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September 2007
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Section: Feature
The 11th Annual
Buffalo broadcasters hall of fame awards
By Steve Cichon
Buffalo’s history as a great television and radio market goes back to the days before radio and TV, when the finest vaudeville acts always counted on Buffalo as a vaunted stop along the circuit. These actors, singers and comedians knew that the people of the Queen City of the Lakes were very critical, but always appreciative of a good show.
Fast forward 70 years, and the finest radio and TV personalities know Buffalo is such a great stop along the way that many limited engagements are held over, and Western New York becomes a permanent home.
Now in its second decade, the Buffalo Broadcasters celebrate the finest of those holdovers, as well as homegrown radio and television personalities with the annual Hall of Fame Ceremony. With the inductees of the 11th Hall of Fame Ceremony, the number of Hall of Famers reaches 70.
From those who made the leap from vaudeville to radio and TV like Bill and Mildred Miller and “Buffalo” Bob Smith, to today’s personalities of the satellite age, the Niagara Frontier has long been, and will long continue to be, the home of great broadcasting worthy of our celebration.
The 2007 ceremony will be held on September 25 at the WNED Studios in Buffalo. Here are this year’s inductees.
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Susan Banks
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Kevin O’Connell
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Dick Rifenburg
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Since arriving on local television screens in 1977, Susan Banks has proven herself able to not only bring us the news in a dignified and authoritative manner, but also able to hold her own with the quick-witted minds of Irv Weinstein and Keith Radford on the anchor desk. Banks has always brought the perfect balance of dignity, warmth and camaraderie to the anchor’s chair, a balancing act that becomes more difficult as the line between news and entertainment blurs. She spent 20 years in two stints at WKBW-TV, from 1977-81, and from 1990-2006, with stops in Boston, WGRZ-TV, and Houston in between.
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Born not far from the spotlight as the son of the city of Buffalo’s comptroller, O’Connell first stepped into the glow while still in high school as a rock n’ roll DJ at WYSL Radio in the mid-60s. From there, he grabbed his records and headed for the Channel 4 weather desk, where he gave us Weather with a Beat, as well as Disco Step-By-Step. Los Angeles beckoned in the early 80s, and though stationed on the left coast, Kevin could still be seen here daily as the host of the NBC network game show GO! After returning to Buffalo at WIVB-TV’s news desk, Kevin has weathered the last 14 years at the Storm Team 2 Weather Center, as WGRZ-TV’s top weather anchor.
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In today’s world of broadcasting, rarely does one individual shift from sports to news to music, let alone at one station, let alone on one shift. But that’s exactly what “Rife” did working for WBEN-AM/FM/TV from 1951-1978. He was a Michigan All-American end, and played a year with the Detroit Lions before landing at WBEN. From Buffalo Bills broadcasts, to ski reports, to 17 years worth of Breakfast At— programs live from various local restaurants, to being the night owl’s friend on the WBEN-AM All Night Show, for 27 years, Rife did it all. This Golden Age Award winner passed away in 1994.
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Don Criqui
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Mike Mombrea, Sr.
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Ron Rice
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Be it alongside Frank Gifford, Bob Trumpy, or Steve Tasker, sports fans nationwide will immediately recognize the voice that has been synonymous with NFL football since the mid-60s, that of Don Criqui. While growing up in Kenmore, the now nationally famous sportscaster first learned something about the games he’d soon be bringing to millions by listening to local play-by-play on WGR, WBEN, and WKBW, especially Bill Mazer calling Canisius basketball. As the 2007 winner of the Buffalo Bob Smith Award, Criqui emulates one of the city’s great ambassadors by making the city proud he’s one of us.
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During 32 years as a cameraman for Channel 4, it was through Mike’s viewfinder that Western New York witnessed the Attica Prison uprising, the installation of Pope John Paul II, and somewhere north of one million feet of news film capturing the day-to-day happenings of Western New York. He is a true pioneer, one of the original TV photojournalists, taking to the streets in the mid-50s with a wind-up black-and-white camera and no trail to follow as to how news was supposed to be shot. Mombrea is the recipient of the 2007 Behind the Scenes Award.
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A total of 30 years of sales and management excellence gives Ron Rice the credentials for the 2007 George Goodyear Award. After five years of pounding the pavement in sales for WBEN Radio, he became Sales Manager, a position from which he was able to up the stations — and his own — involvement in the community. But by his own admission, Rice’s career is highlighted by 18 years at WHTT. By 1994, Rice captained Oldies 104 to America’s top rated oldies station … only by beating out over 700 other such spots along the dial.
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The annual Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on September 25 at the WNED Studios in Buffalo is like one giant reunion, an evening that sees famous ne beloved names from Western New York media, then and now, together in one room.
The event also highlights the organization’s important missions, which include collecting and preserving documents and artifacts that represent the history of broadcasting in Western New York; remembering and honoring those who have contributed to this history; creating a facility to house and safeguard memorabilia from Buffalo-area broadcasting; and developing mentor programs through which members support, guide and encourage the next generation of local broadcasters.
The night will be emceed by Kiss 98.5’s Janet Snyder and 104.1’s Bill Lacy, and will feature stellar list of guest presenters — such local favorites as Steve Tasker, Ed Kilgore, Rich Newberg, Van Miller, and Irv Weinstein. Tickets are $40 for members, $50 for non-members. For more information, visit www.buffalobroadcasters.com. Please e-mail bflobroadcasters@aol.com for ticket information.
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