Rock Radio Scrapbook: AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK

Talent: JACK ARMSTRONG
Station: WKBW Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: December 22, 1970
Time: 1:01:06

The WKBW jocks are shown in this 1971 photo
(l-r) Casey Piotrowski*, Jack Sheridan**, Don Berns, Bob MacRae, Sandy Beach, Jack Armstrong, Dan Neaverth
*Piotroski was a weekend jock
**Sheridan replaced Klestine in late 1971
(Thanks to Don Berns for identifying the jocks!)

One of the great convergences of Top 40 radio talent took place at WKBW in the early '70s.

The 'KB weekday lineup from October 1970 to late 1971 included three future Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame members and a couple who should be there.

Waking listeners up was Dan Neaverth. In 1970, the Buffalo-born Neaverth took over the 6-9 a.m. slot at 'KB, a post he would hold for the next 18 years before leaving for WHTT in 1988. He came to 'KB from WBNY Buffalo in 1961, originally in afternoon drive. Neaverth, who would reprise his morning role at 'KB from 2003 to 2006, was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002.

Following Neaverth was Fred Klestine. A native of the Buffalo suburb of Lackawanna, Klestine was 'KB's 9 a.m.-noon jock for about a decade ending in late 1971. He died of a stroke at age 68 in 1992, about a year after ending a nine-year stint at WBUF Buffalo. In 2009, Klestine was inducted posthumously into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Don Berns joined 'KB in the noon-3 p.m. shift in October 1970. The son of a West Hartford, Conn., dentist came to 'KB from WTRY in Ocober, 1970 after previously jocking at WDRC Hartford. Berns left 'KB in the mid-'70s, later jocking in Dallas, San Diego, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Toronto.

This aircheck of Jack Armstrong from December 22, 1970 is from the early days of this lineup, about two months after Armstrong and Berns started together on the same day. Armstrong displays the wit, timing and energy made him a Top 40 legend. Veteran WKBW newsman and Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Famer Henry Brach is also heard - note how he talks up to the vocal on the songs following his newscast! Also, you'll notice Jack makes frequent reference to Jeff Kaye, the legendary WKBW program director who played such a big part in 'KB's success and was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002.

Sandy Beach began doing the 3-7 shift at 'KB in 1970 when Dan Neaverth took over from Stan Roberts on the morning show. The native of Lunenburg, Mass., arrived at 'KB in evenings in 1968 from WDRC Hartford. Beach was gone from 'KB in the mid-'70s, but returned in the 80s and 2000s between stints in San Francisco and Milwaukee and other Buffalo stations including WBEN. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2003.

Jack Armstrong came from KTLK Denver to do the 7 p.m.-midnight shift at 'KB beginning in October 1970 (he started the same day as Don Berns.) The North Carolina native left 'KB in February, 1973. Armstrong jocked at some two dozen stations in his more than four-decade career, capped by a voicetracked stint at 'KB from 2003 to 2006. Armstrong died March 22, 2008 at the age of 62 after a fall at his High Point, N.C., home.

Bob MacRae followed Jack Armstrong in the midnight-6 a.m. shift in the early '70s. The Buffalo-born MacRae also jocked at Buffalo stations WBNY, WGRF-FM, WBEN and WZIR. He died December 4, 2007 in Vesper, N.Y., at the age of 58.