. Hiring Tony Venturoli appears to be a good move, as long as Venturoli is allowed to program the radio station without family meddling.

Let's take a moment to track this station's recent history. You mention staff changes, format changes. Can you give a review of those steps, and whether they are "shots in the dark" or progressive improvements? And how is Venturoli able to improve the prospects at WEBR?

David Eduardo, having demonstrated his editing (grammar, spelling and syntax) expertise in modifying a previous press release from Mr. Yuhnke, might consider sending an invoice for services rendered. That aside, more than a few high school English teachers have pointed their students to this invaluable primer.

Ah, I got my first copy of Strunk & White when I founded my high school's student newspaper when I became a Sophmore. My family and I knew the editor of one of Cleveland's daily papers, and he sent it to me. That, and the AP style guide I took from the radio station I part timed at, made me think I was actually a journalist and a writer!

Having fought with the English language for another 60 years or so without ever learning to spell, and perpetually using words from one language in another where they don't belong, I usually have a fairly good tolerance for poor writing. But the press release just seemed to have a batch of concentric circles in an overlay, with "100" inside the center one!

 

[tbolt909]

Is this significant, or should it be filed under "if a tree falls in the forest..."?

It is, other things aside, an excessively long and tedious release that certainly did not need to mention "board membership at a condo in the Carolinas".

Question of style: does anyone today talk about "on your dial" for radio station identification? Nearly no radios now have "dials" as they digitally display the frequency. "@ 14-40" or "pick 14-40" or "check out 14-40" may be a better way of positioning the station. And there is zero mention of a stream (if there is one).

You forgot to mention his "Maestro Move"?
This station seems to have just as churn and turmoil as another AM counterpart. I guess the part about being on a "Condo Board of Directors" means he knows what Geezer Radio should be. The playlist is a very odd cringe worthy mix...

WEBR Radio

Listen to WEBR Radio online

onlineradiobox.com

The owners of these stations constantly flood this forum with shameless plugs. It reeks of desperation...

 

[CTListener]

You forgot to mention his "Maestro Move"?
This station seems to have just as churn and turmoil as another AM counterpart. I guess the part about being on a "Condo Board of Directors" means he knows what Geezer Radio should be. The playlist is a very odd cringe worthy mix...

WEBR Radio

Listen to WEBR Radio online

onlineradiobox.com

Very similar to that of noncommercial WJMJ Hartford:

WJMJ

Listen to WJMJ online

onlineradiobox.com

 

[Mark1981]

Let's take a moment to track this station's recent history. You mention staff changes, format changes. Can you give a review of those steps, and whether they are "shots in the dark" or progressive improvements? And how is Venturoli able to improve the prospects at WEBR?

WEBR was flawed from the very beginning. The station launched with the Great American Songbook. But the music selection was bizarre. There were no familiar Sinatra or Bennett songs. The playlist consisted of songs rarely heard or played. Then a few months in, tragedy struck. One of the station’s star voices, Jack Horohoe, died of COVID.

About a year into this format, light selections from the 1970s were added in. Sylvia’s “Pillow Talk” was followed by Dean Martin. Really! And the announcers were told to reduce their patter. Barry Lillis, who enjoys telling stories, resigned in protest. The staff line-up was Gail Ann Huber in the morning and Bob Stilson in afternoon drive. Within a month or two, Tony Venturoli was added to middays.

This mixed format went on for about another year until John Anthony became PD. He dropped the rest of the standards in favor of old Top 40 hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Indeed, some are obscure. Some in this thread remain critical of the music mix.

But there were other issues. Dave Gillen departed after a lawsuit was filed against the station and him, alleging inappropriate behavior. Gail Ann Huber was fired in a dispute with management. The music is interrupted twice a day, first by Tom Darro’s talk show in the morning and then by paid talk programming at 6pm. The weekends have a variety of shows. Many are quite good, including The Polish American Program. Ralph Irene is incomparable with his Saturday “Sinatra and Friends.“ And John Farley shares his immense knowledge of the music on Sunday with “Solid Gold Memories.” Barry Lillis was brought back weekend mornings to do what he does best, sharing stories and playing music from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. But I’m sure the programming professionals on this board will tell you this lack of a consistent sound hurts in trying to develop a loyal audience.

