Meet some inspirational "Women in Buffalo Television" in a WBBZ-TV special!
On Friday night at 7:30p.m. WBBZ-TV will present “Women in Buffalo Television” featuring interviews with Susan Banks, former WKBW and WGRZ-TV anchor; Carol Nigrelli, former WIVB-TV anchor ( known as Carol Crissey, then Carol Jasen); Laurie Lisowski-Frey, former WGRZ anchor and WKBW reporter and weather anchor; and Doris Jones, former host of “For The Ladies” on WKBW, weather anchor at Channel 2, and commercial spokesperson.
John Di Sciullo introduces you to these women who have made a difference on Western New York television, who have also served as inspirations to others in our hometown and beyond.
We will start at the beginning – with one of the first women to appear in commercials, as the first host of a women’s program on Channel 7, “For The Ladies,” and weathercaster on Channel 2- the incomparable Doris Jones!
Carol Nigrelli spent some time with us on the phone from Omaha. Carol came to Buffalo in the early 1980's as Carol Crissey, a reporter for WIVB-TV. After getting married, Carol Jasen moved into the co-anchor chair, where she would stay until making a life change a decade ago when she re-married and moved out west. Something we did not have a chance to get to during the interview was that Carol plays Cello- she was trained while growing up in Philadelphia, but put the instrument down when she was in Western New York – now Carol plays to audiences with the symphony at Creighton University in addition to writing, and enjoying life with her husband Craig Nigrelli, a former Channel 4 reporter who is now an anchor in Nebraska.
Meet Lewiston’s own Laurie Lisowski Frey- Laurie was a college intern at "AM/Buffalo" in 1984, then got her first news position in Utica for two years, before moving back to Channel 7 as a reporter and weather anchor – then over to Channel 2 as news anchor.
Currently, Laurie is on the board of several not for profit and cultural organizations in Western New York, including ArtPark and the Food Bank with her husband Kent from Frey Electric.
We had a chance to catch up with Laurie recently when she welcomed us into her home.
Susan Banks first came to Buffalo in the 1970’s at Channel 7 and made an immediate impact as a reporter, and anchor- she left for Boston, returning to Channel 2 as an anchor, then spent time in Houston…but Buffalo is really Susan’s adopted hometown, so she came back home to Eyewitness News in 1990 where she remained until her retirement just a few years ago.
WBBZ-TV President and General Manager Bob Koshinski commented, "I think our viewers will enjoy catching up with the women in television, as they share their memories.”
WBBZ is seen throughout Western New York over-the-air on digital channel 67.1. Ch. 5 on Verizon FiOS (HD 505); Ch 5 Dish; Ch. 67 DirecTV, and these Time Warner Cable channels: Buffalo – Niagara Falls Metro area: Channel 5 (HD 1230); Batavia – Genesee, Wyoming, Orleans Counties Channel 71 (HD 1230); Parts of Erie and Niagara Counties Channel 71 (HD 1230); Dunkirk Channel 99 (HD 1230); Olean Channel 21 (HD 1230); Fredonia – Jamestown Channel 72 (HD 1230); Alfred- Angelica- Avoca- Bath- Bolivar Friendship- Hornell Channel 71 (HD 1230).
WBBZ-TV is WNY’s only locally owned and operated television station. 4545 Transit Road, suite 750 Williamsville, NY 14221. 716-630-9229. www.wbbz.tv “Like” WBBZ-TV on Facebook. Follow the conversation @WBBZ on Twitter.
