WGR
Encyclopedia
WGR, or WGR Sports Radio 550, 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 full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst, New York
, and transmitter in suburban Hamburg, New York
. Although it has a power of 5,000 watts, during the day its signal can be heard as far north as Barrie
, Peterborough
and Kingston, Ontario
, as far west as Windsor, Ontario
, as far east as Syracuse
, and as far south as Erie, Pennsylvania
and Cleveland
and Youngstown, Ohio
. At night its signal can be heard as far north as Sudbury, Barrie and Peterborough, Ontario, as far west as Guelph
, Kitchener
and Waterloo, Ontario
, as far east as Batavia, and as far south as Jamestown
and Olean
.
, sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean
after collision with a freighter, the West Hartland. The passenger ship’s assigned radio call letters were WGR. Due to maritime superstition, the call sign was never reissued to another ship 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 (and received) a commercial radio license from the Department of Commerce. The station was named "WGR" after George Rand (founder of Remington Rand
), a key investor in the FTTC. On May 22, 1922, WGR's broadcast operations commenced, beginning more than 85 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.
WGR is the oldest radio station in Buffalo, NY that is still in operation. 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
. From 1964 until 1987, WGR was owned by Taft Broadcasting
. The station's longtime music format combining Adult Top 40 hits and rock oldies
and featured some of Buffalo's top radio personalities, talk hosts and news reporters including Stan Roberts
, Larry Anderson, Frank Benny, Tom Donahue
, Randy Michaels
, Jim Scott
, Jerry Reo, Shane
, Joe Galuski, Tom Langmyer
, George Hamberger, Tom Shannon, Tom Bauerle, John Otto
, Chuck Lakefield, Sandy Kozel, Don Dussias, Lauri Githens, Wayne Smith, Jane Tomczak and Craig Matthews
. WGR gradually evolved to news/talk during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1987, Taft sold the station to Rich Communications, which was part of the Robert Rich family's business holdings, which also included a major processed-food company and a venture applying for a National League expansion baseball franchise (for which WGR was projected to be flagship station of the team's projected network). After the Rich interests dropped out of the competition for an expansion team (which ultimately went to south Florida) for cost reasons, WGR was eventually spun off to new owners.
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
, Chuck Dickerson
, Art Wander, Extension 55 with John Otto
, Ron Dobson, John and Ken
, Rick Emerson
, Joey Reynolds
, 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
worked at the station. Jesse Ventura
was at one time a candidate to host a show on the station, but lost out to Dobson. The station has been, since the network's inception, an affiliate of ESPN Radio
, which it has carried on the weekends since 1992.
In 1995, Rich Communications sold WGRF 97 Rock 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 and WKSE. Keymarket merged with River City Broadcasting
which was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group
in 1997. Sinclair Broadcast Group
sold its entire radio division to Entercom Communications
in 1999. In February 2000, WGR changed formats from News-Talk to Sports-Talk.
, 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, NY 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
, and Buffalo Destroyers.
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 Rigas and Adelphia Communications 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 the vitriolic 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) and Parker joined Schopp in the afternoon show, releasing Dickerson in the process. Riter was paired with sidekick Jeremy White in the evening and lastly The Tony Kornheiser Show
(from ESPN) was added in Gaughan and Burke's old time slot. (Kornheiser would later be replaced by Colin Cowherd
by ESPN.)
With the purchase of WNSA, WGR re-joined the New York Yankees radio network
and for the first time since 1996, regained the radio rights to the Buffalo Sabres
. 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
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
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, the time slot is currently held by reruns.
WGR began a partial simulcast
on Rochester
sister station WROC
in September 2008. Sabres games, Schopp and the Bulldog, and ESPN Radio
will be carried on WROC.
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. WGR also broadcasts on the HD Radio
digital subchannel
of WKSE
(FM 98.5).
, which occurs at the same season), WGR hosts have a tendency to drift into general interest talk, some of which can seem very random for a sports talk station.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and the Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
, and is currently the only full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
, and transmitter in suburban Hamburg, New York
Hamburg (village), New York
Hamburg is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 10,116 at the 2000 census. The village is reportedly named after Hamburg, a city in Germany...
. Although it has a power of 5,000 watts, during the day its signal can be heard as far north as Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
and Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, as far west as Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, as far east as Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and as far south as Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
and Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. At night its signal can be heard as far north as Sudbury, Barrie and Peterborough, Ontario, as far west as Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
, Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
and Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, as far east as Batavia, and as far south as Jamestown
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
and Olean
Olean, New York
Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern Tier region of New York.The city is...
.
