A blog reader recently contacted me about one of my old blog posts, a piece I wrote about my time in the 1980’s working for Schenectady radio station WWWD (“3WD”). Specifically – this blog post.
And even though that blog was written (checks date) nearly sixteen years ago, it still gets a few visits now and again. Including this visit. I’m going to repost what the reader sent to me, and hopefully it will pique your interest as much as it piqued mine.
“Hi Chuck!
I just finished reading one of your posts: https://chuckthewriter.blog/2009/09/05/remembering-3wd-schenectadys-top-40-radio-station/
I was trying to find some information this morning about WSNY a radio station that operated in Schenectady the 1960s. During their morning broadcast the DJ would play a song and ask for the #th caller who could name the song for a chance to win S&H green stamps. My mom, who passed away this year, used to tell everyone a recollection about her winning S&H green stamps from a WSNY contest. She would say “if it wasn’t for winning those S&H green stamps” they (her and my father) wouldn’t have been able to make it through Christmas that year. Funny thing is I remember the story quite differently and always countered her recollection by telling her “I won those stamps”.
The story I remember goes like this. I was home from school sick one morning listening to WSNY and the DJ asked for the #th caller to name a song. So, I called and was the #th caller and named the song. It was Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel. I don’t remember the DJ’s name. After we talked for a bit he recognized I was young so he asked me over the air, possibly, why I was home and how old I was. I was pretty young probably about 7 or 8 maybe. He must have got a kick out of that.
That’s the story as I remember it and my Mom forever told me “your crazy” when I tried to correct her over the years. I have a picture of her accepting the S&H green stamps from a guy wearing glasses at the WSNY studio. Wonder if you might recognize him.“
She then sent me the photo.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with S&H Green Stamps, they were a grocery store redemption program. When you purchased your food at the local Albany Public Market or Carnevale’s or Grand Union, the cashier would hand you some stamps. You would paste the stamps in a booklet, and once you acquired enough stamps, you could send the completed booklet in for something cool.
Anyway, I didn’t recognize the radio person who handed the young woman those booklets of green stamps, but if there was anyone in the Capital District radio community who WOULD know that man’s identity, it would be John Gabriel.
John Gabriel worked at several radio stations throughout his long and illustrious career, and currently does voice work for Magic 100.5 and 590 WROW. I sent him the photo, and after he conferred with some of his other broadcast radio historian friends, he believes that the radio personality in the photo is Steve Fitz.
Fitz began his broadcasting career at WSNY, and would later move to WGY and to WQBK, spanning nearly 40 years behind the microphone. He passed away in 2012. Here’s a link to his long career, as was originally printed in the Gazette.
Not bad. I guess those S&H Green Stamps provided one more prize, after all. 😀
Chuck The Writer 
John Gabriel is a legend, and I believe he’s spot on with Steve Fitz.
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I remember 3WD, too. At the end, it was home to OTB’s radio simulcasts of NYRA races. Lou Tenney (or Tinney), who had been a newsreader at WTRY, went to work for 3WD and OTB’s TV channel, IIRC. Small world.
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