5 August 2009

I was restoring a small mirror and on the back was two pieces of WNEW posters.. they are not in perfect condition, but are so interesting....
it is a picture of a man holding a microphone and a 78 record...... ..
looks to be standing in front of a milk bottle. and it says "popular man in town!". I looked up information on your website, but could not identify the person.. thought it may be Ted Brown, but he does not have glasses this looks to be from the 50's...

would love to send these to you for your archives....there are two of these poster pieces.. and they are identical...

mary anne spann

20 July 2009

The note from David Crane about WIP News Director Paul Rust really brought make some memories for me. Paul happened to be my first News Director when I became a Desk Assistant in the WIP newsroom when I was 17. So just learning of his passing after googling him put a small dent in my heart. It was my first real radio job working at the Wellington in center city Philly. Did that gig for a couple of years and always recall getting phone calls at 4AM from the deep, voiced Gordon Thomas (no relation) to do the snow closings. It was a great time at WIP and lots of respect will always go to Paul Rust who did a great job at running that news department.

I know this is about 'NEW but WIP was a monster radio station in Philly back in the 70's when I worked there. And I just wanted to share my thoughts about the guy that got me to where I am today.

Rick Thomas
MediaRich Marketing
3540 Wilshire Boulevard/Suite 824
Los Angeles, CA 90010

17 June 2009

William B. was the first to play my album "Born To Bo Blue" a lot of years ago. I'll never forget the thrill of hearing myself on WNEW! Well, I'm still at it! All of you who long to hear AND SING the great songs you can! Come to this. The melody lingers on!

Anne Phillips

17 June 2009

I spent many an hour listening to WNEW. My mother loved the station, knew every song and could sing as if she were, Anita o'Day, Dakota Staton, Carmen Macrae, Eydie Gorme, Ella, Shirley Bassey, you name the singer, she knew the song. We kids didn't have a choice of what to listen to when she was home. If you changed the dial while she was out, it really had better be back to 1130 when she got home. Reading all the blogs made me remember names I knew as well as my own siblings. I had forgotten how much I liked the station and then I listened to the jingles. Guess who knew almost all of the words?? The link has been forwarded, long live the memory of W N E W, 1130 in New York!!!!

T Nyfield

16 June 2009

Carolyn...please write the book. Thank you. Walter

Walter Sabo
Hitviews

10 June 2009

I'm delighted to have stumbled upon this website. I was introduced to William B. and the Make Believe Ballroom as a lad in the late 1950's and eventually listened exclusively to WNEW. I got married in 1971 and it was the "default" station for me and my wife. We were fans of Ted Brown, Gene Klavan (went to see him broadcast one morning at the Bowery Bank building across from Grand Central), Jim Lowe, Jonathan Schwartz and of course Willie B. We remember the period after William B. died that Steve Allen hosted the program from L. A. and N. Y. He would broadcast one afternoon every couple of weeks from a midtown restaurant, Charley O's. We attended one of those broadcasts and I got to do an impersonation of his pianist Tony Monte on the air and chat with Steve briefly. Another great talent who will never be replaced. Now we listen mostly to channel 73 on XM satellite radio, and they do have Jonathan Schwartz, but it's not the same.

T. Furth

9 June 2009

From my first day as a freshman at Wagner College on Staten Island to my departure from Brooklyn to join forces with my brothers in the 1st marine Air Wing, WNEW was on my radio almost 50% of the time. You can guess the other 50%, but I just wanted to say that my friend Jeff introduced me to the station and I cannot believe how this site has made me feel a kindred spirit I never imagined might exist.

William B and K&F among others made me feel so good. I'd come back from a tough German class or math, and there'd be Bennett or Streisand on and then that penultimate WNEW jingle and all was well. Sadly, most of the jingles I remember seem to be absent. Eleven Three Oh in New York lives on in such a great site and fans, that I feel blessed I found this site. Thank you.

