WGR (550
AM) is a commercial
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
licensed to serve
Buffalo,
New York. Owned by
Audacy, Inc.
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corporation, it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning 235 radio stations across 48 media ...
, its studios and offices are located on Corporate Parkway in
Amherst, and the transmitter site—utilized by WGR and co-owned
WWKB
WWKB (1520 AM) is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts a sports betting radio format and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. Most programming is from the co-owned BetQL Radio Network, with some shows from CBS Sports R ...
—is in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
.
In addition to a standard
analog transmission
Analog transmission is a transmission method of conveying information using a continuous signal which varies in amplitude, phase, or some other property in proportion to that information. It could be the transfer of an analog signal, using an an ...
, WGR is relayed by
WKSE
WKSE (98.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Niagara Falls, New York, serving the Buffalo metropolitan area and Western New York. It has a Top 40/CHR radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc., with studios on Corporate Parkway in A ...
's second
HD subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a method of transmitting more than one independent program stream simultaneously from the same digital radio or television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compressi ...
, and is available online via
Audacy
Audacy, previously known as Radio.com, is a free broadcast and Internet radio platform owned by the namesake company Audacy, Inc. (formerly known as Entercom). The Audacy platform functions as a music recommender system and is the national um ...
.
Programming
WGR has a
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
format. The station targets a
key demographic
The key demographic or target demographic is a term in commercial broadcasting that refers to the most desirable demographic group to a given advertiser. Key demographics vary by outlet, time of day, and programming type, but they are generally co ...
of men 25 to 54 years old. It had the highest
Nielsen Ratings of any station in the Buffalo market among that demographic as of autumn 2018.
Howard Simon and Jeremy White host the morning-drive show, followed by The Extra Point Show with Sal Capaccio and Joe DiBiase while middays are split between two daily talk shows produced by
Pegula Sports and Entertainment
Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) is an American sports and entertainment company based in Buffalo, New York. The company was established after multi-billionaire Terry Pegula and his family combined their sports, property and entertainment ass ...
: ''Sabres Live'' with
Brian Duff and
Martin Biron
Martin Gaston Biron (; born August 15, 1977) is a Canadian American former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round (16th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, he spent the first half of his 16-year ...
, and ''One Bills Live'' with Chris Brown and
Steve Tasker. Afternoons are hosted by Mike Schopp and
Chris "Bulldog" Parker, while Zach Jones hosts ''The Nightcap'' in early evenings.
CBS Sports Radio programming airs in late-night, overnights and on weekends. Both ''Sabres Live'' and ''One Bills Live'' are also carried on television through
MSG Western New York
MSG Western New York (MSG WNY) is an American regional sports network that is a joint venture between MSG Entertainment and Pegula Sports and Entertainment. The channel (also on occasion credited as ''Pegula Sports Network'' or ''MSG Buffalo'') ...
.
WGR serves as the flagship outlet for: the professional football
Buffalo Bills Radio Network
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is a broadcast radio network based in Buffalo, New York. Its primary programming is broadcasts of Buffalo Bills home and away games to a network of 24 stations in upstate New York, the Northwestern and Northern Ti ...
, with
John Murphy and
Steve Tasker calling all games on-site; the professional
Sabres Hockey Network
The Sabres Hockey Network is the official radio network and production company of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). The network is currently operated jointly by the Sabres ( Pegula Sports and Entertainment) and Audacy, Inc. ...
, with
Rick Jeanneret
John Richard Jeanneret (born July 23, 1942)Pergament, Alan (October 5, 2014)‘I feel like an American,’ Jeanneret says, as he gets cancer treatment here ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved October 5, 2014. “Jeanneret received his first radiatio ...
,
Dan Dunleavy Dan Dunleavy (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian sportscaster for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was formerly a sportscaster with Sportsnet 590 The Fan, and Rogers Sportsnet.
Career Hockey
Dunleavy is currently the play ...
and
Rob Ray
Robert John Ray (born June 8, 1968) is a Canadian sports broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for ...
calling games on-site; and the professional box lacrosse
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada in the 1930s, where it is more po ...
, with
John Gurtler
John Gurtler II is an American sportscaster. He is most noted for having succeeded Ted Darling as television play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Sabres, a position he held from 1992 until 1995. Previously, he served as the intermission host fr ...
and
Randy Mearns
Randy Mearns (born May 28, 1969) is a former lacrosse player and the current head coach of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies men’s lacrosse team. After a 9-year career in the National Lacrosse League, Mearns became the head coach of the Canisius Gold ...
calling games on-site. The MSG Network also uses this feed as the announcers for the game.
