Through the Hiss is a group of broadcasters who were all previously involved in the local show and are dedicated "to promote not only Buffalo music, but also creative works from a wider geographic range.
The group decided to start podcasting after the local college radio station WBNY released TTH member Brain Kedzierski, who had been the voice of the local show for 10 years and affiliated with the station, first as a regular caller, for about 15 years. Some of the DJs felt after several warning signs, this was a red flag they could not ignore, a sign the station is headed down the wrong path.
According to both the station and Brian K., his release was the result of a lackluster 2008 WBNY Battle of the Bands. That battle received about 11 submissions for entrance into the contest, when, in several previous years, the call for submissions culled around 70 recordings from local artists.
After what can only be described as a communication breakdown between the local show staff and station management, the '08 Battle of the Bands slowly began its downward spiral. Members of Through the Hiss maintain that poor promotion and a general lack of interest on the part of: the station, local (music) community and perhaps the local show itself led to poor attendance and ultimately the release of Kedzierski.
In an email response WBNY station manager Dave Vogan wrote:
"Personally, I think Brian is a great individual who has done a lot of work for the radio station in the past. Unfortunately, it became evident to me that Brian did not have the same caring attitude as he once had. Local rotation was rarely updated, mic breaks seemed to be non-existent and it just seemed as if there was no personality to the local show anymore. Whenever the program director and myself confronted Brian about a situation, he didn't have a response. Again, I think Brian is a great guy and all, but it was time to move into a different direction."
Besides his release, Brian and other TTH members had a litany of complaints about the station including: the use of local show sound equipment for a wedding and the trashing of the studios by other DJs at the station. They say WBNY has lost its way and the respect of the community due to a lack of passionate, informed DJs who care about promoting local music.
For his part Vogan, says listeners of WBNY can expect some changes and improvements to daily broadcasts:
"I think listeners can look forward to hearing a more diverse selection of bands not only when they tune into the local show, but when they hear local music on the station. Listeners will also notice more personalities and mic breaks."
He also adds, "if bands are interested in either sending WBNY a CD for some air-play or are interested in playing on the local show, they can contact the local show through the mySpace page.
