Remembering Van Miller’s last day on Don Paul’s last day

By Steve Cichon | steve@buffalostories.com | @stevebuffalo

BUFFALO, NY — It’s not every day that one of the giants in Buffalo Broadcasting steps away from the action… I’ve been thinking about Don Paul’s last day on Channel 4 today– and remembering back to the day when we were on the set together for the last show of another Channel 4 legend in 1998.

I wrote this on Facebook in January when Alan Pergament wrote that Don would retire:

I was just having a conversation with a friend about thinking back through our lives, and appreciating people who’ve given something of themselves to raise us up in such a way that completely changes our lives.

My first job in radio, as a 15 year old intern, was spending a few minutes in a small studio with Don Paul recording his forecast for WBEN Radio. His kindness to me as a high school sophomore, his encouragement of my career, and the words he offered to important people will always mean the world to me, and it’s simply not possible that I’d be exactly where I am without his friendship and guidance. His was one of many great examples I had very early in life and career about being a good guy, loving people, and trying to help when possible.

So thanks… and enjoy your next act, Don… There aren’t enough folks in any business just out there being a good guy— For as much as you’ll be missed on air, broadcasting will miss a good guy in the trenches. mmmMMMmmm how sweeeet itt ISSSSsssSSSS.

Steve & Don on Rich Newberg's last day at Channel 4, 2015.
Steve & Don on Rich Newberg’s last day at Channel 4, 2015.

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Steve Cichon

Steve Cichon writes about Buffalo’s pop culture history. His stories of Buffalo's past have appeared more than 1600 times in The Buffalo News. He's a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. Since the earliest days of the internet, Cichon's been creating content celebrating the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. The 25-year veteran of Buffalo radio and television has written five books and curates The Buffalo Stories Archives-- hundreds of thousands of books, images, and audio/visual media which tell the stories of who we are in Western New York.