Ed Macomber
New Bern, NC

5 June 2009

I was a big fan of WNEW and listened regularly at night as that was the only time it would come in here in New Hampshire but boy would it come in clear as a bell. I was one of the listeners that didn't fit the supposed demographic for this station as I was in my teens in the late 70's through the 80's. As a kid I had never been to NYC except one time on the way home from a class trip to Washington when I was 13 for a couple hours to ride the ferry past the Statue of Liberty and back. To me WNEW was New York high society embodied in a radio station. It was Broadway, limousines, jazz, top hats and tails. Well I was a kid and most of what i knew about New York came from old movies. Above all else WNEW was class. I used to listen when I went to bed most nights and loved the Milkman's Matinee. To this day that theme song by Les Brown and the Modernairs still gets stuck in my head playing over and over and I haven't heard it in 17 years now.

The final day of WNEW I had to go to work very early and was able to listen that morning as it was still just dawn and the station was still coming in. I heard the announcer talk about how they were going to be playing a lot of the old jingles throughout the day as well as lots of looking back and talking to past announcers etc. I really didn't know what it was all about as I had not heard anything of the station being sold. I thought maybe it was an anniversary or something. I was kinda bummed that I had to go to work and couldn't stay in the car and enjoy as much as I could until the sun would rise and the station would fade away. I really wanted to hear some of the old jingles, especially the ones that were made by real stars not packaged ones from a jingle company. I mean how many radio stations in the US had jingles sung by Nat King Cole!! The last thing that crossed my mind was that it could be the last day of WNEW ever. If I had known that I might have been tempted to blow off work that day and start driving south so I could continue to listen. It was either that night or the next night I tuned in and heard the station simulcasting another station, country music i think it was. My first reaction was what the heck are they doing but then I slowly put 2 and 2 together and realized that maybe I had overheard the swan song that morning on the way to work. I kept checking almost every night for the next couple weeks to see if by some chance WNEW would be back but I was always disappointed. Now when I'm driving at night and I start scaning the AM dial to see what I can find and the radio hits 1130, it still comes in clear as a bell but i'm still disappointed and saddened.

I got my first computer in the late 90's and have tried many times to find jingles or airchecks from WNEW but have only found two things, both of which aren't on this website. So I'm glad to offer first Stan Getz playing the WNEW Theme Song and second is a jingle that says it's from the 60's but I have no way of knowing if that correct or not. I hope they are enjoyed by everyone who misses this historic station.

Charles Dean
Rochester, NH

27 May 2009

What about Kyle Rote trying to give a sports report while Klavin and Finch were trying and succeding to make him laugh.

CARL

16 May 2009

I remember living in Jersy in the 80's, and WNEW was my favorite station. I used to wait for Thanksgiving and the EVERY SONG SINATRA EVER SANG program. Is there a copy of that anywhere?

Bob

27 Apr 2009

Ahhh. . . How glad I am to have found this site! WNEW was the springboard for my love of music. . . specifically, Jazz. Growing up in the 50's and 60's, I never bought into that newfangled stuff called rock and roll. It just didn't strike the cord that the MOR and big band stuff did. In bed at night, I would listen to Jean Shepard spin his tales on WOR. When he was through I'd switch right back to 'NEW. When I was around 13 or so, I awoke around 2:30AM one night. . . only to hear 'Ella and Duke at the Cote du Jour. ' My music heart was set at that moment. Like so many that have responded here, I shed a tear when NEW hit the deck. Alas, my track record is not too good. . . . my love of jazz brought me to WLIB and then. . . you guessed it WRVR. . . and we all know how that turned out!

Keep up the great work at this site. . . there are a bunch of us that still have the fondest of memories - of Ted Brown getting thwacked on air. . . !

Phil Audino

25 Apr 2009

I grew up listening to WNEW. It was simply the most stylish radio station ever, always classy. It made you feel New York was the greatest place in the world.

25 Apr 2009

One of my best friends growing up on Long Island in the 60's was a kid by the name of Greg Finch. Yep, son of Dee. I spent a lot of time in their house and it seems whenever I was there Mr. Finch was engaging in his favorite hobby - Ham Radio. Broadcasting to the New York metropolitan area in the morning; to the world in the afternoon. Couldn't get enough of it I guess.

R. C. Gisler

23 Apr 2009

Discharged from the Army in June of 1954 and living on Long Island, I remember listening to Willy B on the radio at night from 9:00 PM to 10 or 11 PM. He would open his show with"Good evening world, this is William B. Williams" and then his theme song "You Are The One" by Henri Rene would play. . . . . memories.

