In Memory of an Institution: Paul Sidney, 69

By Debbie Tuma

There's an empty bench in Sag Harbor. A simple wooden bench, between the drug store and the Sag Harbor Variety, where a local legend used to sit and watch the world go by when he wasn't doing live remotes or 24-hour snowstorm and hurricane reports from WLNG Radio Station, up the road.

Last Friday, in the midst of heavy rain and fog, a funeral procession of cars wound its way one more time past the station and down Sag Harbor Main Street, past the bench which now bore a flower wreath in place of Paul Sidney, President Emeritus of WLNG Radio Station.

Over 100 people gathered at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor to pay tribute to the man behind the voice they'd listened to for the past 45 years on WLNG - the man affectionately known as, "The Master of Disaster," and "the Voice of LNG." The burial service was at Chevra Kodetia cemetery on Route 114 in Sag Harbor.

Sidney, 69, died at Southampton Hospital on April 2, after several long illnesses, including leukemia. As one listener pointed out, he died on the 92nd day of the year, at 1 a.m. The station's call letters are 92.1 FM.

For the first time since this non-stop-talking, ever-loveable radio personality came to WLNG in January of 1964, his microphone lay silent at the studios on Redwood Causeway. But at his funeral service, his numerous fans and admirers couldn't stop coming up to the microphone to talk about his myriad achievements, or to tell their favorite Paul Sidney stories.

The cross section of attendees at this service reflected those Sidney was involved with on every level - from the local business owners, to the local politicians, to the young radio enthusiasts whom he gave their first jobs, to his many radio colleagues around Long Island and from the New York State Broadcaster's Association, which inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2005, he received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" form the Nassau-Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.

On April 2, this entire community lost not just a "voice" but a friend, whose contagious enthusiasm for the business rubbed off on everyone he met. "He's someone who loved radio - that's all he needed. He didn't need money, his love was radio," said Bob Bupka, a sports announcer for the PGA who also started at WLNG in 1964, and did the first live remote with Sidney at a Mattituck dress shop.

Rusty Potz, vice president of WLNG Radio, said he talked Sidney into moving to Sag Harbor, after Sidney hired him to read the news at WLIS in Old Saybrook.

Joe Ricker, who met Sidney in 1963, came to work with him at WLNG as the news director, and stayed for over 40 years.

"Paul grew up as an only child, and radio was his family," said Ricker. "He knew what he wanted to do since he was five, and he made that dream come true."

And that dream didn't die. While there were flowers placed on Sidney's bench, there was a microphone placed atop his coffin. One of Sidney's old radios, from his collection of hundreds, was placed on the side, and a tape of Sidney spinning records could be heard in the room.

David Lee of Sag Harbor, who is also on air at WLNG and who officiated the service, told the crowd that since Sidney had no immediate family, he had made the WLNG staff his family.

NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele of Sag Harbor said he learned a lot about his community from listening to Sidney. "Paul played a big part in making this community special," said Thiele. "While in high school here, I listened to all the local news, oldies, sports and live remotes. If someone was getting an award or opening an envelope, Paul was there with a microphone."

Gary Sapiane, vice president of WLNG, praised Sidney's willingness to do the "Christmas Cards of the Airwaves" show every year, to give his staff time off with their families. He also joked about how Sidney would constantly turn the dial on the radio of any car he was in.

Paul Sidney was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. After high school, he enrolled in New York University where he did some broadcasting, also working at WBIC/WLIX in Bayshore, WKNY in Kingston, and at WBRY in Waterbury, CT. He then went to WLIS in Old Saybrook, CT, and left to come to WLNG in 1964 when it came on the air at 1600 AM. For the past 43 years, he served as President and General Manager, creating perhaps the first oldies station in the country, and keeping the "live and local" format that has become so popular. He did over 250 live remote broadcasts a year, integrating the station further into the community with creative jingles, weather and disaster coverage, and school closings.

WLNG staff member Lisa Dombrowski said, "I grew up listening to this station, and I know every lyric to most of the songs from the '50s, '60s and '70s from hearing them played here."

Following the service Sunday, Ann Buckhout, president and treasurer of WLNG, invited everyone to come to the station for an outdoor celebration luncheon to honor Paul Sidney. Over 100 more people came to show their appreciation of their local hero, including his long-time friend Mike Collins of the Associated Press in Connecticut. "I remember him when he first came on the air in Connecticut, and followed his coverage here in Sag Harbor," he said. "Peter Jennings once complimented him on his snowstorm coverage."

Throughout the days on April 2 and 3, the station honored Sidney by playing his favorite oldies and what they called his "special music" - romantic and sentimental oldies. Potz played the song with the lyrics, "If you believe in forever, then life is just a one night stand. If you're in Rock n' Roll heaven, I guess they've got a helluva band."

The station received hundreds of e-mails from listeners sending their condolences and stories about Paul Sidney. Frank F. wrote, "Paul is live on location at the pearly gates of Heaven with a tireless wireless, interviewing everyone who goes in. One could only imagine what kind of jingles he could do now."

As far as Sidney's favorite bench in town, WLNG will replace it with a new bench bearing his name and will plant a tree in the memory of a man who didn't merely watch the world go by, but created a better world, right in the town he called home.

WLNG Radio suggests donations to help further radio education be sent to: Robinson Media Institute, 130 Birds Eye, Farmington, CT 06032.

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