Buzz Bennett, WITH Baltimore 1965 (0:03:17)

… We turn you over to your Buzz Bennett …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] Your Buzz Bennett,1970-SomethingCourtesy Ben Fong-Torres This all-too-short exhibit is from Programmer’s Digest, Volume 1, Issue 3, dated August 28, 1972. Buzz Bennett went on from WITH in Baltimore to become a legendary PD and consultant that touched WTIX, KGB, KCBQ, WKTQ, WHYI, KRIZ, KDWB and KHYI, but very little is known of him since 1986. I suspect he cashed in his chips and went home, though I don’t know where that is. Perhaps he is called to consult tight radio markets now and then, even today, via his unlisted phone number and Is Buzz Bennett worried about paying his bills today? I have no earthly idea: 81.63% No, he is well-off and very private: 12.24% Yes, he isn’t doing very well: 6.12% Total Votes: 98 Poll Conducted October 16-30, 2005 unknown e-mail address. Or perhaps, no one will pay his price and doesn’t care that he started in the trenches of Top 40 and built a better machine. I have no reason to believe that he has ever even visited REELRADIO or has any interest at all in preserving the history of the format that he improved. But I have every reason to believe that the important guys in nice suits who run radio today could not care less about Buzz Bennett, and his hard-earned knowledge of radio programming. If I am wrong, well, what an idiot I am, huh? His work and ideas inspired many and it’s a shame that he’s not part of the Repository project. Maybe this exhibit will at least generate an email to me, and we can talk about sharing whatever history he has saved. (Yeah, sure, like being here ten years doesn’t get noticed?)

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

Many thanks to the web folks at the Beasley Media Group for countless hours of work.  Again thanks to the board members of ReelRadio, Inc. for their faith in us. 

Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Board of NCBHP
North Carolina Broadcast History Project