CENTRAL NEW YORK -- Two people at two different stations, who worked at their respective stations for decades, climbing the ladder to upper management... some pioneers in local television... and a few who left us much sooner than expected. In this installment of our four-part "Year in Review," we pause to remember the local broadcasters we lost during 2013.
January
- Retired longtime WHCU Ithaca talk host and former GM Don Martin, 88.
February
- Utica-Rome radio personality Frank McBride, 54. Despite stepping back from afternoons at 92.7 The Drive (WXUR) months earlier due to an apparent illness, he was still listed on the station website, perhaps in the hopes he'd someday be able to return to work.
- Terry Doyle, 46, was known for going "above and beyond" as a volunteer for community radio station WIOX 91.3 Oneonta.
- Former WAUB 1590 owner Dick Morgan, 66, joined the station in 1964 as an announcer and worked his way up the ladder.
- Ruth Coleman Kegel, retired Executive Secretary to the General Manager at WSTM-TV.
- Former Syracuse radio and TV reporter Tony Gaskins, 56.
March
- Longtime local sports radio broadcaster Vince Spadafora, 65. In addition to calling high school sports games, "Spaddy" shared his experience with future broadcasters as an instructor at Onondaga Community College.
April
- Longtime Syracuse TV crew member Bill Eadie, 79. After starting out at channel 3 in the 1950s, Eadie would help channel 9 launch in 1962 and stayed there until his retirement in 1997. Eadie was also the first president of NABET Local #211, the union which represents employees at Syracuse's broadcast TV stations.
June
- Retired WRVO General Manager John Krauss, 64. The very first voice heard on WRVO when it launched in 1969, Krauss worked his way up the ladder, serving as GM from 1996 until 2010. Upon his retirement, Krauss remained listed on the staff directory as "General Manager and Host Emeritus."
July
October
- ABC News Radio producer Tara Howard Knauff loses a battle with cancer. Earlier in her career, the Remsen native worked at WIBX and WTLB in Utica, and spent nearly a decade at Syracuse's Newsradio 570 WSYR.
- Retired WSTM production manager Joe Turrisi, 86. During his 46 years at channel 3, Turrisi is credited for playing major roles in memorable local programs like the "Monster Movie Matinee" and "Bowling for Dollars."
2013 Year in Review: What You Missed and What's Next
What do YOU think is 2013's biggest story?
On New Year's Eve, it's our tradition to count down the top 10 stories of the year -- but those are based purely on site traffic stats. The numbers don't always necessarily correlate with the importance or magnitude of a story. So we want to know what YOU think was the biggest story in local broadcasting during 2013. Click here to fill out our nomination form. Your name is completely optional -- so you can chime in without sharing your identity if you like. Any nomination backed-up by a valid explanation will be considered. Nominations are due by 4pm on Monday, December 30.
Friday, December 27: Station sales and format flips.