Meet the WCNY-FM Classic-FM Host

Bill Baker
Bill Baker is the host of the station’s midday Classic Choices program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A native of Seneca Falls, Baker graduated from Marist College with a degree in French. For 11 years, he was a high school French teacher before beginning his broadcast career. His community efforts have been recognized by such organizations as the Red Cross of Central New York Blood Services, Success By 6 and Contact of Syracuse. He has also received numerous awards from the Syracuse Ad Club and New York State Associated Press.

Bill Knowlton
Dubbed by some as "Mr. Bluegrass of Central New York", Bill hosted the first all-bluegrass radio show in New York City in 1960. Coming to Syracuse as a US Air Force Public Affairs Officer, Bill started the "Bluegrass Ramble" on WCNY-FM in January 1973. In 1997, Bill was named "Broadcast Personality of the Year" by the International Bluegrass Music Association. He emcees at least 13 bluegrass festivals every year and writes liner notes for bluegrass and old-time country music artists. Bill is a resident of Liverpool, NY.

Leo Rayhill
Leo has been the volunteer host of The Sounds of Jazz for 40 years, and for three decades the program has been broadcast on WCNY-FM. A central New York native, Leo is a graduate of Hamilton College.

Find out more about Leo Rayhill...
Listen “Classic Sounds of Jazz” Show Highlights here

Marie Lamb
Marie Lamb is a Central New York native and a graduate of the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University.  Marie hosted classical and opera programs at WIKE-AM, at the former Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls.  She also hosted a daily jazz program for many years at WAER-FM in Syracuse.  Marie began at Classic FM in 2002 as a staff engineer, and she can often be heard on the air as a substitute announcer.

Bill Shedden
Bill Shedden helps Central New York start the day with great music plus NPR news, information and weather reports. Before joining WCNY-FM, Bill hosted classical music programs on Trenton, New Jersey's public radio station, and prior to that, he had a daily program on Philadelphia's commercial classical music station until that station stopped broadcasting classical music.

Maureen Shedden
Maureen Shedden is the producer and co-host of the Saturday opera programs on Classic FM with her husband, Classic FM morning host Bill Shedden. She attended Temple University, and The Juilliard School in New York. As a church musician for more than 30 years, she currently serves as the Director of Music Ministry at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Chittenango, NY. Maureen's radio career includes producing and co-hosting the "Opera Grabbag", one of the most successful programs during Classic FM's Membership Campaigns. Maureen also volunteers as a substitute announcer for weekday broadcasts when her work schedule permits.
Maureen and Bill have been happily married for nearly sixteen years and live in Liverpool.

Bruce Paulsen
Bruce Paulsen hosts your afternoon drive time Classic Choices program from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. With degrees in music and theatre, Bruce has performed with many of the great musicians of our time. He brings more than thirty years’ performance experience to the microphone. WCNY is his second expedition into radio. Before this, he hosted opera programs and weekends for WGKA, Atlanta’s Voice of the Arts.

Bonnie Beth Derby
Bonnie Beth is the volunteer producer/host of two of WCNY-FM's most popular weekend programs, Orgelwerke and Choral Traditions. For many years, she was the station's midday host, leaving in 2001 to become the Music Director and organist for St. James Church in Syracuse.

Neva Pilgrim
“Neva Pilgrim, an accomplished soprano and educator, has championed new music all her professional life. She continues as Artist-in-Residence at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, making time to present an hour-long program on CLASSIC FM called “Fresh Ink”, which airs Sunday afternoons at 2 o’clock. Neva is most proud of the Society For New Music, an institution that she helped found, and the many educational and performance programs the Society sponsors, including a celebration of modern music and art every summer in a small upstate New York town, “Cazenovia Counterpoint”.

Bill Oostenink (Oh-STEN-ink)
Bill joined WCNY-FM as a volunteer on-air host in the summer of 1988. He is a retired Professor of Biology at Colgate University, where he taught for 32 years. A lifelong enthusiast and student of classical music, he has been active in central New York musical circles, especially as a singer, since coming to the Syracuse area in 1965. He has been heard as bass soloist in presentations of well-known oratorios, cantatas and masses, in numerous musical theater productions and as guest soloist at many area churches in the eight county CNY region. He currently lives in the village of Hamilton, NY.