This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of when Beaver County’s first radio station, WBVP, was heard over the airwaves for the the first time on May 25, 1948.  To mark the historical event, each week, another “70th Anniversary Moment” will be showcased on the airwaves and published on the station’s online feeds.

One of the most influential people in the radio industry to come through the hallways of WBVP during the first 70 years of operation is Bill Kelly.  After growing up in the Cleveland Area, Kelly got his first taste of western Pennsylvania when he enrolled at Robert Morris College in Moon Township.  He must have liked the area, because he stayed close to his alma mater right about the same time as commencement when he was hired on at WBVP in 1971.  At the time, WBVP was located in the basement of a bank building located at the corner of 7th Avenue and 14th Street in Beaver Falls.  Walt Broadhurst was the General Manager of the radio station at the time.  Initially, Kelly was hired by Broadhurst to help set up remote broadcasts, do some technical work and help out in the news department.  Kelly eventually found his way behind the microphone and began to host the popular “Teleforum” talk show, a duty that he would continue throughout the remainder of his time at WBVP, up until 1977.

By all Accounts, Bill Kelly was a very popular talk show host.  Kelly’s skills with entertaining Beaver County listeners were talked about in the recently published book, “Behind The Microphone – The History Of Radio In Beaver County”.

“Carleen McKee these days owns Co-Hill Fashions, but in 1975, was fresh out of college school teacher with the Western Beaver School District who lived in her native Beaver Falls.  Like many many people, listening to WBVP was part of the daily routine. In March of 2018, McKee recalled being a winner in a weekly contest aired on WBVP.  “It was a contest that WBVP ran where you would call in and answer a question. and be the tenth caller. . . . and I called in. I kept calling, and I kept getting the the busy signal and finally I got through and Bill Kelly answered.   He said you’re the tenth caller, and I won a hundred dollars . . . I just know that particular Day I was listening and I liked Bill Kelly.”.  According to McKee, Kelly also did another on air gimmick that was funny and got listeners involved with the program.  Kelly reportedly would ask listeners to call in and give a list of things. Kelly then inserted the words that the listener provided into a pre prepared short two or three sentence story, that was, of course, unbeknownst to the caller beforehand, at the appropriate times and read back the passage complete with list of people and things that the listener gave to Kelly on the air. “He would ask you to name different  things. Name a sport. . . . Name a relative . . .  Name an animal at the zoo . . . and then he would read the story and he would use your answers.  Like ‘I saw the Zebra at church. My uncle Jerry was riding it’. It was always comical.”      

 By the end of his tenure in Beaver Falls, Bill Kelly  was an on air show host and serving as Operations Director.  Kelly moved on to WKBN radio in Youngstown in 1977  and further developed the broadcasting skills that had been imparted to him by the Team at WBVP.  In 1981, Kelly was promoted to Vice President at WKBN.  In 1996, things changed radically  in the radio industry when then President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications act of 1996, which deregulated many parts of the broadcast industry, including removing the restrictions on how many radio stations a company could own and operate.  That meant new bosses for Kelly in Youngstown when big corporations came to town and bought the Youngstown radio radio station off of the Williams famil .  First Jacor, and then Clear Channel, which is now known as iHeart media.  It wasn’t long before the executives in the home office noticed Kelly’s talents, as he was named Market Manager for Clear Channel in Youngstown in 1997.  Entually Kelly would work his way up to Vice President at Clear Channel/iHeart Media, until leaving to take on a similar position with cross town rival, Cumulus Broadcasting in Youngstown, OH, where he continues to work in the radio industry today. In his nearly five decade career, Kelly has gone on to manage and develop hundreds of employees, running clusters of radio stations in big markets.

“70th Anniversary Moments” is presented by  Abbey Carpet and Floor,  Albert’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing,  Aliquippa Giant Eagle, The Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, Beaver Valley Auto Mall, Beaver Valley Sheet Metal, Castlebrook Development, The Community College Of Beaver County,  Farmers Building and Savings Bank, Freedom United Federal Credit Union, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican food, The Health Huts, Kitchen City, Laughlin Insurance Agency,  Rochester Manor and Villa and Young’s Jewelry and Coins.