Bill Shibilski's Polka Party!
Miecz - Sławomir
Bill Shibilski's
Polka Party!
Hear The Polka Party Saturday from 6-8 PM
on 90.7 FM WFUV in New York, or listen online:
http://www.wfuv.org/wfuv1.asx .
A remembrance of 35 years at WFUV.
Bill Shibilski's Polka Party began on November 28, 1964
near the end of a period that saw a drastic change in the
programming of WFUV.
Until late 1962/early 1963, when the "Collegiate Folk
Festival" and the rock n roll "oldies" broadcast of the "Time
Capsule Show" debuted, Fordham University's Voice
(FUV) consisted mostly of religious, educational, sports and
music broadcasts. The latter featured only classical, opera,
Broadway show tunes and light pop songs. The station was
almost entirely student-manned and was operated as part of
Fordham U. Communications' Department under Fr. William
Trivett S.J., the Department Head. Station Managers like
Harvey Humphrey, Jim Barrett and WFUV alum, Jack
Franchetti and Chief Engineer, George Keller comprised the
management of the station. Keller was succeeded by Bob
Jewel, WFUV's current Chief Engineer, who has the
second-longest tenure at the station. (Shibilski has the longest
in-service time to WFUV.) With rare exceptions like Anthony
Coggi's "Box at the Opera", most broadcasts were announced
by students who were in-training for possible broadcasting
careers.
As WFUV evolved, the concept of student-managers was
introduced. With it, the station's 15 year programming policy
began to be influenced by the Fordham student body. While
Fr. Trivett maintained close supervision, he realized that the
radio facility had to go beyond the scope of the Fordham
community and, that it should serve the interests of the NYC
metropolitan area as well.
In those "revolutionary" years of late 1962-64, the public
discovered FM transmission. To that date, the radio
listenership tuned to AM radio for music, news, drama and
sports. FM broadcasters had to find a niche that would
compete with both AM radio and with television, then starting
color broadcasts. Four "new" shows, whose content would be
unthinkable just a few years before, were first aired on the
station in the late '62-'64 period. The "Collegiate Folk
Festival" (host Jack Franchetti) highlighting the then-current
music fad, folk music, "broke the ice". The "Time Capsule
Show" (hosts Tom Luciani and Joe Marchesani) featured
1950's rock and roll. The Polka Party (host Bill Shibilski)
represented an extension of Fordham to an ethnic community
and, The "Campus Caravan" (hosts: Pete Fornatale and Bill
Kerrigan) was a pre-cursor of what today is referred to as
Classic Rock, and featured album "cuts" as opposed to top
forty tunes. These four "new" programs rounded WFUV's
"radical" programming change.
The "Bill Shibilski Polka Party", with the same host since
1964, has retained the Saturday night (6 to 8pm) time slot
since first moving there in the late 60's. It started on Saturday
afternoons from 2 to 3 PM and moved to Wednesday
evening at 7PM when funding for the radio station was
limited. For a brief time, the station transmitted only on
weekday afternoons through evenings. The students of that
era decided that on-air fund raising was the only answer to
avert the threat of WFUV's ceasing to operate. They raised
several hundred dollars in the first 2 1/2 days-an admirable
accomplishment for FM radio at the time, yet not sufficient to
keep WFUV operating.
However, on a fateful Wednesday evening in 1966, one of
the "newer" programs, the "Polka Party" had its turn to ask
for their audience's support. The normal one hour broadcast
was extended to three hours spontaneously and over $4,000
was raised! WFUV was saved and listener supported radio
was born. Bill Shibilski continued his fund raising efforts in
the subsequent years and his Polka Party audience can be
credited with the majority of funds that enabled WFUV to
accomplish three early innovations at the radio station in the
1970's: A transmitter purchase that increased power to
50,000 watts; equipment to convert to stereo broadcasting;
and the complete renovation of audio control equipment in
it's main control facility. The audience responded to radio
marathon broadcasts and live music events. His show
featured major artists visits, live on air performances by polka
bands and fund-raising social dances.
