My friends: From Don Angelo.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, facts and the truth are all that matters. I will give you the facts and the truth once and for all.
WDCZ - A religious radio station owns the frequency 970 in Buffalo. They have no claim to the call letters WEBR. The frequency 970 is currently being used by several radio stations across the country. The only rule is that their signals do not overlap. Only one radio station in America has the call letters WEBR, they are assigned to station owner Bill Yuhnke.
On April 16th, 1922 Buffalo's first broadcasters, brothers Gene and ED McCarthy built and signed on Buffalo's first radio station WWT. One month later WGR radio signed on the air. Then in September Ike Lounsberry signed on WMAK in Lockport. On Octber 14, 1924 Pioneer broadcaster Herb Howell built and signed on WEBR radio. By that time WWT was gone and WMAK later became WBEN. Three powerhouse legacy AM radio stations WGR, WEBR and WBEN shared this major market audience when Buffalo became an important top 10 radio market in America.
WEBR's home at 23 North Street became an historic broadcast institution.. By the mid 1920's WEBR had a pro staff of 32 people plus a 27 piece orchestra and a cast of many performing actors. With a studio audience nightly they performed regular live dramatic and musical productions for years. Many famous Iconic broadcast careers were born at WEBR radio including such giants as Fran Striker creator of the Lone Ranger, Emileno Rico and Bob Wells who created the weekly "High Teen" live radio show from the Dellwood Ballroom in Buffalo which later became the TV show "American Bandstand" with Dick Clark. The Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame contains many names of broadcasters whose resume's included WEBR. Everyone of them should be recognized during a year long celebration. Listeners should be invited to call and tell their personal memories of WEBR. Any staffers still alive should be notified and brought in for some live on-air memory sessions for the listeners. Re-run episodes of the Lone Ranger programs. Find a look alike, mask him up in the Lone Ranger outfit and have him appear with his horse at all Station events. The Local TV news stations would love to interview him.
in 1975 WNED purchased WEBR and could have monopolized on the WEBR tradition but made a massive blunder by giving up the historic call letters in 1993 which reverted back to the FCC. In November 2019 Don Angelo discovered that the WEBR call letters were still held by the FCC and available. Immediately, Bill Yuhnke's FCC attorney filed for the call letters and by Christmas we had a wonderful gift for Buffalo. The legacy WEBR call letters were coming home.
On July 3rd 2020 at 5:00pm WEBR signed back on the air again with the National Anthem and a proud announcement by the new owner of WEBR Bill Yuhnke as we all stood in the new studio's celebrating with great pride for the duty we performed to the history of broadcasting in Buffalo. Then for the first time in many decades WNY once again heard one of Americas most famous, classic radio jingles of all time, the great "Sound of The City" WEBR 60 second theme. The regular broadcast day began the next morning as WEBR celebrated the 4th of July 2020. Broadcaster Mark Scott signed off the station at WNED and was available on July 3rd 2020 to throw the switch to sign WEBR back on the air. Thanks Mark.
As the countdown begins this New Years day 2024 we should all look forward to an historic year of paying tribute to everything WEBR stood for since its birth. It's three owners in 100 years, Herb Howell, the Courier Express newspaper and Bill Yuhnke should be credited with keeping a broadcast tradition alive. Everyone involved with the new WEBR should stand tall knowing they are contributing to and being a part of an important and historic broadcast event.
Congratulations and Good Luck to you all,
Don Angelo