Truly he was the best disk jockey NY or the US has ever known and a loyal supporter of The Chairman Of The Board when others wouldn't play his music. And of course probably best known for the Make Believe Ballroom.

I tracked down "You Are The One", not an easy task, even in the Google age and found a place that had it on 45, bought it and burned it to a Cd. Now when nostalgia takes over, I play it imagining the great Willy B. introducing his show.

He is sorely missed.

Sincerely
Jim Landmann

9 Apr 2009

Someone suggested WBBR play a WNEW format on the weekends. Better than that, how about playing actual broadcasts by Willie B. , Ted Brown, Klavan and Finch, etc. plus the station jingles? There must be gobs of old broadcast tapes in someone's garage.

Even if WBBR devoted only Sundays To these re-broadcasts it could be a real money-maker for them with a ready-made audience.

Lennart Johnson

7 Apr 2009

Hello Everyone,

My name is Malcolm C. ` Dankner. . I do a'wnew type show' on Wpkn,89. 5 fm out of Conn. and L. I. ,NY…. You can hear me on the web,at wpkn. org…,.

I would like to hear from one and all[listeners and staff] , with the intent of doing an onair special ……. . recorded material as well would be welcomed……. you can reach me at 631 8381553 or 631 287 1663,as well as ,shrinkmcd@optonline. net……. my program is heard live on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month,from 10am -2pm

1130am ,at least as far as I remember,extends to WILLIE B'S noon show with the live music oF Roy Ross ,and his 'Bar Mitvah Boys'…. Am I giving my age away??.

Sincerely,
Malcolm C. Dankner

6 Apr 2009

I am trying to determine if there is an archives for the old WNEW am from 1938.

I am doing research and I cannot find a listing in the NY Times radio log for WNEW for that day.

I would like to know what the WNEW programming consisted of for Sunday 5-29-1938 between 8 am and 3 pm.

There was a 5. 5 hour concert broadcast from Randall's Island in NY called the "Carnival of Swing" hosted by WNEW personality, Martin Block. I am trying to determine how much of the concert was actually broadcast.

The only information that the NY Times supplies is in a 'highlights' box indicating a 90 minute broadcast from 11 am until 12. 30 pm. But that is not conclusive enough for my research requirements.

http://www. jjonz. us/RadioLogs/pagesnfiles/logs_files/1930s/1938/38_05May/%5Bn%5D38-05-29-(Sun). pdf

I would very much appreciate you help on this search for information on this historic event.

Thank you very much.
John Cooper

3 Apr 2009

HI,

I spent a lot of time up at the WNEW studios as a kid and here are some pictures I took back then. . . Let me know if you would like more for the web site I have them. . .

Great web site . . . Thanks

Frank Principe

24 Mar 2009

WNEW was the greatest radio station ever. It was a constant in my life for 40 years as were all the wonderful personalities. Willie-B, Gene Klavan and Dee Finch, Ted Williams and the Redhead, and all the other radio greats. No station can hold a candle to this station and its hosts! The Radio we grew up with is truly a lost art - as is the music of those times -- nothing today can compare.

Carol

17 Mar 2009

Well, well, well. It looks like Marlene Sanders and I are still the only females in this news body. But no matter, it's still a great body to be in.

I felt I had died and gone to heaven when after an apprenticeship with WNEW in 1962, I was offered my first job in broadcasting. Lee Hanna was the News Director then. It went something like this: "What are you going to do when you graduate, kid"? "I don't know," said I. . . . "I'll either look for a job or go to graduate school. " "Look," he said, "come here and work for me in the newsroom. . . . . I'll teach you everything you'll ever need to know about broadcasting in six months. " I said, "Gee !!" hurried home to my folks who asked me about salary and benefits. . . . to which I replied "who cares??????"

It was all up from there on. I was assigned as Marlene Sanders' assistant. . . . . and I was probably the first "gopher" in the business (Yes, I'm that ancient). I got the coffee, I changed the typewriter ribbons, I typed the transcripts. . . . . but then. . . . . on then. . . . . I was allowed to watch and learn.

