This is a composite of off-the automation recordings of WWKB in Buffalo, Entercom’s attempted 36-month rebirth of WKBW. Included is most of the second hour, some of the third hour, and the closing segment of the 4th hour from April 13, 2005.

Jack Armstrong appears via digital recording (TRACKING) from High Point, N.C. The music was mixed with Jack’s tracks at the machine in Buffalo. Some of the music on the contributed CDs appeared to be only the left channel, and they were replaced with less-strange sounding mono mixes for this exhibit. Keep in mind that this is a composite, so some of what you hear was not broadcast as you will hear it.

In an video to be presented later, Jack explains that (paraphrased) “you can’t do music radio on AM like you do it on FM” – and this recording demonstrates that philosophy. For those who remember what he sounded like on WKBW in the golden years — he still talks really fast sometimes, but he doesn’t talk as often, and he talks for a LONG TIME more than once. Jack’s scripted “music news” and birthday announcements are not as interesting as his seemingly casual “personal knowledge” about the music. Do you know why Archie Bell introduced himself as from Houston, Texas?

To the WWKB Program Director’s credit, there is only one music-to-music seque on this composite with no identification at all. But still, the automation presentation is limited only by the programmer’s imagination and vision – why play two records back-to-back when you have Jack Armstrong standing by to talk anywhere and anytime you want? Sorry, I’m old school, and 50KW of iPod format is too dumbed-down for me.

I know this station tried to get the WKBW call letters, but they couldn’t, so they settled with WWKB. Still, a number of WKBW PAMS jingles are featured here, and they sound VERY good, so someone still has the masters. If someone wrote “WKBW” in their diary, who got the credit? The station promos are interesting, and geesh… the advertisers are cemeteries and senior centers. There’s a serious community outreach to the “old folks”, too – listen to the promos for the weekend shows. But when you hear Jack blast out of a jingle, do two drop-ins and a gag in 5 seconds… (whew!) you realize that he understood how to create excitement on the radio. I’m not sure that this format, or the technology, allowed him to do that as often as he liked.

But we will always remember Jack Armstrong!