Peter Van Syckle (long time WCBS listener) 2/7/06
Thank you for assembling a web site that shows the depth of the resources and personalities that have allowed WCBS NewsRadio to endure. My first recollections of WCBS Newsradio 88 are of listening to Steve Porter, who I believe did the 6 am-8 am anchor shift before Charles Osgood took over. Growing up in Fairfield County, CT, I had no first hand experience with NYC highways, but Neal Busch and Lou Timalot described them with great precision. I do remember, many years later seeing the Elmhurst Gas tanks ( an oft referred to traffic landmark), and pulling off the road saying, 'So, those are the Elmhurst Gas Tanks!'
It's also interesting how I associate certain news events with anchormen. If I remember correctly, Robert Vaughn was on duty the night John Lennon was shot, and I remember the story unfolding on the radio. On New Years' Eve, it seemed to be Bill Fahan or Bob Glenn on duty, with a noisemaker replacing the top of the hour tone at midnight.
Wayne Cabot's 'underground' radio checks brought back many names I hadn't thought about for years. I particularly remember the deep, sonorous voice of Palmer Payne. Did he do a brief stint 'in purgatory' at WABC AM? Each had their distinctive sound, and I would try to identify the anchor voice before they identified themselves.
Thanks for a very enjoyable web site. Peter Van Syckle, Summit NJ
NOTE FROM DON SWAIM. I was Steve Porter's editor back in those early days [1967]. On the air Steve excelled, but his copy (in that typewriter period) was illegible. He didn't care about copy, only presentation. I gave up trying to edit him. I decided to let his genius prevail. He was also a nice guy.
