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WYSL questions

A

AJF

I have a couple of questions about WYSL-AM.

First, when did this station begin its Top 40 format? They had been playing beautiful music at 1400 since moving to that frequency from 1080 in late 1961. But it's unclear precisely when it became a Top 40 station although I seem to remember it was around 1966. And when approximately did WYSL stop playing Top 40?

Also, when did the WYSL call letters disappear from 1400? It appears to have been 1986 or early '87 when the calls moved to Avon, N.Y., but I'm not sure exactly when.

Thanks!
 
I believe the format change occurred in Spring '66 and I remember the event very well. On a Friday evening, beautiful music WYSL was abruptly transformed into a continuous talk show called "The Underground Network." Hosts we hadn't heard before came on the air to take calls from listeners exclusively on the subject of Buffalo radio. Mentions of other stations' call letters and personalities were encouraged. The purpose, ostensibly, was to take all these opinions and build a new WYSL.

As a 13 year old radio geek, I was completely engrossed in this event, as I'm sure you guys would have been, too (and maybe you were.).

The program continued all night, then all-day Saturday, and Saturday night into Sunday morning. Hosts taking calls from listeners talking about their likes and dislikes regarding ‘GR, ‘BEN, ‘KB . Fascinating stuff, for sure.

One of the hosts - who seemed to be behind the mic more than others - identified himself as "Jim Foster." At one point, a listener asked if these hosts were using their real names.

"No, not necessarily," replied Jim Foster.

"Well, what's your real name?" the caller asked.

"Gordon McLendon."

Wow! Even at the age of 13, I knew who he was. Here he was on the radio in Buffalo.

On Sunday morning it was announced that the new WYSL would begin at 1PM. When the moment arrived, it was introduced by Art Holt, the GM.

Rockin’ jingle: “WYSL 1-4 double oh”

The first song played on the new WYSL was “Bye Bye Blues” by Andy Williams. The new format was identified as the “top one thousand songs from 1955 to the present.” And that’s what it was for about a week or 2, everything from Andy Williams to “Satisfaction.” It was damn strange to hear the Stones on what had been a beautiful music station.

The first jock on the air was Sean Grabowski, although it was not the more familiar Sean Grabowski (Jack Kelly?) who was a long-timer a few years later.

IIRC, The Top 1000 didn’t last very long and WYSL was soon a real Top 40 station. I was thrilled to hear my name on the air one Sunday afternoon as the winner of $1.40 in the station’s “Cash For Kids” contest.

Somewhere in my shoebox archive I have a 3 inch reel of the actual 1PM changeover (if it hasn’t disintegrated into magnetic dust.)

Was anyone else listening to “The Underground Network” and the very first days of Top 40 WYSL?

Nick Seneca
 
I have some questions for the current owner of WYSL.

Is there any chance you can increase your nighttime power so that it reaches Rochester? Right now I'm able to pick up some of the sporting events and other programs you air at night because the sun sets around 9pm. But as the months proceed into fall and especially winter, all I hear is a loud "buzz" from 1040.

I enjoy Bill Nojay's show because it concentrates on upstate New York. Personally I would prefer to here more of Nojay. Is there any reason for keeping Fred Thompson's show and instead give Nojay more than an hour on WYSL?

What about having another local talk show on during the evening hours also dealing with upstate New York ?
 
(Hopefully this post will "make it" through the site's numerous recent technical problems. Here goes...)

The "buzz" you're hearing at night is due to first-adjacent IBOC interference from WBZ-HD in Boston. We've done everything we can think of including FCC complaints with no result. Hopefully since HD Radio seems to be pretty universally stiffing industrywide CBS Radio Northeast will tire of the interference and endless tech problems posed by the system and turn it off.

We discussed at length increasing Nojay's program when O'Reilly announced he was leaving Westwood One Radio. Utimately the main reason we didn't increase Bill to 2 hours was the fact that we now network his show to WGVA, WAUB, WFLR, WENY/WENI and WLEA and there were clearance problems at most of those stations if the show increased to 2 hours. So unless/until we can work out those issues with the Nojay Network, we opted for Fred Thompson. At least in the near term we're pleased with the response we've gotten. Perhaps you know that Nojay's programs are repeated nightly at 8pm (unless pre-empted by sports) and Sunday afternoons - Monday's show is at 1pm, Tuesday's at 2, etc.

We received the CP for 1030 kHz in Avon the very day WYSL Buffalo turned in its historic callsign to the FCC
back in 1986. The Commission had lifted simulcast restrictions and 1400 became a fulltime simulcast of WPHD-FM. I applied for the WYSL calls by overnight courier!
 
Savage said:
(Hopefully this post will "make it" through the site's numerous recent technical problems. Here goes...)

The "buzz" you're hearing at night is due to first-adjacent IBOC interference from WBZ-HD in Boston. We've done everything we can think of including FCC complaints with no result. Hopefully since HD Radio seems to be pretty universally stiffing industrywide CBS Radio Northeast will tire of the interference and endless tech problems posed by the system and turn it off.

