WHAM @ 100: An Oral History

Former WHAM DJ and General Sales Manager Dan Guilfoyle passed away on June 5, 2023.To honor our friend an colleague, we share with you the last music show Dan hosted on WHAM - March 2, 1991Danny loved music and this is the best way we know to celebrate his life.

We've spent the past year looking back on the people, stories and sounds of WHAM's past.We conclude the series with a look at our present - and peer into the future - with iHeart Radio Chairman and CEO, Bob Pittman

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!A special holiday treat with this OPEN LINE show - with Jack Slattery and George Haefner - not heard since it was originally aired on Christmas Day in 1972.

In radio, one group of people have the task of saying station call letters dozens of times a day. They're known as signature voices. And it's a very select group of performers and producers who take on the task of marketing a radio station to its own audience. From how they sound to the attitude behind their performances, signature voices have long been part of radio's sonic landscape. We'll tip the cap to 2 of those signature voice performers from WHAM's past and introduce you to Vistor Lisle - the man behind WHAM's current signature sound.

This never before heard demo version of a 4-part sketch written for the WHAM Holiday Show in December 2018.

Catching up with 2 of WHAM's alumni - one who had a full career in the military before becoming one of WHAM's "oldest rookies" - and another who knew getting the story was what she wanted to do ever since she was in high school. WHAM stories from Gary Tschaepe and Kelly Short (Badger)

A little Christmas snack for this week's bonus. Not sure why they were singing, but some of your favorite WHAM personalities belted out songs of the season in 1995. See how many voices you can identify.

She was with WHAM for only a year - and now she talks sports nationwide. Amy Lawrence fills us in on her start in radio and the path that brought her all the way to New York City.

From the WHAM Holiday Show - broadcast live from the Dryden Theater at the George Eastman House Museum - a re-creation of San Freberg's CHRISTMAS DRAGNET - featuring Don Alhart, Andrea Holland, Jack Garner and Joe Lomonaco.

Though he was only with WHAM for about a decade, he left his mark - with music, sports and a generosity of spirit. A tribute to the late Bill Givens featuring excerpts from his Saturday Night Dance Party shows, some rare Amerks play by play, and interviews with Bill's widow, Connie, and from Rochester native Ken Meyer, who's broadcasting career was launched thanks to Bill Givens.

In this week’s bonus, a montage of WHAM’s DJs, news anchors and talk hosts – collected by a long time WHAM fan. And many thanks to Bill Dulmage for saving so much of our history and surprising us with it for our 100th anniversary. Included in this episode:Johnny Canton, Dave Laird, Bill Masters, Mark Giardina, Mike Ivers, Bill Anthony, Steve Best, Steve Reynolds, Charlie Greer, Chris Summers, Tom George, Ed Ferland, Jay Martin, Dave Kyaza, Chet Walker, Jeff Howlett, Rick Peters and Steve Reuben.

An extra bonus this week - the complete WHAM noon newscast from Thanksgiving Day 1966.

Radio needs big personalities. But it also needs the people working off mic and behind the scenes to keep those big personalities sounding their best. Mike DiGiorgio and Bob Kern do their best work out of the spotlight. Hear how their skills and talents kept WHAM sounding, and running, the way it did.

Later this month, we'll be doing a tribute to one time WHAM Program Director, sports reporter and host Bill Givens. In this bonus episode, we hear the man himself as he, and WHAM's Walter Dixon, in an excerpt from WHAM's 50th Anniversary broadcast of July 11th 1972. Special thanks to the Lavery Library at St. John Fisher University for the audio in this episode.

Continuing the roundtable talk with the newer members of the WHAM team. In this episode, Christina Lynne, Matt Wilson and the newest co-anchor of the WHAM 5 o'clock News Hour, Joe Lasky.

77 years ago this month, ground was broken on a new home for WHAM radio. An engineering marvel that took a decade to plan and 2 years to build. Presented for the first time, the groundbreaking ceremony from November 10, 1945 as well as a description of the building from a souvenir program of the era.

Who will be there to carry on the mission of WHAM - and radio as a whole - when those of us who are closer to the finish line finally cross it? The Next Generation of broadcasters will, hopefully, step in, step up and keep it all going. This week, PART 1 of a roundtable discussion with Pam Allen (Rapp), Sam Schrier and Melody Emm.

The Howard W. Coles collection, The Voice of Howard Coles Audio Recordings. Courtesy of the RMSC, Rochester, NYFive Minutes with Howard Coles” was a five minute show produced by Mr. Coles and aired on WHAM every Sunday from 6:45pm to 6:50pm. “Five Minutes with Howard Coles ran from about 1969 to 1975 and discussed Black history and heritage. In this bonus episode, a few samples of those features.

