What a fun and and interesting string of posts this has been - kind of an online Buffalo radio reunion. Thanks for posting: Dave Mason, Stan Roberts, Pete Weber, Larry White, John Jarrett and of course, regular contributor Jim Pastrick. I've met or worked with all of you in the past and hope you're all doing well. I hope you'll all keep contributing to our little radio coffee klatch/perpetual bitch session in the future.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
What Goes Around
- Thread starter DaveMasonsd
- Start date
Imagine logging onto this board for the first time after being away on a mini-vacation-roadtrip, visiting family in Albany, NY (as opposed to say, Albany, Georgia?) and North Jersey, and reading the amazing and informative contributions to the thread from the regular cast of characters and new contributors. Amazing!StanRoberts said:
Dave started a terrific thread here and Stan's consoling and encouraging response was monumental. Dave, I hope you land on your feet and life isn't disrupted by the white-water rapids you're sailing through at the moment. It sounds like you still have your fingers in the pie with all the voice-tracking you're doing. I'm sure you receive great solice and support from your family.
How many of us remember those great Stan bits like "Benny The Book" at KB and "Roberts' Riddles." And those incredibly cool promotional "Stanley Cup" coffee cups from WGR55. They were white Corningware-like, emblazoned with WGR55 and Stan's mug. (How's that for a pun? Clip Smith's wincing!) Almost makes me want to go down to the "Pastrick Archives" (aka the boxes of radio stuff) in the basement, dig out one of the cups and pour a cool one into it.
One more thing: There is nothing so gratifying than to recieve a compliment from a legendary broadcaster whose opinion is respected. Thank you, Stan, for the kind words. And continued success in your "part-time job" and part-time retirement.
Cary Pall said:
It's not just Buffalo radio...it's Buffalo people. KB wasn't kidding when they called Buffalo "A Friendley Place".
It seems like lots of radio people leave Buffalo for other jobs but they come back. Some never leave.
Mike
Yeah, Buffalo IS a great place. Unfortunately, it's a bee-yotch for a lot of people to find a job in and out of radio. Just weeks ago, American Axle announced that 600 jobs will be disappearing in six months. In radio, guys like Tom Schuh are heard on 104 and 97 on the same day and the Regent stations have down-sized or "right-sized" WJYE to the max. How many stations voice-track certain dayparts and 7 to midnight? Hell, Jack doesn't have a live body on the air, and the management probably points to the ratings and says "looks like we don't need one!!!"
Of course, there's always the GEICO call center, which I guess shouldn't be discounted, but call centers don't pay what manufacturing jobs in the auto and steel industry (once) paid.
I think the radio people in Buffalo are pretty decent folks because they understand who their listeners are and that many of them turn on the radio to hear the hits and the personalities who sound like they could be the guy down the street.
The ability to identify with the listeners is what made guys like Roberts, Neaverth, Norton, Russo, Bill Masters, Santella, Clint Beuhlman, Frank Benny, Larry Anderson, Cindy Chan, J-P, Bill Lacy, John Jarrett, Steve Mitchel, Janet Snyder & Nicholas, Shane, Shredd & Ragan, Armstrong, Steve Mitchell, Harv Moor and Robert Taylor, Don Berns, Kevin O'Connell, Al Wallack, Dan Lesniak, Roger Christian, (damn, this list started out as five or six names and it now looks like the lyrics of "Life Is A Rock, But the Radio Rolled Me!") Bob Christian, Stan Jasinski, Jerry (Jim Bradley) Reo, John McGhan, Hal (Michael Spears) Martin, Don Wade, Super Shannon, Jack Mahl, Tom Shannon, Jim Pastrick, Fred Klestine, Jack Sheridan, Rick Bennett, Tom Clay/Guy King, Sue O'Neil, Bob Wells, John Zack, Tom McCray, George Hamberger, Brian J., Bob McRae, Jon Summers, Jim Scott, Sandy Beach, Casey Piotrowski, David R. Snow (and even Tom Thomas, Mike Melody and Jerry Jack) as well as so many other good, journeymen radio personalities relatable and memorable.
Another thing about WGR and its traffic plane: Before he was PD, Tom Langmyer did traffic reports from a plane that experienced engine problems and did an emergency landing on the golf course at Delaware Park. It was a safe, if not harrowing, touch down. Not sure if Langmyer was the pilot or only doing traffic, but I do remember reading and hearing about that incident.
Buffalo radio sure has a rich history.
-9-
Of course, there's always the GEICO call center, which I guess shouldn't be discounted, but call centers don't pay what manufacturing jobs in the auto and steel industry (once) paid.