History
Early years
![Federal Telephone & Telegraph Company advertisement (May 20, 1922)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Federal_Telephone_%26_Telegraph_Company_advertisement_%28May_20%2C_1922%29.jpg)
In early 1922, the Federal Telephone & Telegraph Company, headquartered in North Buffalo, began producing radio receivers. As part of its marketing efforts, the company decided to establish a local broadcasting station.
Effective December 1, 1921, the Department of Commerce, which regulated U.S. radio at this time, had adopted regulations formally defining "broadcasting stations". The wavelength of 360 meters (833 kHz) was designated for entertainment broadcasts, while 485 meters (619 kHz) was reserved for broadcasting official weather and other government reports.
["Miscellaneous: Amendments to Regulations"](_blank)
''Radio Service Bulletin'', January 3, 1922, page 10. On March 14 Federal Telephone & Telegraph was issued a license for Buffalo's first radio broadcasting station, with the randomly assigned call letters WGR, transmitting on both 360 and 485 meters. The March 28 issue of the ''Buffalo Evening News'' reported hearing test transmissions made by WGR the previous night. On April 1 it was announced that, starting that day, WGR would broadcast weather reports provided by the Department of Navigation on 485 meters each weekday at 12:30 and 6:00 p.m. In mid-April, WGR's regular broadcast schedule was reported to be musical programs sent on 360 meters on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, plus daily weather and market reports on 485 meters.
WGR suspended regular operations while company employees worked on constructing a more powerful transmitter that could be easily heard by the
crystal radios the company was selling. In May they were reported to be conducting test transmissions, initially as experimental station 8XAD. The debut for WGR's use of the upgraded transmitter was scheduled for May 21, an event that was described as the "formal opening of one of the largest and most powerful broadcasting stations in the east which may make Buffalo the ethereal center of this part of the country", because "The arrangements and furnishing of the station will be equal to that of any of the present stations of national fame." The starting date coincided with the first day of "Radio Week" in Buffalo. The May 21 broadcast opened with prayer by Rev. Michael J. Ahren, president of
Canisius College, followed by a talk by the dean of the
University of Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...
's college of arts and sciences, Julian Park, on the possibilities of education, Rev. F. Hyatt Smith, Kenmore Presbyterian Church speaking about the nature of "success", and Albert Kinsey, Chamber of Commerce president, reviewing the financial future of Buffalo. This was followed by entertainment by local artists.
In early 1923 WGR ended the government reports on 485 meters, although it continued making entertainment broadcasts on 360 meters. In September 1922 the Department of Commerce set aside a second entertainment wavelength, 400 meters (750 kHz) for "Class B" stations that had quality equipment and programming. In May 1923 additional "Class B" frequencies were made available, with 940 kHz reserved for "Zone 1", which was assigned to WGR later that year. Effective November 11, 1928, the recently formed
Federal Radio Commission
The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was a government agency that regulated United States radio communication from its creation in 1927 until 1934, when it was succeeded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FRC was established by t ...
implemented its
General Order 40
The Federal Radio Commission's (FRC) General Order 40, dated August 30, 1928, described the standards for a sweeping reorganization of radio broadcasting in the United States. This order grouped the AM radio band transmitting frequencies into thre ...
, which divided transmitting frequencies into three categories: Clear Channel, Regional and Local. Most former Class B stations became clear channel stations, however WGR was moved to a regional frequency, 550 kHz, while the station previously at that frequency, WMAK, was reassigned to 900 kHz.
In the late 1940s, the station was bought by a consortium of Western New York families known as the WGR Corporation. The company signed on WGR-TV (channel 2) in 1953 and WGR-FM (now
WGRF
WGRF (96.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Buffalo, New York, branded as "97 Rock". The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has a radio format playing classic rock, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. WGRF competes for classic rock l ...
) in 1959. WGR Corporation bought several other television and radio stations in the 1950s, and eventually became known as Transcontinent Broadcasting. Transcontinent merged with
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company (also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated) was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The company was rooted in the family of William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the Un ...
in 1964. Taft sold off WGR-TV in 1983. Due to a current FCC rule that prohibited TV and radio stations in the same market, but with different owners, from sharing the same call letters, the TV station amended its call letters to
WGRZ
WGRZ (channel 2) is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo, and its transmitter is located on Warner Hill ...
after it was sold. Taft retained both WGR and WGRQ (the former WGR-FM).
