SYRACUSE — Longtime WNDR personality John “Happy Jack” McNamee has died.  According to family members, McNamee, who spent roughly 25 years on-air at the station, died on Sunday at the age of 83.  Calling hours are set for Thursday evening.  Updated 7/21 with link to obituary. [More »]

SYRACUSE — Longtime sportscaster Claude “Red” Parton has died, according to a report from ABC affiliate NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV).  Parton’s career spanned more than six decades, starting with WSYR in 1939.  He’d eventually work at a number of other radio stations before moving into television. [More »]

SYRACUSE — It’s been decades since “Happy Jack” Macnamee sat behind the microphone at WNDR, but his familiar voice returned to the airwaves for a short time this past weekend. [More »]

CALIFORNIA — If former WNDR/WFBL/WTLB/WJMK jock Peter Cavanaugh’s 2002 book Local DJ was a film, you might say most of his memories of Syracuse were lost “on the cutting room floor” … until now.  Cavanaugh tells us the original, uncut Syracuse section he wrote is now available online, free of charge. [More »]

TENNESSEE – Are retired broadcasters ever really retired?  In many cases, the answer is “no,” and now, you can add former Syracuse personality Dave Laird’s name to the “proof positive” list for that argument. [More »]

SYRACUSE — He was best known by his on-air names ”Johnny C” and “Johnny Vann.”  Former WNDR, WOLF and WFBL broadcaster John L. Creveling has died.  Memorial services will take place tomorrow in Durham, NC, but an “audio tie-in” will be provided in North Syracuse. [More »]

Syracuse broadcast legend Dave Laird is retiring at the end of this month, comes word today from Y94FM (WYYY) Program Director Kathy Rowe.  Laird’s radio career has taken him up and down the Syracuse dial … and back and forth along Interstate 90 too. [More »]

Calling hours are tonight for Barb Gibbons, a longtime Syracuse radio personality who died last Saturday following a sudden illness.  Gibbons, 65, had worked at WNDR, WFBL, WNTQ, and WSYR. [More »]

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse radio community and listeners alike showed up in huge numbers for the November 15th benefit for Jim O’Brien. The event, held at the Valley Legion Hall, raised over $25,000 through raffles, door prizes, and the sale of some WNDR related memorabilia.  O’Brien, who was a WNDR air personality for over 30 years, is recovering from major surgery. 

MONTROSE, AL — Chester Whiteside certainly made his mark in Syracuse.  Whiteside was the city’s first black disc jockey, working at 570 WSYR and 1260 WNDR during the 1960s, its first black television commentator, and Syracuse’s first black firefighter. He also played a key role in establishing the Jerry Rescue monument in Clinton Square.  Whiteside died Monday from cancer at 82 in Montrose, Alabama.