WGR
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Broadcast area | Buffalo |
|---|---|
| Branding | "WGR Sports Radio 550" |
| Slogan | Western New York's Sports Leader |
| First air date | May 22, 1922 |
| Frequency | 550 (kHz) |
| Format | Sports radio |
| ERP | 5,000 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | W George Rand |
| Owner | Entercom Communications |
| Website | WGR550.com |
WGR is an all sports radio station in Buffalo, New York that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits, and is currently the only sports talk station in the Buffalo area.
Contents |
[edit] History
The history of one of Buffalo’s earliest radio stations has its roots at sea. On April 1, 1921 the sailing vessel, "The Governor," sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The ship’s assigned radio call letters were WGR. Due to maritime superstition, the call sign was never reissued and reverted back to a pool of available call signs for new radio stations.
That same year, the Federal Telephone & Telegraph Company (FTTC), headquartered in a sprawling manufacturing complex in North Buffalo, began marketing its first, completely assembled radio sets. To fill a radio void in the city, and to stimulate sales of their new "high-tech" products, the FTTC applied for a commercial radio license from the Department of Commerce. On May 22, 1922, the WGR broadcast commenced, beginning more than 75 years of continuous service to Western New York and Southern Ontario. Published reports say that the first programs on WGR were: a clergyman’s lecture; a concert from Victor’s Furniture Store showroom; and a presentation on the advantages of a college education by Dr. Julian Park, from the University at Buffalo.
The selection of WGR as the call sign for the station was twofold. "GR" were the initials of George Rand, the founder of the station. WGR also stands for World's Greatest Radio, which was used as a slogan.
WGR is the oldest radio station in Buffalo, NY that is still in operation. For many years, WGR was owned by Taft Broadcasting. During its days as a full service radio station, its roster of personalities included "Buffalo Bob" Smith, later famous for TV's Howdy Doody children's show, and popular national TV and nightclub comedian Foster Brooks. The station's longtime music format combining Adult Top 40 hits and rock oldies gradually evolved to news/talk during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1987, Taft sold the station to Rich Communications. WGR was then sold to Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1997 before being purchased by Entercom Communications in 1999. In 2000, WGR became an all-sports talk radio station.
From 2001 to 2004, WGR competed with upstart radio station WNSA. 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, and Buffalo Destroyers. When WNSA went up for sale, Entercom bought it out, regaining the Yankees rights and acquiring, for the first time in decades, the radio rights to the Buffalo Sabres. Two of WGR's current drive time hosts, Howard Simon and Mike Schopp, came from WNSA.
In 2006, the Sabres and WGR renewed their broadcast agreement through 2012.
[edit] Broadcast Signal
WGR's broadcast signal broadcasts at a power of 5,000 watts. During the day, the nondirectional signal, assisted by the Great Lakes, can stretch from Cleveland, Ohio to Watertown, New York. At night, the signal is shifted to a directional north-to-south pattern aimed toward Toronto, Ontario.
In 2006, WGR resumed streaming its programming on the Internet after a four-year hiatus.
[edit] Programs
- Howard Simon, morning drive
- Jim Rome, syndicated sports talk host
- Mike Schopp and Chris "Bulldog" Parker, afternoon drive
- Brad Riter, evening host
- Chuck Dickerson, a.k.a. "The Coach," contributor
- Buffalo Sabres hockey
- New York Yankees baseball
- NFL football, games of the week
- University at Buffalo football (basketball usually delegated to sister WWKB)
- NASCAR
- ESPN Radio
- Buffalo Bandits lacrosse (usually delegated to sister station WWKB)
[edit] External links
- WGR 550 official Web site
- WGR Jock History (billdulmage.com)
- Rock Radio Scrapbook page including recordings of Frank Benny and Shane on WGR, April 28, 1980
- Portions of information came from the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Web site.
By frequency: 550 | 950 | 990 | 1040 | 1180 | 1280 | 1370 | 1460
By callsign: WGR | WHAM | WHIC | WHTK | WLGZ | WROC | WXXI | WYSL
WGR 550 | CKTB 610 (St. Catharines, Ontario) | CJRN 710 | WTOR 770 | WBEN 930 | WNED 970 | WUFO 1080 | WBBF 1120 | CHSC 1220 (St. Catharines) | WECK 1230 | WHLD 1270 | WXRL 1300 | WSPQ 1330 | WLVL 1340 | WWWS 1400 | WJJL 1440 | WWKB 1520
AM Stations: 550 | 930 | 1360 | 1450 | 1490 | 1590
FM Stations: 88.3 | 89.1 | 91.3 | 92.9 | 94.5 | 94.9 | 95.7 | 98.3 | 100.1 | 101.5 | 102.5 | 106.3
  |
This article about a radio station in New York is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
