WIZZ Radio was honored to receive the support of the world famous comedian, and local resident Bill Cosby on Tuesday January 5, 2010...and again the following day. Bill arrived at the station just after sign-on at 7:15am Tuesday and spent the next 3 hours chatting with morning show host and station owner Phil D.  The "Phil and Bill Show", as it quickly became dubbed, took listener phone calls and requests.  Many local sponsors of the station attended to watch and participate in the event and meet with Bill. Several spoke live with him as well.  Mr. Cosby told many stories of his personal experiences with other star entertainers, as their songs were played during the show.  Those included Sammy Davis, Jr., and it was one of his songs which started this whole event rolling.
(story continues below photo show)

The station's transmitter is from the 1970's, it is at the end of its useful life, and replacement would have the additional benefit of reducing the station's electric bill by as much as $800 per month! The weak economy has affected the local privately owned station as it has most other businesses, and finances simply do not allow for the over $70,000. it would take to replace the transmitter in the foreseeable future.

Asked how he came to be at the station to support their efforts to raise funds for a new transmitter, Cosby told the story of how it came about. While traveling, he asked his driver to find a weather report...he found it at 1520 WIZZ AM Radio. The weather report was followed by a song Bill loved by his old friend Sammy Davis Jr. Bill was so pleased to hear this kind of music, which is a rarity in this day and age, that when he learned of the financial need at WIZZ he called to offer his help to raise funds to continue the music and toward the need transmitter.

So for 3 hours, live, Bill urged the audience to financially support the station by sending any amount they could afford, to keep this unique programming on the air, and perhaps get closer to a time when the aging transmitter can be replaced.

The local newspaper The Recorder, and TV 22 covered the festivities and response was so strong, that Bill offered to return for an encore the next day, as well as to gain coverage by TV 40 and expand the fund raising effort even further. On Wednesday the 6th Bill spent another two full hours live on air with Phil. It was another hilarious banter filled show, with callers and great music fleshing out the mix. The TV 40 interviews were done and destined for reports on the evening's news casts, as was the TV 22 segment the night before. A front page article with color photos made The Recorder on Wednesday as well.

Noting that family values, love and the non-tangible, yet truly important things in life, were things evoked by the type of music played on WIZZ and he wanted to support that. He reminisced about the joy he had as a kid, sliding in the snow, with a cardboard box. The simple things in life..."better than any of those electronic things the kids have today". That appears to be what the music on WIZZ exemplifies in the eyes of a generous gentleman named Bill Cosby.

The station is continuing to this day, to accept contributions in support of the on going quest to continue the programming which so many enjoy and appreciated. Please mail your check to the post office box at the bottom of this web page.....and Thank You So Much!

(observations by Rick LaPierre of LaPierre's Advertising, who attended both of the live sessions and shot the pictures in the above photo show, in support of the cause.)