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Jonathan Mark Wlea News/Talk Show host, 1986-2020.

Jonathan Mark first began his radio years at Wlea in 1986. He first hosted “The Jonathan Mark Show” on Wlea, featuring guests ranging from local officials and community leaders to authors. Major stories that Jonathan covered in his Wlea years, were: the Hornell Airport, the Adsit House, the arrival of Alstom in Hornell, major fires in downtown Hornell, the locating of Burger King in downtown Hornell, Hillary Clinton’s visit to Hornell, and the relocation of Hornell City Hall.

Click to hear Jonathan Mark on Wlea News in 1999.

Click here to listen to Jonathan on Fridays At 8, a show Jonathan Mark did on Wlea before it became a daily show called Mornings at 8

Click here to listen to Jonathan, on Mornings At 8.

Tom Rigatti – News Director – Early 1990s.

Binghamton native Tom Rigatti came to Wlea, after graduating from Hofstra University in 1991.  Rigatti left Wlea to do news at WDEL in Delaware, where he covered Senator Joe Biden.  Rigatti later went on to work at Albany news radio stations WROW, WGY.  Since leaving Wlea, Rigatti has won many awards from Associated Press.  From a distance, he returned to the Wlea airwaves, doing newscasts for Empire Radio in Albany (in the early 2000’s) and Rigatti is now frequently heard mornings doing national news for Fox News Radio. 

BOB CRANE – 1950.

Photo Courtesy of Scott Crane.
Hogans Heroes star, Bob Crane, got his start working at Wlea in 1950. The story goes, Bob was hired originally as a janitor, then became a very popular local radio personality. When Bob Crane died in 1979, Kevin Doran asked listeners to call in with any memories of Bob.  One listener phoned in and said that Bob Crane would sometimes serve Mass at St Anns in Hornell. It was also remembered that Bob Crane hosted a show called “The 1480 Club.”

BETH MOORE – News, sales, morning show host at Wlea, from 1972- 1996.

In 1972 Beth Moore volunteered during the Hurricane Agnes/flood, having worked at WHHO prior to that. Beth also worked secretarial duties, then became the Wlea News Director, until she became a sales rep (and was a top biller) for WLEA. The Beth Moore Show started in the early 1980’s and lasted until about 1995. Beth eventually left Wlea in 1996.
The Beth Moore Show (partial, 17 minutes) December 8, 1982

Listen to 16 Minutes Of The Beth Moore Show, From 1983.

 


Perhaps, the most moving and important moment in Beth’s radio career, was in December 1990, when Beth took on-air calls of relatives of military members who were overseas, mostly in the Gulf War.

GARY GRAY– Wlea Morning Man, 1987-2003.

Gary was born in Detroit and grew up in Wisconsin. He had a show on local radio when in High School, called “Tunes For Teens.” “Got hooked on broadcasting and through the years worked in Wisconsin, and Minnesota radio,” Gary tells us.
“Dubuque, Iowa (when I moved from there, Kevin replaced me) to Las Vegas, NV and then Los Angeles/Hollywood where I also did bit parts in movies for television and some features. I also played jazz piano in clubs.”
AUDIO: GARY GRAY WITH LIBERACE AND EDDIE FISHER

 


 


 


 


Gary Gray also worked, in addition to the very famous KBIG, at KBRT, and then semi-retirement in Rochester, NY and in 1987 to WLEA until 2003. “The 9:10 Local was a blast,” Gary recalled. Gary Gray finished off his long radio career, working with his close friend Marcia Everett on Wlea’s 910 Local. Marcia was the regular co-host for Gary throughout the years on the 910. When the show first began, it was with rotating co-hosts, Leslie Caldwell, Ricky Dagon, Cindy Martin, Kim Gardner, and Joanne Page.
Gary And Marcia                    

Gary Gray And Some Of The 910 Gang


Kevin and Gary on Wlea, in 1985

 

Marcia Everett.