Still, I was a loyal listener, given my eclectic tastes. I was rooting for Bill Yuhnke to succeed. The addition of Kelly Wahl as PM drive host was a good move. Admittedly, Kelly is relatively new. But her enthusiasm was infectious. Her love of the music was evident. It was refreshing. Then, last week, John Anthony left WEBR, and from what I’ve been told, Anthony was allowed to fire Wahl before leaving. I’m not comfortable sharing more, but that was the last straw for me. What a mess! I’ll tune in my friends Barry, Ralph and John on the weekends, but I’m no longer listening during the week.

David, I probably gave you too much information. I’ll be interested in reading your thoughts. I wish Tony Venturoli well. I like him. And I do like Bill. I need to be frank in saying Bill is no broadcast maestro. He may know how to run a successful cab company. But I question his stewardship of WEBR, given the chaos of the past three years.

 

[davideduardo]

David, I probably gave you too much information. I’ll be interested in reading your thoughts. I wish Tony Venturoli well. I like him. And I do like Bill. I need to be frank in saying Bill is no broadcast maestro. He may know how to run a successful cab company. But I question his stewardship of WEBR, given the chaos of the past three years.

I have no thoughts as I don't listen and am not familiar with the players. I just thought this was a good opportunity to dissect a station that has been talked about a lot here.

Yours is an interesting case study that shows a rather erratic trajectory of this relaunched station under an owner who is not a radio veteran. Contrast this with another business person who has supermarkets and an oil company but who put up millions to buy WABC in New York and has raised it into the top 10... although all the audience is quite old.

i'd love to hear further comments and points of analysis of WEBR.

 

[Tall Thin One]

I have no thoughts as I don't listen and am not familiar with the players. I just thought this was a good opportunity to dissect a station that has been talked about a lot here.

Yours is an interesting case study that shows a rather erratic trajectory of this relaunched station under an owner who is not a radio veteran. Contrast this with another business person who has supermarkets and an oil company but who put up millions to buy WABC in New York and has raised it into the top 10... although all the audience is quite old.

i'd love to hear further comments and points of analysis of WEBR.

David, relative to a question you raised earlier in the thread, WEBR does stream and can be heard at WEBRRadio.com.

Based on an earlier, very poorly written Bill Yuhnke post regarding a staff opening, it's obvious this lengthy press release above was not written by Bill.

My guess is that his friend, Tony Farina, an out-of-touch, former newspaper and TV reporter in town might be the individual that composed Maestro Bill's new press release.

 

[KilowattKat]

Is the radio ownership for the most part, a hobby for Bill Yuhnke with the "successful" taxi cab business supporting it?. The reason I ask, is that I listened to WEBR for an hour and half today (12-1:30pm) and I only heard ONE commercial (Batavia Downs). With a payroll that has at least 6 employed as air talent, plus others that are employed at WEBR, added to that, the overall cost of running the radio station,, there is no way this station is making any money. It seems to have been this way since the beginning. Maybe having WLVL now, if profitable enough, is able to cover both stations financially. On top of that, WEBR is running a contest giving listeners a chance to win $1,000 twice daily. That's a lot of money going in, and nothing coming back.

I also feel, that their best chance at success is to focus on being a LOCAL Niagara Falls / Lockport "Hometown" station. There is nothing except the Tom Darro hour, to make the station become a part of the community, like getting involved and being a part of community events, local news, traffic alerts, or even talk about what 's happening in town, a community calendar segment at least. The only time Niagara Falls or Lockport is mentioned, is the TOH legal ID

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Is the radio ownership for the most part, a hobby for Bill Yuhnke with the "successful" taxi cab business supporting it?. The reason I ask, is that I listened to WEBR for an hour and half today (12-1:30pm) and I only heard ONE commercial (Batavia Downs). With a payroll that has at least 6 employed as air talent, plus others that are employed at WEBR, added to that, the overall cost of running the radio station,, there is no way this station is making any money. It seems to have been this way since the beginning. Maybe having WLVL now, if profitable enough, is able to cover both stations financially. On top of that, WEBR is running a contest giving listeners a chance to win $1,000 twice daily. That's a lot of money going in, and nothing coming back.

I also feel, that their best chance at success is to focus on being a LOCAL Niagara Falls / Lockport "Hometown" station. There is nothing except the Tom Darro hour, to make the station become a part of the community, like getting involved and being a part of community events, local news, traffic alerts, or even talk about what 's happening in town, a community calendar segment at least. The only time Niagara Falls or Lockport is mentioned, is the TOH legal ID

That $1000 twice daily is a contesnt from the independent broadcasters association run by ron stone in minnesota, he is/was part of adams radio ggroup.