During its days as a
full service radio
{{Unreferenced, date=October 2008
Full service (also known as hometown radio) is a type of radio format; the format is characterized by a mix of music programming (usually drawing from formats such as adult contemporary, country, or oldies) and a l ...
station, WGR's roster of personalities included
"Buffalo Bob" Smith, later famous for TV's ''
Howdy Doody
''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell '' children's show, and popular national TV and nightclub comedian
Foster Brooks
Foster Brooks (May 11, 1912 – December 20, 2001) was an American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs.
Early life
Brooks was born in Louisville, Kentucky on ...
. The station's longtime music format combined
adult top 40
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
hits and rock
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as ...
and featured some of Buffalo's top radio personalities, talk hosts and news reporters including Stan Roberts, Frank Benny, Tom Donahue,
Randy Michaels Benjamin Homel, known professionally as Randy Michaels, is an American broadcasting executive and a former member of the National Association of Broadcasters TV Board.
Biography
Michaels has been involved in large market radio broadcasting since th ...
, Jim Scott, Jerry Reo, Shane, Joe Galuski,
Tom Langmyer, George Hamberger,
Tom Shannon,
John Otto, Chuck Lakefield, Don Dussias, Lauri Githens, Wayne Smith, Sandy Kozel, Jane Tomczak, Tom Bauerle (as well as his brother, Dick Bauerle), Craig Matthews. WGR gradually evolved to
talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...
during the late 1980s.
In 1987, Taft sold WGR and WRLT (the former WGRQ) to Rich Communications, which was part of the Robert Rich family's business holdings, which also included a major
processed-food company (and with it, naming rights for the Buffalo Bills stadium then (now called
Highmark Stadium) and a venture applying for a
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
expansion baseball franchise (for which WGR was projected to be flagship station of the team's projected network). Although the Rich interests were the National League's choice for the new franchise they dropped out of the competition for an expansion team set to begin play in 1993 (which ultimately went to
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, as the
Colorado Rockies) for cost reasons. Soon after, WGR was eventually spun off to new owners.
The 1990s: News Radio 55
For much of the 1990s, WGR was a successful news/talk station, competing with WBEN AM 930. From 1990 to 1994, WGR owned the radio broadcast rights to Buffalo Bills football, Buffalo Sabres hockey and the Buffalo Bisons baseball. The Bills' four consecutive Super Bowl seasons were broadcast by WGR, whose Program Directors included Chuck Finney (1991–1993), Daryl Parks (1993–1995) and Jim Pastrick (1995–2000).
Through its news-talk era the WGR line-up featured a variety of programs such as ''Breakfast with Bauerle'' (Tom Bauerle), ''
The Fabulous Sports Babe
''The Fabulous Sports Babe'' was a semi-fictional character who hosted various American sports radio broadcasts. The program, hosted by Tampa Bay area resident Nanci Donnellan, was syndicated across the United States on both ESPN Radio and ESPN2, ...
'',
Chuck Dickerson,
Art Wander, ''Extension 55'' with
John Otto, Ron Dobson,
John and Ken
''The John and Ken Show'' is an American talk radio show, hosted by ''John Chester Kobylt'' and ''Kenneth Robertson Chiampou''. The show airs Monday thru Friday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time on KFI AM 640, a local Southern California tal ...
,
Rick Emerson,
Joey Reynolds
Joseph Pinto, better known as Joey Reynolds, is a long-time radio show host and disc jockey. Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV in Buffalo at WGR TV 2 and he worked at various stations, including at WNBC.
Career
His first radio job was ...
, and several other local and national hosts. Syndicated talk radio host
Leslie Marshall, controversial talk radio host
J. R. Gach and future WFAN New York morning drive fixture
Craig Carton
Craig Harris Carton (born January 31, 1969) is an American radio and television personality. He is the co-host of the ''Carton and Roberts'' sports radio program on WFAN (AM) in New York City, and is seen nationally on Fox Sports 1 as host of '' ...
also worked at the station.
Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2 ...
was at one time a candidate to host a show on the station, but lost out to Dobson. The station was, from the network's inception, an affiliate of
ESPN Radio, which it carried on the weekends from 1992 to 2013.
In 1995, Rich Communications which owned both WGR and its FM counterpart
WGRF
WGRF (96.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Buffalo, New York, branded as "97 Rock". The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has a radio format playing classic rock, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. WGRF competes for classic rock l ...
