Brian Cunningham recently announced his retirement from Crawford Broadcasting. He had been chief engineer for its Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., radio stations, which currently consist of three full-power signals and two translators.
“I’d rather deal with a tower in the dirt and a pair of burned-out FM antennas than have to replace one of our most experienced and valued chief engineers,” Cris Alexander, Crawford’s director of engineering, said in Crawford’s July Local Oscillator newsletter.
For Cunningham, it marks the end of a 56-year radio career. He spent nearly half of those working for Crawford, first in a contract-based role and then full-time.
His journey began at a radio and television sales and service company run by his father, which built his knowledge of electronics. His dad’s company would sponsor a two-hour radio show on WKOA(AM) in Hopkinsville, Ky., giving Cunningham the opportunity to sit in on the Saturday morning program, and, as a high-schooler, led to a part-time role at the station.
“Even the DJ’ing on air did not satisfy me as much as performing engineering tasks,” Cunningham wrote in Crawford’s August newsletter.
He would move to Orchard Park, N.Y., in 1991, first as a maintenance engineer for the McGuard factory there. He applied for work at “every radio station” in a 50-mile radius. Contract firm S&B Communications offered him a staff engineer position.
One of S&B’s clients was Crawford’s Buffalo station, 99.5 WDCX(FM). Crawford would then hire Cunningham in 2002.
“It has been nothing short of outstanding during my nearly 23-year tenure at Crawford, and at no time did I ever regret the decision I made so long ago,” he wrote.
He cited medical issues that precipitated his retirement.
Alexander credited Cunningham with being a key creator of Crawford Broadcasting’s new Buffalo studios and transmitter plants. He lauded Cunningham’s ability to “think on his feet” during off-air emergencies and noted that he always displayed exceptional care and professionalism.
[Related: “A Workbench Featuring Cunningham’s Advice on Checking Backups”]
He has cast a net “far and wide” to replace him.
“Who knows? We may even put him to work every now and then,” Alexander said.
Comment on this or any article. Email [email protected].