I think the radio people in Buffalo are pretty decent folks because they understand who their listeners are and that many of them turn on the radio to hear the hits and the personalities who sound like they could be the guy down the street.
The ability to identify with the listeners is what made guys like Roberts, Neaverth, Norton, Russo, Bill Masters, Santella, Clint Beuhlman, Frank Benny, Larry Anderson, Cindy Chan, J-P, Bill Lacy, John Jarrett, Steve Mitchel, Janet Snyder & Nicholas, Shane, Shredd & Ragan, Armstrong, Steve Mitchell, Harv Moor and Robert Taylor, Don Berns, Kevin O'Connell, Al Wallack, Dan Lesniak, Roger Christian, (damn, this list started out as five or six names and it now looks like the lyrics of "Life Is A Rock, But the Radio Rolled Me!") Bob Christian, Stan Jasinski, Jerry (Jim Bradley) Reo, John McGhan, Hal (Michael Spears) Martin, Don Wade, Super Shannon, Jack Mahl, Tom Shannon, Jim Pastrick, Fred Klestine, Jack Sheridan, Rick Bennett, Tom Clay/Guy King, Sue O'Neil, Bob Wells, John Zack, Tom McCray, George Hamberger, Brian J., Bob McRae, Jon Summers, Jim Scott, Sandy Beach, Casey Piotrowski, David R. Snow (and even Tom Thomas, Mike Melody and Jerry Jack) as well as so many other good, journeymen radio personalities relatable and memorable.
Another thing about WGR and its traffic plane: Before he was PD, Tom Langmyer did traffic reports from a plane that experienced engine problems and did an emergency landing on the golf course at Delaware Park. It was a safe, if not harrowing, touch down. Not sure if Langmyer was the pilot or only doing traffic, but I do remember reading and hearing about that incident.
Buffalo radio sure has a rich history.
-9-
You said it "9"!
Jobs are getting hard to find all over though. Buffalo is probably even worse, that's why people are moving.
I'm very grateful for the great personalities I listened to in Buffalo radio.
My only regret is that I never got to work in WNY. I auditioned at WROC when Bill Masters and Jim Connors were there. They both were great but the station was a mess. I made a run at WBEN for overnights but they went with Larry King. I also tried for a spot at WGR but it wasn't meant to be I guess.
Can you still hear a Polka on the Buffalo radio dial?
Mike
Jobs are getting hard to find all over though. Buffalo is probably even worse, that's why people are moving.
I'm very grateful for the great personalities I listened to in Buffalo radio.
My only regret is that I never got to work in WNY. I auditioned at WROC when Bill Masters and Jim Connors were there. They both were great but the station was a mess. I made a run at WBEN for overnights but they went with Larry King. I also tried for a spot at WGR but it wasn't meant to be I guess.
Can you still hear a Polka on the Buffalo radio dial?
Mike
Wow..a great thread Dave..it grew legs. And Cary..you are right. Buffalo's people make it such an awesome place. And pride in city is epidemic. One doesn't see that in many cities anymore, but Buffalo still has it. WJYE's Joe Chille and I were boyhood pals, and would spend the night at each other's houses on weekends..playing radio station with our 100mw Lafayette transmitters. The ones with that terrible "hum". rWe had better studios than Mary Loundsbury had.. I loved the time i spent at the original WHLD, and WJJL in the Falls..hangin' out with Joe, and his family..drinking Pepsi's and listening to late night AM radio..Trying to pull in WYSL on AM after sundown. Hey the "Little Bulldog" had (((reverb)))
Thanks for the thread.
JL
Thanks for the thread.
JL
S
Stan Roberts
Guest
Such nice things have been said, I'm checking to make sure this thread isn't a eulogy. To be sure I pinched myself and it hurt. (Don't ask me where) So I'm still viable.
My winter home is in Port St Lucie, Florida, about 45 minutes north of West Palm Beach.
By the way, my strongest memory of Mike Rozman, except for his terrible end, was seeing him
through a studio window beckoning me to come in. He was listening to an LP. (some of you will
remember them) He was beaming over this new piano player, singer who had an album including
"Bottle of Red, Bottle of White" ... the Italian Restaurant song. He was thrilled to have me
share the moment of discovery with him.
It was the same day my brother told me to buy stock in some movie studio that had some film about
to come out about war stars, or star wars, whatever. Of course I didn't listen to him.
Stan
My winter home is in Port St Lucie, Florida, about 45 minutes north of West Palm Beach.
