Dave Vieser (WHCU News/Talk, Ithaca, NY) 10/16/07
Don--
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for all the hard work and incredible memories on the WCBS Appreciation Site.
My father was a DJ at WGBB on Long Island in the late 1960's through the mid-1970's, and as a kid, my radio shifted from his station over to the NYC AM stations after he left broadcasting to work with the LIRR and MTA, especially when "Daddy" was live on WCBS "News 88" with the latest on a strike or snowstorm impacting the railroad.
As a kid, I recorded the top of the hour "News is" jingles of the late 1970's and early 1980's; hoping one day to catch one "in the clear", for use on my make-shift radio station in my bedroom named WFNN (for Freeport News Network). As a young teenager, I mimicked what I heard from the great anchors Lou Adler and Jim Donnelly each morning. I even tried to do fake helicopter reports using an old noisy table fan on my desk. It was hokey, but lots of fun for a boy who never could get radio out of his blood.
I also remember the unique voice of Gary Maurer on Sunday mornings, as our family would head off and return home from church. It is a voice I have never forgotten, and his inflection and warmth are something I think about just before I turn the microphone on each weekday morning at News/Talk 870 WHCU here in Ithaca, NY.
WCBS always had a stronger signal on Long Island than WINS; but more importantly, it had a friendlier feel than the competition at 1010. It was welcoming, informative, and entertaining; and in my mind; WCBS anchors didn't tell you the news; they shared a story--and that is the key to the intimacy of news & talk radio.
I spent a number of years away from radio, working for local TV stations across the country, The Weather Channel, NBC News, and even Gannett newspapers--and returned to radio in 2005 after a 12-year absence, and I am loving this format more than I could have imagined. I credit much of that pleasure now to the early memories of News 88, and the professional sound of the anchors and reporters. In addition, I get inspired by listening to the hours of historic audio you have graciously shared with us on this website.
Thank you for all you have done, Don, and thanks to the internet and websites like yours; we can stay in touch with legends like Mitch Lebe, Wayne Cabot, Craig Allen, Todd Glickman, Rich Lamb, and many others who are not only wonderful professional broadcasters, but great mentors for those of us who try and bring the spirit of WCBS to the radio stations where we work today.
All the best,
Dave Vieser
News/Talk 870 WHCU
Ithaca, NY