For over 60 years, he self-published a newspaper serving the black community of Rochester. He was also Rochester's first black broadcaster - a career that lasted nearly 40 years. And his weekly feature - 5 Minutes With Howard Coles - aired on WHAM in the 60s and 70s. Former TV meteorologist Richard McCollough and Howard's daughter, Joan Coles Howard, tell us about the journalist and broadcaster who broke color barriers and documented the history of the black community in Rochester. Howard W. Coles collection, The Voice of Howard Coles Audio Recordings. Courtesy of the RMSC, Rochester, NY

More from John DiTullio - picking up the story where we left off in the last episode. John has arrived in Rochester to be part of the debut of Fox 31 TV, doing a job similar to one he had in Erie, PA. From here, John talks about getting back into radio and getting the call to become part of the WHAM/WHTK team.

A voice for radio. What does that really mean? And what ingredients does a great radio voice have that goes deeper than the sound a person has when they speak? A great radio voice is distinctive but also has great personality and storytelling ability to back it up. Joan Brandenburg and John DiTullio are examples of broadcasters with unexpected sounds and brilliant abilities - not to mention wonderful stories about how they got to WHAM.

On our last episode, Jim Salmon talked about how he and John Carr were called the Grossman's How To Partners when a local home improvement chain sponsored the Home Repair Clinic. From June 29, 1991, here's what it sounded like with host, Allan Harris, John Carr and Jim Salmon.

As they say - if it ain't broke - don't fix it. When it comes to WHAM's weekend line up, the winning formula has been to stick with what works. And for over 30 years, that's been the WHAM Home Repair Clinic. Jim Salmon tells us how the show got started and how he's built a brand that may, one day, become WHAM's longest running show.

Some commercial messages we came across from the late 30s and mid 40's.

Researching this podcast has offered a series of discoveries about friends and colleagues - some I didn't know worked at WHAM - and others I forgot how we met. Both will be covered in this episode as we hear from Kevin Gillan, Rob Linton and vintage sound from Mark Cronin.

Broadcasting live from the site of a new event was not commonplace in radio's early days. Often times, reporters would go to a site, with what passed for portable recording equipment, describe an event with words and sounds, and then bring back a transcription disc recording to be broadcast at a later time. Such was the case with this report, filed by WHAM commentator and reporter Al Sisson, from the christening and launching of a tanker ship that bore the name of Rochester. The recording was made on January 29th, 1943, in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The business of radio. Not the sexiest of highest profile part of the industry. But essential. And for WHAM's last local ownership - The Lincoln Group - it was an opportunity to not only generate revenue but to innovate how the business of selling radio was done. 2 of the Lincoln Group's key players take us behind the scenes and spell out the philosophy that turned WHAM into a ratings and revenue powerhouse.

A feature piece from our most recent guest, Dan Minchen, who DJ'd and did news for WHAM in the mid to late 1970s. This is the final installment of a series done in honor of America's bicentennial. Originally aired in the summer of 1976.

Many of the people who've passed through WHAM over the years have a list of cities worked in and station call letters. But Dan Minchen has them all beat. At least when it comes to how far away from his first job his second radio assignment was. Meet this Buffalo native who joined the WHAM family in the 1970s.

Wrapping up a salute to Mort Nusbaum with another of the shows he helped create and host for WHAM. You Can Be A Star aired in the late 1940s and early 50s before transitioning to television.

Back in a time when there were only 3 radio stations in Rochester, a college student named Mort Nusbaum hosted his first show on WHAM. That was 1935. Over the following decades, Mort would make a mark on radio, television and as a private entrepreneur. This interview, done for WPXN 1280AM by Dick Judge, is provided by the Rochester Radio Collection of St. John Fisher University and Media Transfer Service.

A staple of WHAM's daily program line-up was the game or quiz show. Cinderella Weekend was one of those shows. Women contestants would compete on the daily shows for a chance to return each Friday and try and win the weekly grand prize package. Mort Nusbaum is the host. The show originated from the WHAM studios at Rochester Radio City on Humbolt Street.

Barry Vee has always been on the radio. At least it seems that way. Over a career that's lasted nearly 50 years (and is still going), he's done just about every job there is to do at WHAM. And Barry continues to be the glue that holds our lineup together. In this episode he talks about how he got his first job in the business and what radio has meant to him.

Some rarely heard bits from the early years of the Rush Limbaugh Show. These "fake commercials" were often only heard by us at the station. A few of Rush's favorites from 1992.

