One of the pioneers in Top 40 programming was George Hound Dog Lorenz. He was among the first deejays to embrace rhythm and blues music on the radio, presenting it in a unique, hip-sounding way.

The poster to the left is a bit of a mystery in that it promotes both WPOP and Hound Dog's Buffalo station, WKBW. It would appear to be from late 1957 or early 1958 and refers to the Hound Dog's Anniversary Show. We know Lorenz started at WPOP around July 22, 1957 and resigned at WKBW in July 1958 when a regime change shifted programming to a Top 40 music rotation he didn't subscribe to.

A WPOP newspaper ad from January 5, 1958 promoted The Hound Dog as being on the air Monday through Saturday from 8:30 till 10:30 p.m.

The Hound Dog Show disappeared from WPOP as suddenly as he arrived. By October 1958 he was airing on WPOP competitor WHAY (840 AM) in New Britain.

Connecticut Sunday Herald - October 19, 1958

At both Hartford stations, the Hound Dog Show was heard on tape, though most listeners never realized it. None of the tapes are known to exist 60+ years later!

Click on the thumbnail images below for (left) a WPOP newspaper ad from January 5, 1958...(center) ad for Hound Dog's show at the State Theater in Hartford
on November 2-3, 1957...or (right) one of George Lorenz' newspaper columns from February 9, 1958.

There is also an excellent web site with detailed information on the Hound's career in Buffalo.