Little by little I began to edit tape. Marlene would give me a book to read and ask me to make up questions for the author. Lee Hanna would have me read news scripts and pick up errors (my first editing job???). And all around me were the wonderful sounds of a living, throbbing newsroom. And what sounds. . . . the dulcet tones of all the guys. . . . . Reid Collins, Jim Van Sickle, Mike Rich, Edward Brown, Alan Walden, George Engel, Ray Rice, Jim Donnelly. . . . the list goes on and on. But the thing is nobody. . . . and I mean nobody except we the few really knows what it was like. The jokes, the black humor of course but the great, great writing.

Let my memory just free fall for a moment. We . . . a local radio news operation. . . . sent somebody to cover the election of the Pope! We covered the trial of Nazi war criminal Eichmann in Israel. If it happened, we were there. Jim Gash never stopped. . . . neither did Chris Glenn or Mike Eisgrau. Editors ?? You want the best and the brightest. . . . I submit to you: Jack Pluntze, Al Wasser, Mike Stein, Jerry Graham . I was there and it was something to behold. . . . . every day, every minute. We hummed, baby. . . . . we soared. . . . . and we were a mighty troupe taking pleasure in each one of our individual successes. On any subject at any time we knew who to get and where to get them and all you needed to say was "this is WNEW News calling. . . . . . " and nobody back then refused to talk.

That was the news side. As for talent ? I still have a gold bee from Tiffany's that Ted Brown gave me because he called me his "busy little bee". . . . because he could hear my heels clacking ( yeah, it was still heels and skirts back then) as I rushed to the booth to bring late copy to a newsman. Willy B. . . . Klaven and Finch. . . . teasing and flirting with the new "chickie". It was, in many respects, overwhelming at times. Buddy Hackett just "dropping in"; Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks cutting promos for the 2000 year old man in our booth; and who can forget the anniversary party when we filled Madison Square Garden. . . . a local radio station !!!!! Guest stars: Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Steve and Eydie to name just a few. Look it up you who weren't there!

In the end, you know what it was: we loved the job, we loved and respected the station and ourselves and our audience. . . . . and the audience gave it all back to us. That's a terrific feeling and it's still there in my heart today.

Carolyn Tanton Giatras

16 Mar 2009

Great site and a wonderful opportunity to sharpen memories of the newsroom and all those terrific guys I enjoyed working with and learning from way back in the Sixties. If you're interested, I happen to have the WNEW Style Book (with larger than life Alan Walden on the cover) as well as a newsletter written by Jack Pluntze.

Jerry Schreck
1965-67

14 Mar 2009

Dear Diane - my friend Ted Brown - sent me that treasured book you're looking for.
It was published by Nightingale Gordon, New York.
Don't know if they still exist.
As a WNEW alum I can sure try to find if (1) of us from that olden Era still has an extra copy.

Art Browne

12 Mar 2009

Happy to hear that all of you guys are alive and well.

"There's only one. . . "

But of course you know that already. The news department of WNEW was the very best. . . although Dave Crane and the late Paul Rust of WIP made me very proud.

Best to you all,

Dick Carr
WIP and WNEW

11 Mar 2009

Man, I grew up listening to the "Milk Man's Matinee" and Glaven & Finch as I plyed the streets of NYC at night. The greatest!

You should have a recording of all the special break songs by the artists that did them.

JJSeaton

11 Mar 2009

Oh how I miss to this very day. . . 1130 on the dial and what it meant back then in general to radio listeners who caught WNEW AM as far away as the British Isles and up into the Scandanavian Countries to here at home as far west as Chicago and south to Atlanta.

Personally WNEW was a family member from wake up time until late night time before the intrusion of TV. I started with Lascoulie & Rayburn to Rayburn & Finch to Klavan & Finch. K & F were the best! Not since then have I enjoyed mornings as much or laughed as often. The slamming doors! What a team they were and how great Gene always was. The names are a golden repository in my mind. . . Willie B. . . . Bob Landers. . . Art Ford. . . Jim Lowe. . . Ted Brown. . . Bob Jones. . . Joe Givens. . . Jerry Marshall. . . of course Martin Block. . . Jazzbo Collins. . . Wally King. . . John Dale. . . Wally Parker. . . Chip Cipola. . . Mike Rich. . . Jim Gash. . . Freddie Robbins. . . Bob Haymes. . . I could go on and on.