(Photo: Marcia And Cindy Martin, November 1, 1995)
Also known to Wlea listeners as “Wally”. Marcia began working at Wlea in the late 1980s and did a long stint on the Wlea 910 Local Show, originally with Gary Gray, then later with Casey Cameron. Marcia is known for her great personality and contagious sense of humor. Marcia also hosted a show for many years on Wckr, called “Marcia In The Morning.” To this day, when Marcia goes out to a store or anywhere in public, those who do not recognize her face, will often say to her, “Hey, are you the Marcia who was on the radio?”

 

    MIKE ALLEN

– Mike worked for Wlea from the late 1990s until 2005, wearing several hats: The third cog in the wheel on the 910 (later a cohost for the 910 after Gary retired) morning news anchor and morning deejay.
Joy Gilmore.
Joy Gilmore came to Wlea in the late 1970’s, after working radio in Canada. Gilmore was news director until 1991. Major stories that Joy Gilmore covered were: The Bump The Dump protest movement, the closing of Bethesda Hospital. Walmart coming to Hornell.

 


 


Carol Pascoe, Wlea Secretary 1959-2014.

Carol Pascoe started her secretarial career at Wlea, working for Charlie Henderson in 1959. After Kevin Doran bought the radio station in 1972, Carol stayed on as secretary until 2014. Carol herself, never hosted a radio show but had a very good voice on was often heard on Wlea commercials. For many years, she was the voice for Bennett’s Farm Market.

Click here, to listen to Carol on a commercial for Tuttle & Rockwell’s 150th Anniversary.

 

 


Jerry Adam, 1980’s.
Wlea could always count on Jerry Adam to get a ballgame on the air, no matter how severe the weather conditions were, Jerry would drive to any location, come snow, ice, sleet, hail. Click here to listen to a little of Jerry’s sports work.

Glenn Lee 1977-Present

 


 

Glenn came to Wlea Radio, making Hornell his home, after doing some work for about two years at a New Jersey radio station. Known for his low key, friendly demeanor and good, solid voice, from 1981- until 2017, Glenn was the program director for 92.1 Wckr, when it was a country music radio station. Since 1977, Glenn has been hosting newcasts on Wlea.

 

 


Casey Cameron, Wlea Sports Director, 1995-2014.


Longtime local sports fan, local coach, and play by play announcer Casey Cameron. Casey is remembered as an all-around nice guy and very pleasant human being, a big fan of the NY Yankees, the Buffalo Bills and Notre Dame.
Click here to listen to audio of some audio clips of Casey doing sports.

Frank Williams, Mid 1980s-present.

Longtime local sports radio personality Frank Williams has called the Hornell Dodgers game on Wlea, since the team returned in 1996. Click to hear Frank calling (most of) a broadcast from the summer of 1997, between the Dodgers and Cortland.

Hear Frank on a Dodgers vs Nitros game from June 28, 2015.

 


Bill Dugan

    • Bill Dugan worked at Wlea from 2006-2020. “Dugie” as he is affectionally called, did a little of everything. From covering news meetings, to creating digital ads, and numerous other duties around the radio station, Dugan was a very important key player for over a decade, in getting things done around the studio.

Don Jones, Wlea personality, 1949 – early 1970s.
Don Jones. When he first started at Wlea, Don Jones hosted a show called “The Rhythm Club.” Don Jones was remembered for two things, his great, booming voice and ability/talent, to play the piano.

 


 

Other notables: Bob Savage, worked at Wlea for Charlie Henderson in the 1960s. Savage went on to do news work at WHAM, voice work throughout the country and is the longtime owner of WYSL Radio in Avon. Vic Baker, who worked at Wlea at the Main Street studio in the late 1960s, and went on to become tv news producer at WIVB Buffalo for several decades. Dennis Deninger also worked at the Wlea studio on Main Street in the late 1960s, and went on to do ESPN producer work and is a professor of communications, at Syracuse University. Bill Dubensky, who is now working in Virginia radio as a reporter and news anchor, Dubensky worked at Wlea in 2003-2004.


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