, sold WGRF to Mercury Radio headed by Charles W. Banta. Simultaneously, Rich Communications entered into a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Keymarket Communications. The Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of WGR to Keymarket within twelve months of the LMA. Keymarket also owned
WBEN, WMJQ,
WWKB
WWKB (1520 AM) is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts a sports betting radio format and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. Most programming is from the co-owned BetQL Radio Network, with some shows from CBS Sports R ...
and
WKSE
WKSE (98.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Niagara Falls, New York, serving the Buffalo metropolitan area and Western New York. It has a Top 40/CHR radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc., with studios on Corporate Parkway in A ...
. Keymarket merged with
River City Broadcasting
River City Broadcasting L.P. was a major television and radio station operator in mid-sized markets in the United States, based in St. Louis, Missouri.
Overview
The firm was formed in 1989 as a partnership between Barry Baker and Larry Marcus, b ...
which was purchased by
Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBG) is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, ...
in 1997. Sinclair Broadcast Group sold its entire radio division to
Entercom Communications
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corporation, it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning 235 radio stations across 48 media ...
in 1999. In February 2000, WGR changed formats from News-Talk to Sports-Talk.
Adoption of all sports format
In February 2000, WGR became an all-sports talk radio station. Bauerle, for a short time, was retained and paired with
Chris "Bulldog" Parker, who joined from WBEN for the morning show. Chuck Dickerson maintained his afternoon drive show.
Jim Rome
James Phillip Rome (born October 14, 1964) is an American sports radio host. His talk show, ''The Jim Rome Show'', is syndicated by CBS Sports Radio.
Broadcasting from a studio near Los Angeles, California, Rome hosts ''The Jim Rome Show'' on ...
, who was added to the WGR line-up in late summer 1998, was retained when WGR switched to all sports. Anne Burke, a frequent caller to the station's talk shows, joined Bob Gaughan to co-host middays. Mike Maniscalco and later Brad Riter hosted the evening shift.
From October 2000 to 2004, WGR competed with
WNSA-FM, an FM station licensed to
Wethersfield, New York
Wethersfield is an incorporated town in Wyoming County, New York. The population was 891 at the time of the 2000 census. The Town of Wethersfield is centrally located in the county.
History
The Town of Wethersfield was established in 1823 from ...
, in rural
Wyoming county (with a 107.3 translator in Buffalo). The two stations battled for listeners and the rights to broadcast sporting events. Several teams' broadcasts bounced between the two stations, such as the Bandits,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
, and
Buffalo Destroyers.
![Schopp & Bulldog](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Schopp_%26_Bulldog.JPG)
WGR landed a coup when it signed WNSA's top afternoon host, Mike Schopp, from WNSA-FM in 2002; the event came at about the same time as when
John Rigas
John James Rigas (November 14, 1924 – September 30, 2021) was an American businessman who was one of the founders of Adelphia Communications Corporation, which at its peak was one of the largest cable TV companies in the United States. He wa ...
and
Adelphia Communications
Adelphia Communications Corporation was an American cable television company with headquarters in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1952 by brothers Gus and John Rigas after the pair purchased a cable television franchise for US$300. C ...
were beginning to collapse under massive financial scandal. WNSA never recovered and eventually WGR took the upper hand in the local sports radio battle. Schopp was at first teamed with
Chuck Dickerson in afternoon drive. When Dickerson departed WGR, Schopp was teamed with
Chris "Bulldog" Parker. Bauerle moved from WGR to sister station
WBEN, Gaughan joined
Kevin Sylvester in morning drive (Burke had been released long before this). Riter was paired with sidekick Jeremy White in the evening and lastly
The Tony Kornheiser Show
''The Tony Kornheiser Show'' is a sports podcast talk show out of Washington, D.C., hosted by Tony Kornheiser, which was originally a sports radio talk show appeared on WTEM from 1992 to 1997; on ESPN Radio between 1998 and 2004; back on WTEM ...
(from ESPN) was added in Gaughan and Burke's old time slot. (Kornheiser would later be replaced by
Colin Cowherd
Colin Murray Cowherd (born January 6, 1964) is an American sports media personality. Cowherd began his broadcasting career as sports director of Las Vegas television station KVBC and as a sports anchor on several other stations before joining ...
by ESPN.)
With the purchase of WNSA, WGR re-joined the
New York Yankees radio network
The New York Yankees Radio Network is an Audacy-owned radio network that broadcasts New York Yankees baseball games to 52 stations across 14 states. The network's flagship station is WFAN, which succeeded sister station WCBS as the flagship in 2 ...
and for the first time since 1996, regained the radio rights to the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
. Howard Simon, also from WNSA, joined in November 2004, with White moving from evenings to mornings to be Simon's sidekick.