By the way, my strongest memory of Mike Rozman, except for his terrible end, was seeing him
through a studio window beckoning me to come in. He was listening to an LP. (some of you will
remember them) He was beaming over this new piano player, singer who had an album including
"Bottle of Red, Bottle of White" ... the Italian Restaurant song. He was thrilled to have me
share the moment of discovery with him.
It was the same day my brother told me to buy stock in some movie studio that had some film about
to come out about war stars, or star wars, whatever. Of course I didn't listen to him.
Stan
Stan, thanks for sharing your story - and your brilliance. The good ones can take a situation and construct a new career out of it. You not only helped inspire me, but I hope some of the other people reading this stuff who just look at the half empty glass. Radio is just like life - ya gotta keep goin' cause the alternative really sucks. Believe it or not, those three words (I forgive you) mean a lot. Continued good health...and success.
Stan! Palm Coast, FLA says hello. Grew up listening to several of the posters in this tread between Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Now we're plugging away owning a small Oldies FM here in the sunshine state.
A salute to you guys again, and the impact you made on a lot of us. Dave, Cary, Stan, and the others, your the reason I've done this for 30 years.
A salute to you guys again, and the impact you made on a lot of us. Dave, Cary, Stan, and the others, your the reason I've done this for 30 years.
D
Desert Pete
Guest
I grew up in Rochester, and in the 70's (when I wasn't listening to CHUM) I listened to GR a lot. I actually used to wait for pattern change to be able to hear Stan Roberts in the morning and would listen for as long as I could until Shane's pattern change.
Question: I recall the name Mike Rozman, but am drawing a blank now. Who was he and what was his "terrible end"?
Question: I recall the name Mike Rozman, but am drawing a blank now. Who was he and what was his "terrible end"?
Desert Pete said:
Mike Rozman's legacy is outlined quite graciously earlier in this thread. To fill in some of the details, Mike was one of the great Production Directors in Buffalo, also served as WGR's Ops Manager and later as Traffic Reporter. He died tragically when the station's traffic copter crashed into the Niagara river.
-9-
One of the finest threads on the board in a long time, this thread came to mind while talking to a long time radio person who's been through the mill and now makes his living as, of all things, a labor arbitrator. We were talking about the decision making process in corporate America and how the decisions, which are made by very powerful men and women, affect the lives of ordinary people in factories, in offices and as it applies to this board, radio stations.
Often, the (questionable) decisions made by General Managers or CEO's are implemented by Program Directors or Sales Managers.
My question to Dave Mason, who's been very forthright here, is WHY and WHO made the decision to fire Stan and Hire George.
What was the thought process behind firing an established, successful and very secure morning man; a person who, for all intents and purposes, anchored the station thematically, program-wise and certainly billing-wise.
Was it John Soller, who one day strolled into your office and said, "Stan's gotta go."
Was it Carl Wagner in Cincinnati who said, "We need to make a change in morning drive, get it done."
Was it you who thought, "We can do better."
My intent is NOT to open old wounds, but to better understand, in line with the conversation I had with my friend the labor arbitrator, just how this very important decision was made. Afterall, it affected the lives of Stan and his family, and in a very large way, affected the success of WBUF, creating a sea-change that resulted in more 35-54 year olds listening to FM. All this, based on one decision.
If you could be so kind, Dave, could you tell us how this decision came down and what the thinking was. Your candor here has been refreshing and appreciated. Thank you.
-9-
Often, the (questionable) decisions made by General Managers or CEO's are implemented by Program Directors or Sales Managers.
My question to Dave Mason, who's been very forthright here, is WHY and WHO made the decision to fire Stan and Hire George.
What was the thought process behind firing an established, successful and very secure morning man; a person who, for all intents and purposes, anchored the station thematically, program-wise and certainly billing-wise.
Was it John Soller, who one day strolled into your office and said, "Stan's gotta go."
Was it Carl Wagner in Cincinnati who said, "We need to make a change in morning drive, get it done."
Was it you who thought, "We can do better."
My intent is NOT to open old wounds, but to better understand, in line with the conversation I had with my friend the labor arbitrator, just how this very important decision was made. Afterall, it affected the lives of Stan and his family, and in a very large way, affected the success of WBUF, creating a sea-change that resulted in more 35-54 year olds listening to FM. All this, based on one decision.
If you could be so kind, Dave, could you tell us how this decision came down and what the thinking was. Your candor here has been refreshing and appreciated. Thank you.
-9-
Jeff...I must be getting old...I remember when you and Joe Chille were high school kids hanging around the station till you finally got a weekend gig. What is even more concerning is ...now... your old too.
Jack
Jack
- Status