Willie was a dear friend…met a run of big time entertainers through him including the Chrmn of the Board. I lucked out and worked among them as a news guy. Gene used to call me "Wiley Post. " Years later we became personal friends and I still treasure the lunches we had on the East Side. . . to be in his company. . . his wit…his style…his class!

When I moved on to EWN in NYC and later to ABC TV News, a radio was always nearby so I could stay in touch with one of the "friends" of my life. The only time I was chased away was during that R&R period and when the music did return, Willie B. observed to me, "It's great to be able to do the show from the studio again. "

I teared up the day 1130AM, went silent. Who wouldn't losing a lifetime friend and perhaps also because the character who bid us goodbye was Mark Simone and I couple him with the assassin. . . Michael "K" for helping to bring down the greatest independent radio station in history. . . The Queen of Independent Radio in America as WNEW was crowned. Mike "K" because he was clueless and Simone because he was a pebble of a figure in a landscape once occupied by GIANTS! Of course it was too the changes in our culture. . . but lesser stations of note still prevail and provide the music. Kakianis once held up a picture of old and feeble people and said to his sales staff, "that's our audience. " Certainly not the way to invigorate a sales staff! He thought it was funny.

How great if Bloomberg Radio was to return 1130AM to the WNEW music format of the past just on weekends. Wouldn't that be a delight? A treasure?

I recall the words of a listener who once observed, "If life was a song WNEW would be the music. "

AMEN to that!

Art Browne
Marketing Specialist
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
1331 East Wyoming Avenue
Philadelphia 19124
215-537-7672

1 Mar 2009

Delighted to find this site! As many others, I was a second generation listener. The on-air personalities were a part of our family. When WNEW celebrated it's 50th anniversary, they sold a book with the history of the station. I've lost the book and wonder if anyone can tell me where to get another (tried Ebay, no luck).

Thanks-
Diane

21 Feb 2009

I realized a young broadcaster's dream in 1975 when I was hired as Program Director of WNEW. Working with Gene, Willie, Ted and all of the other wonderfully talented guys was amazing. It seems impossible to believe that those legendary voices are silenced forever.

I will come back again to write more about my experiences and great love for WNEW. I have many fond memories of my time there.

Bob Bruno

11 Feb 2009

Mike. . .

The following thoughts are those of David Crane in an email to his friend of many years, reporter Mike Forrest. David has sold his television talent agency and lives with his wife Barbara on the West Coast.

How fortunate you were to work at the station which made me love radio so much. When I was a WIP and KLAC (before it became talkradio), we patterened our format after WNEW and could only hope to find jocks like William B, Jazzbeaux, Klavan and Finch, Art Ford, et al. Jerry Graham's great memos about the "vanishing grammarian" were both hilarious and instructive. For me, as a young Marine stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and later as a broadcasting student at NYU, WNEW was the ONLY radio station that got it right. Maybe the only exception was Jean Shepherd's late night rambles on WOR. Listening to the Nat Cole jingle almost made me bawl. So right, so tuneful, so tasteful. That defines the late WNEW-AM!

By the way, my first Metromedia news director, Paul Rust at WIP, just died at this home in Florida. He was 87 and a great radio newsman. When I moved to Florida in '92, Paul and I often played golf together and shared a few "see-through's", his description of a very dry gin martini. He is survived bv his only son, Lawrence (a Philadelphian to this day) and his wife, Gail.

19 May 2007

I am so happy to read these comments from others who seem to share the same experience I had and feelings I have for this great station. I too, coincidently am a Canadian. I first started listening to WNEW-AM in the 80's when I was about 13 or 14. I too happened upon it a by a late night search through the radio dial and came across this smooth welcoming voice inviting me to the ‘Make Believe Ballroom’. I would fall to sleep to the soothing Big Band sounds and soon after sought out the classics and artists I heard…first at my local library and then at my local record store. I'm sure the clerks thought it was odd to see this 13 year -old girl asking for and buying Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman. WNEW began my love affair with Big Band music that l continues today, now at 38. I stopped hunting for the station after I stared buying my own records; however, just today I thought to myself, with all this technology and everything now on the Internet, I wonder if WNEW is streaming on the net these days. I must say I was dismayed. . no…. that's too tame a word… I truly was heart-broken that a piece of my childhood no longer exists. I can't express how much I enjoyed those late night listens. . . where I would dream about my future and picture myself in a ballroom dancing to those great songs with the imagined man I would marry someday. I'm sure sad it's gone but I'm glad that someone decided to erect a website in its honour. I take the liberty of quoting Dan above, " Thanks guys for some powerful memories and opening a door to a type of music that I woul otherwise probably never have grown to love"

