For decades, Joe Daily was the morning voice on WBNR, a radio station that operated from 475 South Ave. in Beacon. He will speak on Tuesday (June 25) at a Beacon Historical Society meeting held at the Elks Club.
You retired in 2019 but still work part-time as the weekend morning host at WALL. How has the industry changed during your time on the air?
It’s changed quite a bit. I started on air in 1975 in New Jersey and came to Beacon in 1979 when I got a job at WBNR doing the morning show. Since I’ve been in the industry, everything has become digital, which allows us to have access to things we could never do before, such as remote studios and wonderful toys. But we also have lost some of the intimacy and relationships that live radio worked so hard to build within the local community.
You’re a New Jersey native who attended Ramapo College. Did it have a radio station?
Yes, it was called WRPR. I had a chance to do a show there. But it wasn’t until after college that I found my voice and got more into the local aspect of radio.
What kinds of shows did you listen to when you were younger?
All kinds of things. My interest in radio was inspired by a gentleman named Jack Sterling on WCVS and people like Bob and Ray over at WHDH in Boston, and Joe O’Brien of WMCA, which was one of New York City’s top stations in the late 1960s. I wrote Joe a letter and he invited me to visit the studio. When I was going to college, Joe was on WHUD in Peekskill and I would stop by. Bob and Ray and Joe were able to connect to the audience; they created a feeling that the show was directed toward every individual listening. That’s something I’ve tried to convey throughout my career.
What was it like doing promotions on WBNR?
People often forget that radio stations use sponsorships to make money. We did games or contests in which you could win prizes such as dinner for two at a nice restaurant. We had a concession trailer that we towed to locations that had turntables, a tape machine and everything inside, and people could look through the windows and see us live on air. We also had a daily, hour-long feature called “Phone Booth” where people could buy, sell or swap items. One day a lady called who was sad because she bought a car and the engine fell out on Route 9D. She wanted to see if anyone was selling a car. We felt so bad we sent her flowers. It became a whole community of supporters unto itself.
Do you find it rewarding to be part of people’s morning routines?
Well, you know, it’s something we all do together. I’m up before everyone to tell them what’s going on or what the day may bring. When you listen to a podcast, you’re doing it by yourself, but when you turn on the radio, you are no longer alone, we are all doing it together.
