This Wednesday, Oct. 22, the New York State Broadcasters Association, Inc., hosts a daytime ceremony in New York City honoring six new inductees into its hall of fame.
Among this year’s inductees are two prominent South Fork radio veterans from Sag Harbor’s own WLNG station: owner, program director and chief meteorologist Bill Evans and general manager and Morning Show host Gary Sapiane.
Set to occur inside the legendary Rainbow Room, located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, inductees were judged to have made a significant contribution to the broadcast industry in New York. Nominations were accepted from January through March while selections were formally announced this past summer.
“The Hall of Fame Class of 2025 sets the gold standard for broadcasters throughout New York State, says NYSBA president David Donovan. “The inductees represent a lifetime of achievement serving their profession and communities throughout the Empire State and our nation. We are honored to have them join the Hall of Fame.”
According to a press statement from the association, Evans is a 20-time Emmy Award winner and a New York Times best-selling author. Born in Mississippi, he was the senior meteorologist for WABC-TV Channel 7 Eyewitness News, WPLJ Radio 95.5 FM with “Scott & Todd in the Morning,” and 77 WABC AM Radio with “Imus in the Morning.” Evans also appeared on Broadway as the Lumiere, the Candlestick in Beauty and the Beast, performed stand-up comedy at several venues and has appeared on dozens of talk shows.
Sapiane, a native of Westhampton Beach, started in radio when he was a junior in high school. His first gig was the WAPC Radio in Riverhead. He went on to be one of the owners of WKVO Radio in North Carolina, and read his first commercial on the air at WLNG when he stopped by to visit then-station manager Paul Sidney in 1964. He went on to work weekends in 1970, and in 1975, started full-time. In 2008, after Sidney passed away, Sapiane became the station manager.
WLNG was founded over 60 years ago, in the summer of 1963 and is beloved by locals for its frequent use of jingles, personality disc jockeys and playing a plethora of musical styling, particularly oldies.