Angela Johnson

9 May 2007

I lived in NYC from 1965 to 1983 and was totally devoted to WNEW AM. I can still sing one of its more memorable jingles, and often do. William B was awesome, the class of the station was awesome and in some ways while mourning the passing of WNEW and WABC etc is the realization that quality radio and the culture of listening like that is now gone too.

Christopher St John

30 Apr 2007

All you have to knwo about WNEW for most of us 60's college (Wagner, Staten Island) is that you listened to WNEW to hear William B. and during the late afternoon, then it was WABC at night. But to hear Sinatra, Streisand or Brubeck was not only cool, to hear the WNEW jingles (which I have) were part of growing up! Gracefully!!

There were some "sampled"-type jingles that sounded like Brubeck, Shearing and Getz if I remember right! Anyone know where they are available?

Ed Macomber

18 Apr 2007

43 years old and a die-hard WNEW fan. . . with a twist! let me explain I am not a New Yorker, and have never lived in the U. S. I heard WNEW for the first time while slowly searching the AM radio band for interesting english radio stations. It was shortly after I had moved to Quebec city, Canada. It was the early 80's I didn't speak a word of french and was hungry for any english radio stations I could get my hands on. I could only tune-in at night as AM radio waves carry better. I would spend many a night being lulled to sleep by the mellow tones wafting in and out of range. It was really a life-saver for me as it was a very real connection to some english culture, and my love for the Americain songbook as played by the DJs at WNEW only grew as time passed. So, did you make a difference? At least to this Kanuk you did! Thanks guys for some powerful memories and opening a door to a type of music that I woul otherwise probably never have grown to love.

Dan Burgess

17 Mar 2007

I am 46 yrs old and a second generation WNEW-AM listener. I discovered WNEW through my parents during the 60's, but realized I was listening to WNEW around 1971.

What turned me onto WNEW was its music selection which was very much an MOR/AC station during the 70's and their air personalities like Gene Klavan, William B. Williams and Ted Brown.

The music and personalities on WNEW is the reason why I became interested in the radio part of broadcasting.

When WNEW left the NY airwaves on December 11, 1992, it was like losing a close friend.

WNEW-AM 1130 iwill always be the best radio station that was heard in the NY area.

Kevin L. Sealy

17 Mar 2007

This remembrance of WNEW is from Michael Brockman, an old friend of Bill Diehl's, who was his roommate at Ithaca College.

"Michael who now heads his own production company in Los Angeles was previously an executive at CBS Television in L. A. Earlier he worked at both NBC and ABC. I love his memories of "The Big W," which I have included below. "

Bill Diehl
WNEW--1967 to 1971

************************************************************************************************

I don’t know how WNEW (AM) affected your life, but I know how it affected mine. As an only child in Brooklyn it became my surrogate brother. It was my time to dream . . . . . enjoy the great music and DJ’s. . . . . as well as provide me with elements that guided and formed my entire career. I look back with great reverence and respect for the sheer joy of listening to William B’s comments about the music, the artists, and about life. Then there was the music!! I still recall those special moments at various times particularly under stressful circumstances. Those memories provide with a feeling of calmness and joy and has the effect of relaxing me and allows me to weather whatever tough moment is in front of me. While the loss of the call letters is sad, the great sadness is that two great cities – New York and Los Angeles – do not have one over the air station that offers these great American standards. Even though we go through various periods of re-discovery of this music as we are currently going through with Michael Buble, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow etc. I guess those of us who lived through this WNEW period can consider ourselves lucky to have experienced such class and talent. It gave us a level of performance to strive for in our own lives and careers. I know it enriched my life.

Michael Brockman