We discussed at length increasing Nojay's program when O'Reilly announced he was leaving Westwood One Radio. Utimately the main reason we didn't increase Bill to 2 hours was the fact that we now network his show to WGVA, WAUB, WFLR, WENY/WENI and WLEA and there were clearance problems at most of those stations if the show increased to 2 hours. So unless/until we can work out those issues with the Nojay Network, we opted for Fred Thompson. At least in the near term we're pleased with the response we've gotten. Perhaps you know that Nojay's programs are repeated nightly at 8pm (unless pre-empted by sports) and Sunday afternoons - Monday's show is at 1pm, Tuesday's at 2, etc.

We received the CP for 1030 kHz in Avon the very day WYSL Buffalo turned in its historic callsign to the FCC
back in 1986. The Commission had lifted simulcast restrictions and 1400 became a fulltime simulcast of WPHD-FM. I applied for the WYSL calls by overnight courier!
Click to expand...


Thank you for responding to my questions and may I congratulate you on the success of your station.
Hopefully that problem with IBOC will go the way of AM stereo.
 
Nick,

Save the tape and transfer to a digital file for the archive. You were right about Sean Grabowski as he was Jack when I arrived a little later with Mindy, Kelly
Byrd, Danny late in 66. By the way, with all that interest and info I would not think of you as a geek at 13.

best
Paul


Nick Gerard said:
I believe the format change occurred in Spring '66 and I remember the event very well. On a Friday evening, beautiful music WYSL was abruptly transformed into a continuous talk show called "The Underground Network." Hosts we hadn't heard before came on the air to take calls from listeners exclusively on the subject of Buffalo radio. Mentions of other stations' call letters and personalities were encouraged. The purpose, ostensibly, was to take all these opinions and build a new WYSL.

As a 13 year old radio geek, I was completely engrossed in this event, as I'm sure you guys would have been, too (and maybe you were.).

The program continued all night, then all-day Saturday, and Saturday night into Sunday morning. Hosts taking calls from listeners talking about their likes and dislikes regarding ‘GR, ‘BEN, ‘KB . Fascinating stuff, for sure.

One of the hosts - who seemed to be behind the mic more than others - identified himself as "Jim Foster." At one point, a listener asked if these hosts were using their real names.

"No, not necessarily," replied Jim Foster.

"Well, what's your real name?" the caller asked.

"Gordon McLendon."

Wow! Even at the age of 13, I knew who he was. Here he was on the radio in Buffalo.

On Sunday morning it was announced that the new WYSL would begin at 1PM. When the moment arrived, it was introduced by Art Holt, the GM.

Rockin’ jingle: “WYSL 1-4 double oh”

The first song played on the new WYSL was “Bye Bye Blues” by Andy Williams. The new format was identified as the “top one thousand songs from 1955 to the present.” And that’s what it was for about a week or 2, everything from Andy Williams to “Satisfaction.” It was damn strange to hear the Stones on what had been a beautiful music station.

The first jock on the air was Sean Grabowski, although it was not the more familiar Sean Grabowski (Jack Kelly?) who was a long-timer a few years later.

IIRC, The Top 1000 didn’t last very long and WYSL was soon a real Top 40 station. I was thrilled to hear my name on the air one Sunday afternoon as the winner of $1.40 in the station’s “Cash For Kids” contest.

Somewhere in my shoebox archive I have a 3 inch reel of the actual 1PM changeover (if it hasn’t disintegrated into magnetic dust.)

Was anyone else listening to “The Underground Network” and the very first days of Top 40 WYSL?

Nick Seneca
Click to expand...
 
Nick "Gerard" may have been a lot of things....but geek was never one of them!
 
Nick is correct.....it was the Spring of 66 when Beautiful Music WYSL flipped to top 40.

Gordon Mc Lendon himself was on the air taking questions about the new WYSL which was to come.

It wasn't long after that the Bob Allen and I were auditioning high schoolers for Teen Dj positions.for WYSL-FM 103.3..Buffalo's first FM rocker.

Ken Kiedrowski
 
Nick: Thanks for all your help. Great background!

Bob: Do you have handy the exact date WYSL received the CP for 1030 kHz in Avon? Thanks.
 
Grant for 500w NDA on 1030 kHz was issued September 10, 1986. The excavator pulled into the cornfield which was to become 5620 S. Lima Road to begin digging the basement October 24. Building was complete December 10th, and operations commenced January 23, 1987.

February 11th we applied to increase to 1kw NDA which was granted in October 1987.
 
Savage said:
Grant for 500w NDA on 1030 kHz was issued September 10, 1986. The excavator pulled into the cornfield which was to become 5620 S. Lima Road to begin digging the basement October 24. Building was complete December 10th, and operations commenced January 23, 1987.

February 11th we applied to increase to 1kw NDA which was granted in October 1987.
Click to expand...



Jeesusss...What are you?.......The owner or something?
 
Savage said:
Yep. Both owner AND something. Also Smartass-In-Chief.
Click to expand...

Other titles include:

Lawn mower expert.
Painter of the transmitter towers.
Picks up the mail.
Vacuums the carpeting.
Orders office supplies.
Board operator.
Telephone operator.
News Director/Newscaster
Collector of bottles and cans for deposit money. (It goes into his retirement fund).
Shovels the front walk during the winter.
Installer of new locks on the front door.
Battles hornets with a can of Raid.
Leaps tall buildings at a single bound. Oh wait that's someone else.
 
I just checked "fair market value for radio stations." The can-and-bottle deposit IS my retirement fund... :p

I don't climb no stinkin' towers, for painting or any other reason. Especially hot AM towers.
 
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