Farewell

ITHACA — For nearly sixty years, listeners tuning in to News-Talk 870 WHCU may have heard the voice of Barbara Hall, the station’s longtime Women’s Editor. We’re sorry to hear word from Ithaca of Hall’s passing on Tuesday at the age of 89.

SYRACUSE — Longtime local newspaper reporter Richard Long — who logged plenty of time as a television documentary producer later in his career — has died. In the late 1990s, Long produced Skaneateles Scrapbook, an 11-episode series which aired on local cable access channels. Of the two plays he wrote, one eventually became an award-winning […]

CORTLAND — Former local radio and event disc jockey David McGrady has passed away.  According to an obituary which appeared in the Syracuse Post Standard on Wednesday, McGrady, 44, had been battling colon cancer. He worked at radio stations in Cortland and Homer following his graduation from SUNY Geneseo.

UTICA/ROME — We regret to report that Bill Heiderich, whose radio career at WIBX spanned more than 60 years, passed away on Saturday at the age of 89.  Word of Heiderich’s passing first came in from CNYRadio.com readers over the weekend, and the news has been confirmed this morning.

SYRACUSE — Rick Buckley of Buckley Radio, the former owner of  WSEN AM/FM and WFBL (AM) in Syracuse, has died.  According to national trade sites AllAccess and Radio-Info, Buckley died this morning after suffering a brain embolism on Saturday.  Buckley, who served as his namesake company’s president for nearly 40 years, sold the three Syracuse stations […]

GRANBY — Our sympathies go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Chris Ulanowski.  The former news director for the WRVO Stations has died at 51.  

PHILADELPHIA — Former WOLF 1490 personality Don Lancer, who eventually went on to work for nearly 40 years at Philadelphia’s KYW, has passed away.  Multiple reports say Lancer, 68, lost his battle with cancer this morning.

Updated 3/12 with arrangements and 3/13 with official obituary. SYRACUSE — Rod Carr, a former radio and television broadcaster who later changed careers into law enforcement, has passed away. Carr, who was actively serving as the Chief of Police in the Oswego County Village of Phoenix, died this morning of an apparent heart attack.

UTICA/ROME — Dick Nellis, who worked at a number of Mohawk Valley stations including WLFH, WADR, WALY and WUTQ, has passed away.  Nellis, who also worked at stations in the Hudson Valley region south of Albany, was 70.

ASHEVILLE, NC — Cleve Mathews, whose career highlights include helping to create NPR’s All Things Considered and nearly 15 years as a professor and administrator at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, has died. Mathews was 84, when esophageal cancer claimed his life in North Carolina late last week.