Two giants of Rochester broadcast media have died in recent days.
One of the broadcasters was Allan Harris, whose name became synonymous with the 1991 ice storm, an event that brought pretty much everything to a standstill in the Rochester area.
Harris was among the most prominent voices on radio station WHAM, staying on the air for many hours for an entire week, taking calls from listeners and sharing important information.
Previously, Harris was at WOKR-TV (now, 13WHAM News) in Rochester in a variety of roles, including reporting news and weather.
In more recent years, Harris returned to his hometown of Buffalo and reported traffic and other duties at WBEN Radio.
He died Dec. 7, a couple of weeks shy of his 77th birthday. Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 17, which was Harris’s date of birth. They will be held at 2 p.m. at the Amherst Chapel on Dodge Road in Amherst, Erie County.
Shiva for Harris will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the UB Center For Tomorrow for family, friends and colleagues.
Area broadcasters and others are also mourning the loss of Jack Palvino, who had a long history in radio in the Rochester area, including a stint as a very popular morning host at WBBF.
In the late 1970s, Palvino was part of the Lincoln Group, which owned several stations including WHAM and WVOR radio.
The 90-year-old Palvino was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Palvino was also deeply involved with St. John Fisher University.
Calling hours for Palvino are from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the Bartolomeo and Perotto Funeral Home in Greece, 1411 Vintage Lane. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Our Mother of Sorrows Church, 5000 Mt. Read Blvd.
