Every Monday is “Music Monday” on The Replay Channel – CSi TV 10 .   Schedule for The Replay Channel is available ONLINE.

The Replay Channel – since 1975 – is your source for local television,  serving Jamestown and Valley City.    Like us on Facebook!

One of our “Music Monday” featured series is Polka Time Again

The story of Polka Time Again began in early 1994. Gene Kovack was taking his weekly accordion lesson with his mentor, Frank Spetich. The conversation turned to the old television show, “Polka Varieties”, and how much the program was enjoyed, and missed, by polka fans in Northeast Ohio. A light bulb went off in Kovack’s head as he realized that he lived in a community where he could produce their own television show.  Spetich encouraged Kovack to move forward with this idea of producing a local polka show to fill the niche that had been empty since “Polka Varieties” had gone off the air in 1975.

And so “Polka Time Again – Memories of a Sunday Afternoon” was born on April 12, 1994.

The late John Kricancic provided the first videotape used on the show, which was hosted by Kovack and Spetich. The show was only 17 minutes in length.

The following week, Joe Gabrosek, another student of Spetich, took over as co-host, and the rest is history. Nearly 20 years and more than 1000 shows later, Kovack and Gabrosek still continue to produce this weekly, one-hour program to entertain Northeast Ohio’s polka enthusiasts.

In addition to playing videos of Cleveland style polka music, the show features music from Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Austria, and polka bands from the entire United States and Canada. A great number of videos have been contributed by Victor Habjan from Hanover, Canada; Roman Possedi of Las Vegas, and Joe Gordina of Hermitage, Pennsylvania. It also features interviews with local musicians, polka news and schedules of all the meeting places for polka dancing and jam sessions.

Many outstanding polka personalities have been guests or performed on the show including Frank Spetich, Joey Tomsick, Paul Yanchar, Milan Ricanovic, Joe Novak, Ken Novak, Bob McGuire, Jim Kozel, the Moscow Nights, Joe Chermyl, the Al-Ray Combo with Ray Kovac and Al Romain, Del Rezek, The Accordion Man – Ralph Szubski, I Gagliardi Italiano, Matt Shaffer, Ce Ce Gable, Father Perkovich, Doppel Adler, Don Tortolla, Pat Hutch, Al Battistelli, Norm Kobal, Ron Sluga, Joe Stradiat, Anthony Rolando and Valerie Vacco, and the To-Kay Orchestra. The Magic City Button Box Showcase has also recorded two in-studio performances to be used on the program.

In the past 19 years, the show as received many WCTV Clapper Awards for best public access show, best entertainment show, and best series. They have also been awarded several regional and national video competition awards for excellence in programming from the Alliance For Community Television. They were also presented with mayoral proclamations for celebrating milestone programs, They are the first producers in WCTV’s history to reach 1000 shows – an admirable number of accomplishment. Their love of polka music and their bright personalities provide the essential foundation necessary to make their television series so successful. And their fans love them!

In 2012, Kovack and Gabrosek had another milestone in their television and polka music careers. They won the National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame Achievement Award for Support and Promotion of the Polka Music Genre. They are nominated for the same award this year, as well as the 2013 Trustees Roll.