By KORI SCIANDRA, CJ Country Record Editor
Lloyd Lane, former owner of WCJW, has retired. Photo by Jimi Jamm.
From 15 minutes shared on a tour bus with Willie Nelson ahead of a 2002 performance to nearly 47 years on air at WCJW and more than 50 years broadcasting on the radio, Lloyd Lane, owner of CJ Country, has announced his retirement.
It was 1977 when Lloyd completed a thriving summer internship in commercial radio. This experience paired with an interest in sales led Lloyd to purchase WCJW in October 1984. At the time the radio station was a 1,000 WATTS AM only station.
“We played adult contemporary music, lots of local news and information. The music is what people would call soft rock today,” said Lloyd.
Two years later, in 1986, WCJW changed its format to country and has since been thriving as CJ Country – a radio station based in Warsaw that reaches listeners in Wyoming, Genesee and Livingston Counties. The station blends music by country legends and today’s country super stars.
Lloyd, who resides in Warsaw with his wife Rebecca Lane, began his nearly 50-year career in radio in Seneca Falls. This year, as CJ Country celebrates 40 years of country, Lloyd will close the digital curtain and enter retirement after more than four decades filled with country music and country artists.
Initially, in the mid-1970s, he majored in the pre-pharmacy program at Houghton College and decided to get involved with his college radio station just for fun. That involvement quickly grew into a love of radio, and he switched his major to communications at Houghton, which he attended from 1974 – ‘78.
“That was a long time ago!” joked Lloyd, who dubbed himself a young entrepreneur who sometimes learned the hard way. “I really loved it and enjoyed it and decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
He met his longtime colleague, Mark Humphrey, who is CJ Country’s engineer and a shareholder, when the two of them were college roommates at Houghton. After Lloyd graduated, he worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network based out of Ithica for most of that year.
“They had offices based throughout New York State, so I did advertising sales for them,” he said.
In the meantime, Lloyd met a young lady, fell in love, and decided it was time to come back to western New York. She later became his wife.
“Becky was from Arcade and taught school at Pioneer Central School District. So, I applied for a job at WCJW as a newsperson,” he said.
Lloyd was hired at WCJW in April of 1979 as the news director.
“Soon they discovered I had a knack for selling advertising and transitioned me into sales that year,” he said. “That’s what I did until the owner was looking to retire.”
The previous owners, John and Catherine Weeks, began broadcasting May 16, 1973, and they fondly named the station – CJ – using their and their children’s initials (Carolyn and Jill). Fifty-three years later the station name remains.
When Lloyd decided to purchase the station in 1984, he partnered with three investors at the time – the late John Yansick from Arcade, his father-in-law; the late Allen Kaiser, the father of one of his college friends; and a local doctor who he knew at that time, the late David Bell.
The initial investors’ faith in his future has led to more than 40 years of today’s chart-topping artists as well as legendary country singers. Relationships built between CJ Country staff and the community that has supported the station throughout the years are key components in the station’s longevity within the region.
“Lloyd Lane has never lost sight of what radio is supposed to be. It’s local, it’s different, and it exists to be a part of people’s everyday lives – serving the community first, always. In almost 40 years of radio, he’s the best boss I’ve worked for,” said Jimi Jamm, CJ Country program director.
Like every business there were good years and challenging years. Lloyd has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease where the cells on the retina die off. Overtime, Lloyd has lost his eyesight, almost entirely, but has learned to navigate, quite impressively, throughout his daily life with little interruption as a husband, father, grandfather and business owner.
The new owners will continue playing country artists’ songs the same way listeners have enjoyed for years.
The local support from listeners and support from the business community are an important component to the more than four-decade-long legacy Lloyd will leave in the hands of new CJ Country Owners, Tom and Desire Hoyt, of Pure Media. Inc.
Thankful to his employees for their continued effort and his clients for their loyalty, Lloyd has been an active member of CJ Country and has relished the benefits that come with connecting with country music stars.
Those memories include trips to the Country Radio Seminar held in Nashville with Becky in 2005 and 2006.
“That’s a huge event where you spend a lot of time interacting with new people. I got to meet a lot of people during those three or four days each of those years. We enjoyed meeting Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, and Toby Keith,” he said.
He also enjoyed meeting legends like Charlie Daniels and Ronnie Milsap.
“One of the nice things about country radio – and it has changed a bit over the last 15 years – but during the 90s and 2000s country artists have been very accessible to both people in radio and to their fans. Unlike any other genre,” said Lloyd.
He continued, “I’ve had an opportunity to meet an awful lot of people over the years. In almost every case, they could not have been more kind or more outgoing. They really seemed sincerely grateful just to spend time with people.”
Raised on 90s country:
“I spent about a half hour once interviewing Charley Pride [the late country music artist and baseball player]. He could not have been warmer,” said Lloyd, who was raised on 90s country.
Pride, who was formerly part owner of the Texas Rangers, was at spring training for baseball when Lloyd spoke with him. “He was just doing what he loved…,” said Lloyd.
Ray Price was another interview Lloyd recalled.
“Price was one of the real legends of country music,” he said. “One of my favorite artists and one of my favorite interviews was Steve Wariner. He gave me an hour, and we just talked about his career and country music. It was just an enjoyable time for both of us.”
Lloyd also interviewed Lee Greenwood in 2002 on the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11. What was planned as a brief interview quickly evolved into a memorable and authentic conversation between two people with similar interests.
He feels grateful to have such a supportive family both throughout his years as a station owner as well as having their support while he prepares for retirement.
Lloyd plans to enjoy retirement here in Warsaw and at his family’s summer home at Rushford Lake. With his wife at home, and his two children and three grandchildren nearby he is looking forward to a well-deserved milestone.