WFUV led the nation in innovative programming starting in
the 1960's under several professional managers who each
took the reigns for a brief period. They were Jim Barrett,
Jack Franchetti (WFUV alum) and Donald Barnes. Then
WFUV settled into long-term direction under professionals
Frank A. Seitz, a radio pioneer and, the current General
Manager, Dr. Ralph Jennings. Each has imprinted WFUV
with a mark that has earned it nation-wide recognition. Seitz
expanded Fordham sports broadcasting and ethnic
programming and Jennings converted the station into a true
student workshop and affiliated it with National Public Radio.
"The Bill Shibilski Polka Party" continued through the
metamorphosis. His fund raising was the very first in polka
music and has been copied by scores of others throughout the
nation. Managers of non-commercial stations from all over
the United States called WFUV management for advice as
news of the then-unique concept spread.
Heard Saturday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, the Polka
Party presents unique programming of this style of music.
Features like "Polka Deuces, Trips, Quads or Quints" (two to
five songs played consecutively); the "Battle of the Bands"
(where a new release of a song is compared to an original
recording of up to 50 years old); the "Collector's Corner"
(featuring out-of-print polka recordings); and in the period
from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the "The Summertime
Super Hit Polka Serenade" spotlights a major artist
throughout the second half of the show. Shibilski, though
now in his fourth broadcasting decade, continues to "tweak"
his polka programming. New features are introduced, tested
and retained or rejected, based on the ultimate program
content authority, his audience.
Bill somehow, finds time to contribute to the community
beyond these broadcasts. For instance, he's hosted television
broadcasts; been the public address announcer at NYC's
"Pulaski Day Parade" for 20+ years; emcee'd numerous live
concerts at locations ranging from outdoor amphitheaters like
the Garden State Arts Center and Nassau County's Lakeside
Theater at Eisenhower Park, to Lincoln Center and Carnegie
Hall.
A key element of his broadcasts are family and friend's news.
Listeners' birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other events
are announced to the community free of charge. He also
informs the community of social events embracing a polka
theme, like dances and concerts.
Contact Shibilski via email: mailto:polka...@wfuv.org
or by "snail mail" at PO Box 698, Coram, NY 11727.
http://www.wfuv.org/wfuv/polka.html
http://www.wfuv.org
Forwarded by just listening on the air
in NYC "Bill Shibilski's Polka Party",
--
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O<<<<M I E C Z>>>>>>>>>>>>
\\
T.N.Roman
mailto:polr...@ix.netcom.com
http://www.netcom.com/~polradko/
Polka Music One Person MIECZ Club's
Favorite Links:
http://www.polkanet.com
http://members.aol.com/johngora/
POLKA MUSIC w HAMERYCE = CHODZONY + GORALSKI
+ KRAKOWIAK + KUJAWIAK + MAZUREK + OBEREK +
+ POLKA i WALC,
A BRON PANIE BOZE ! rap (to... -w- ...nie)
"Moja droga ja Cie kocham" - to tez Polka Music.
http://www.bobbyvinton.com
``During the first ten years of the rock era,
Vinton had more #1 hits than any other
male vocalist including Elvis Presley
and Frank Sinatra", quotes BILLBOARD
MAGAZINE.
POLKA MUSIC =//= Disco Polo kzywy Olo Stolzman
^
POLKA MUSIC > all so called popular music
NOW YOU CAN ALSO JOIN ONLINE THIS BEAUTIFUL
AND FOREMOST INSPIRING BROADCAST WITH A LOT
OF TRADITIONAL BOTH EUROPEAN AND POLISH TUNES,
of course after downloading Microsoft's 'Media Player' at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer/en/download/allplayers.asp!
ps. At this moment, when I am forwarding
this article a recording of Ania Piwowarczyk
from Canada is played by Bill.
Stanley Rosenthal
near the end of a period that saw a drastic change in the
programming of WFUV."
That would probably be what Al and the Combo are synching with.
"
//
O<<<<M I E C Z>>>>>>>>>>>>
\\
"
Lovely. Are you a Toto fan? :-)
Stan,
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"Make your own cross and make it to the otherside of hell" - Flash and the
Pan
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