For some, a passion will burn hot and fast - then fade - leaving room for something new. That's the best way to describe former WHAM sports reporters and talk show hosts Brad Davies and Dan Moriarty. Both love watching and talking about games and players. Both found radio to be the perfect outlet to have those conversations. But both would, eventually, leave the industry for other passions.

WHAM celebrates 100 years in 2022. Another community resource is also celebrating a century of service to Rochester this year. A special conversation with Bob Russell, President and CEO of the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center.

WHAM has long been a place were radio pros have wanted to work. In this episode, we'll hear how 2 veteran broadcasters - Todd Hallidy and Bud Lowell - came to be in the WHAM newsroom.

Continuing our conversation with WHAM's midday talk show host Bob Lonsberry. We pick up where we left off, in 1995, after Bob was given the chance to go from being the regular "fill in guy" to the ACTUAL guy who's been carrying on the conversations important to Rochester ever since.

Some seemingly minor decisions can have long lasting impacts. For Bob Lonsberry, there were 2 such decisions he had to make. And how he chose to make those decisions started him on a path that lead him to WHAM. In the first part of our conversation, Bob shares how he found his way to radio, journalism and, eventually, to Rochester.

More from Bob Matthews in this week's bonus episode. A few samples of his commentaries and some off the cuff sports stories - told only the way Bob can.

Bob Matthews didn't grow up fascinated with the radio. He didn't scan around the dial trying to pick up stations from great distances. He didn't listen to baseball games on the radio very much, if at all. But for 3 and a half decades, Bob found a home on the radio talking sports and created a community of characters and fans who stuck with him - win or lose.

This one’s for the Boy Scouts – past and presentAnd thanks to St. John Fisher Rochester Radio Archive and Media Transfer Service of East Rochester This is an example of a show made by the Otetiana Council of the Boy Scouts – the council covered the City of Rochester and Monroe CountyNot sure the air date – but since the Otetiana Council wasn’t formed until spring of 1943, this may have aired in the mid to late 40sThe show was called SMOKE SIGNALS ON THE AIR – the main speaker – Reverend Cannon Arthur R Culthrie – Cannon Missioner of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester and Director of St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

The business of radio is a constant balancing act – juggling ratings – revenue – egos – and the countless other issues that come up in the course of a broadcast day.It takes a special kind of person to manage all the aspects of a radio station and keep it all going.We call them Market Managers.In this episode, we'll introduce you to 2 of them - Kevin LeGrett and Bob Morgan - whose careers intersected - first with WHAM's competition - and then in the corner office of iHeart Radio Rochester.

It's wonderful, and rare, to find complete recordings of shows from WHAM's earliest days. This is one of the regular music programs featured on the station - performed live by a studio orchestra. We believe this program originally aired in either 1936 or '37. Norbert Klem lead the WHAM Orchestra with Melody Lane.

One of the voices regularly heard on WHAM belonged to someone the audience never formally met. Georganne John was responsible for writing, producing and lending her voice to thousands and thousands of commercials during her 13 years at WHAM. In this episode, we'll learn about how Georganne's got to Rochester and what she loves about the medium of sound.

Weekends on WHAM have long been the place where specialty shows have found a home. When Mike Cidoni was WHAM's Entertainment Reporter and Critic in the early 1980's, he co-created a show that combined all the things he loved - entertainment, broadcasting and music. The show was called SOUNDTRACK. Mike talks a bit about the show and we hear a sample of what audiences were treated to on Sunday mornings.

Before Bill Klein became WHAM's Entertainment Critic and reporter, Mike Cidoni had that role with the station. In this episode, Mike talks about his love for the entertainment industry - how his childhood dream of becoming an entertainment reporter came true - and the work he did to get there. Plus, Mike shares memories of the guy we called The Klein, who passed away in 2004.

In Case You Missed It - some highlights from the Bob Lonsberry Show - Monday, July 11th - WHAM DAY.

Catching up with more of WHAM's reporters. Both born and raised in the Rochester area. Both spent time in television news. And both now have careers in public and media relations. Brendan O'Riordan and Tor Constantino tell us what they love about radio and how their paths led to the WHAM newsroom.

Dee Alexander credits Larry King as an influence on her interviewing style. Dee shares a story about the "king of late night radio" along with this interview she did with Larry from 1987. Jim Aroune has been a fan of the Buffalo Bills since he was a kid and he spent a year trying to get an interview with former player O.J. Simpson. In 1989, he got it and you'll hear the entire conversation - being shared for the first time since it was recorded.