In 2006, the Sabres and WGR renewed their broadcast agreement through 2012, and Yankees rights were dropped by 2007. In 2007, host Brad Riter was fired after failing to report for work, and he joined rival
WECK
WECK (1230 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Cheektowaga, New York and serving the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area. The station airs a locally-produced and locally hosted oldies music format. The studios, offices an ...
in March 2008. A series of WGR staffers, as well as past and present Buffalo media personalities such as former WNSA and Empire host (and former
KOHD-DT morning anchor) Jim Brinson and
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside CW owned-and-operated station WNLO (channel 23). WIVB-TV and WNLO share studios on Elmwood Aven ...
sports director Dennis Williams, hosted the vacated slot. (WGR also tried to lure
John Murphy, but because he was also at the time the radio host of the Bills, his contract prevented him from hosting the slot.) In January 2008, Williams was hired as the new evening host at WGR; WIVB declined to his contract shortly thereafter, and replaced him with Murphy. Williams left the station in early 2009 to enter the sales industry. On January 4, 2012, it was announced that WGR would become the
Buffalo Bills Radio Network
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is a broadcast radio network based in Buffalo, New York. Its primary programming is broadcasts of Buffalo Bills home and away games to a network of 24 stations in upstate New York, the Northwestern and Northern Ti ...
flagship station. With the addition of Buffalo Bills broadcast rights going to WGR, the evening time slot was held by Bills announcer John Murphy.
WGR began a partial
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...
on
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
sister station
WROC WROC may refer to:
* WROC (AM), a radio station (950 AM) licensed to Rochester, New York, United States
* WROC-TV, a television station (channel 21, virtual channel 8) licensed to Rochester, New York, United States
* WHTK (AM), a radio station (128 ...
in September 2008. Sabres games, ''Schopp and the Bulldog'', and ESPN Radio were carried on WROC; ''Schopp and the Bulldog'' was dropped in 2011.
In 2012, WGR secured the rights to the
Buffalo Bills Radio Network
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is a broadcast radio network based in Buffalo, New York. Its primary programming is broadcasts of Buffalo Bills home and away games to a network of 24 stations in upstate New York, the Northwestern and Northern Ti ...
after previous owner
WGRF
WGRF (96.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Buffalo, New York, branded as "97 Rock". The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has a radio format playing classic rock, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. WGRF competes for classic rock l ...
decided against renewing their contract. As part of the deal, John Murphy began hosting a nightly talk show dedicated to the Bills on nights when the Sabres did not play. At the same time, Kevin Sylvester also returned to the station as the host of a daily Sabres-oriented talk show, ''Hockey Hotline'', which last aired in 2004. WGR parent company Entercom moved the
ESPN Radio affiliation to its own full-time affiliate,
WWKB
WWKB (1520 AM) is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts a sports betting radio format and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. Most programming is from the co-owned BetQL Radio Network, with some shows from CBS Sports R ...
, in September 2013.
Sabres games in NHL prospect tourney on new ESPN Buffalo
by Pergament, Alan (September 5, 2013). ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved September 6, 2013. CBS Sports Radio eventually filled the overnight time slots ESPN Radio had previously filled on WGR.
In 2016, the formation of MSG Western New York
MSG Western New York (MSG WNY) is an American regional sports network that is a joint venture between MSG Entertainment and Pegula Sports and Entertainment. The channel (also on occasion credited as ''Pegula Sports Network'' or ''MSG Buffalo'') ...
was announced. A regional sports channel for Western New York, the channel includes both Sabres and Bills programming. Two main WGR shows ''Sabres Hockey Hotline'' and ''The John Murphy Show'' began simulcasting on the channel on October 3, 2016. WGR and Pegula Sports and Entertainment
Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) is an American sports and entertainment company based in Buffalo, New York. The company was established after multi-billionaire Terry Pegula and his family combined their sports, property and entertainment ass ...
reached a five-year contract extension for radio broadcasts not long afterward, keeping the Bills and Sabres broadcasts on WGR through 2021.
References
External links
*
*
FCC History Cards for WGR
(covering 1927-1981)
page including recordings of Frank Benny and Shane on WGR, April 28, 1980
{{Buffalo Sabres
GR
Radio stations established in 1922
CBS Sports Radio stations
Taft Broadcasting
Audacy, Inc. radio stations
1922 establishments in New York (state)
Radio stations licensed before 1923 and still broadcasting