A bunch of stations run it.. including one im on in wyoming

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Let's take a moment to track this station's recent history. You mention staff changes, format changes. Can you give a review of those steps, and whether they are "shots in the dark" or progressive improvements? And how is Venturoli able to improve the prospects at WEBR?

Mark1981 presented an excellent summary of WEBR. He was being kind in his words. From a distance, the station appears to be like the addicted husband or wife that a spouse believes can be changed, only to prove otherwise.

 

[RadioGuy1864]

Yuhnke Makes Maestro Move at WEBR,

I also feel, that their best chance at success is to focus on being a LOCAL Niagara Falls / Lockport "Hometown" station.

BINGO!

 

[SirRoxalot]

Perhaps the brain trust here could get together and offer Bill some direction for making his stations successful. I see a lot of "that's not going to work" and very little "how about trying this?" It's easy to poke holes in somebody else's efforts. It's a lot harder to offer constructive suggestions. The same is true for Buddy and his efforts. A lot of folks are brutal in their comments. Not many offer constructive alternatives.

 

[tbolt909]

Perhaps the brain trust here could get together and offer Bill some direction for making his stations successful.

The owners you are referring to are not seeking advice in this forum. They are however using this site to promote their stations (Staff changes, job openings, ratings, etc...)
Aren't owners supposed to hire Program Directors and/or consultants to help them get results? Ultimately, owners of these type of stations will do what they want. The comments here are just observations on the constant changes...

 

[SirRoxalot]

The owners you are referring to are not seeking advice in this forum. They are however using this site to promote their stations (Staff changes, job openings, ratings, etc...)
Aren't owners supposed to hire Program Directors and/or consultants to help them get results? Ultimately, owners of these type of stations will do what they want. The comments here are just observations on the constant changes...

I'm still waiting for you to propose a viable option for programming a station in WNY. Your posts are overwhelmingly negative. How about a positive proposal once in a while.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Is the radio ownership for the most part, a hobby for Bill Yuhnke with the "successful" taxi cab business supporting it?. The reason I ask, is that I listened to WEBR for an hour and half today (12-1:30pm) and I only heard ONE commercial (Batavia Downs). With a payroll that has at least 6 employed as air talent, plus others that are employed at WEBR, added to that, the overall cost of running the radio station,, there is no way this station is making any money. It seems to have been this way since the beginning. Maybe having WLVL now, if profitable enough, is able to cover both stations financially. On top of that, WEBR is running a contest giving listeners a chance to win $1,000 twice daily. That's a lot of money going in, and nothing coming back.

I also feel, that their best chance at success is to focus on being a LOCAL Niagara Falls / Lockport "Hometown" station. There is nothing except the Tom Darro hour, to make the station become a part of the community, like getting involved and being a part of community events, local news, traffic alerts, or even talk about what 's happening in town, a community calendar segment at least. The only time Niagara Falls or Lockport is mentioned, is the TOH legal ID

That $1000 twice daily is a contesnt from the independent broadcasters association run by ron stone in minnesota, he is/was part of adams radio ggroup.

A bunch of stations run it.. including one im on in wyoming

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

The owners you are referring to are not seeking advice in this forum. They are however using this site to promote their stations (Staff changes, job openings, ratings, etc...)
Aren't owners supposed to hire Program Directors and/or consultants to help them get results? Ultimately, owners of these type of stations will do what they want. The comments here are just observations on the constant changes...

i was hired by a GM out west to be PD then not allowed to do anything or make any decisions and the GM whod never been on the air told me what to do and how to do it on our hot AC station, which was completely wrong for our format

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Could this be just a wealthy man’s toy? Many stations were run that way. A tax write off.

I was looking for something different and quite enjoyed the standards format. It’s obvious this station will never see great ratings given it handicaps. It could however do well with a small staff and focused approach based on local sales and ability to define an unserved audience.

 

[radiofan2023]

Could this be just a wealthy man’s toy? Many stations were run that way. A tax write off.

I was looking for something different and quite enjoyed the standards format. It’s obvious this station will never see great ratings given it handicaps. It could however do well with a small staff and focused approach based on local sales and ability to define an unserved audience.

They could sell ads to funeral homes, senior living communities and companies that help people sign up for Medicare.