Early years
The history of one of Buffalo’s earliest radio stations has its roots at sea. On April 1, 1921 the Governor, a passenger shipPassenger ship
A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
, sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
after collision with a freighter, the West Hartland. The passenger ship’s assigned radio call letters were WGR. Due to maritime superstition, the call sign was never reissued to another ship 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 (and received) a commercial radio license from the Department of Commerce. The station was named "WGR" after George Rand (founder of Remington Rand
Remington Rand
Remington Rand was an early American business machines manufacturer, best known originally as a typewriter manufacturer and in a later incarnation as the manufacturer of the UNIVAC line of mainframe computers but with antecedents in Remington Arms in the early nineteenth century. For a time, the...
), a key investor in the FTTC. On May 22, 1922, WGR's broadcast operations commenced, beginning more than 85 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.
WGR is the oldest radio station in Buffalo, NY that is still in operation. During its days as a full service radio station, its roster of personalities included "Buffalo Bob" Smith
Buffalo Bob Smith
Buffalo Bob Smith was the host of the children's show Howdy Doody.-Biography:...
, later famous for TV's Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
children's show, and popular national TV and nightclub comedian Foster Brooks
Foster Brooks
Foster Brooks was an American actor and comedian most famous for his portrayal of a lovable drunken man in nightclub performances and television programs.-Biography:...
. From 1964 until 1987, WGR was owned by Taft Broadcasting
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 station's longtime music format combining Adult Top 40 hits and rock oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
and featured some of Buffalo's top radio personalities, talk hosts and news reporters including Stan Roberts
Stan Roberts
Stan Roberts was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba between 1958 and 1962, and ran for the leadership of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1961...
, Larry Anderson, Frank Benny, Tom Donahue
Tom Donahue
Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue , was a pioneering rock and roll radio disc jockey, record producer and concert promoter....
, Randy Michaels
Randy Michaels
Randy Michaels is an American broadcasting executive and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters TV Board.Randy Michaels has been involved in large market radio broadcasting since the early 1970s, first in front of the mike as evening personality at adult contemporary WGR in Buffalo...
, Jim Scott
Jim Scott
Jim Scott is a guitarist, singer/songwriter and composer in the genres of jazz, classical and folk music.-Life:Jim Scott has made it his business to create and perform music that celebrates peace, justice and the earth. He co-wrote the celebrated Missa Gaia - Earth Mass and many other pieces with...
, Jerry Reo, Shane
Shane
Shane is a 1953 American Western film from Paramount. It was produced and directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by A.B. Guthrie Jr., based on the 1949 novel of the same name by Jack Schaefer. Its Oscar-winning cinematography was by Loyal Griggs...
, Joe Galuski, Tom Langmyer
Tom Langmyer
Tom Langmyer , is an American broadcasting executive, author and current Vice President and General Manager of the Tribune Company's WGN Radio in Chicago, IL.-Early life:...
, George Hamberger, Tom Shannon, Tom Bauerle, John Otto
John Otto
John Otto may refer to:* John Otto , original member of the band Limp Bizkit* John Otto , acting director of the FBI in 1987* John Otto , first superintendent at Colorado National Monument...
, Chuck Lakefield, Sandy Kozel, Don Dussias, Lauri Githens, Wayne Smith, Jane Tomczak and Craig Matthews
Craig Matthews
Craig Russell Matthews is a former South African cricketer who played in eighteen Tests and fifty six ODIs from 1991 to 1997.-References:...
. WGR gradually evolved to news/talk during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1987, Taft sold the station to Rich Communications, which was part of the Robert Rich family's business holdings, which also included a major processed-food company and a venture applying for a National League expansion baseball franchise (for which WGR was projected to be flagship station of the team's projected network). After the Rich interests dropped out of the competition for an expansion team (which ultimately went to south Florida) for cost reasons, 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 head to head with WBEN-AM 930. From 1990 to 1994, WGR owned the radio broadcast rights to the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bisons. The Buffalo Bills four consecutive Super Bowl seasons were broadcast on 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
Nanci Donnellan, best known by her title of "The Fabulous Sports Babe," is an American sports radio broadcaster, currently broadcasting on WHBO in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. She is best known nationally for being syndicated across the United States on both ESPN Radio and ESPN2, from 1994 until 2001...
, Chuck Dickerson
Chuck Dickerson
Chuck Dickerson is a former position coach in the National Football League and Canadian Football League and sports radio host in Buffalo, New York. Currently, he is a regular featured commentator during the Buffalo Bills season....
, Art Wander, Extension 55 with John Otto
John Otto (radio personality)
John Otto was a radio talk show host in Buffalo, New York. He began his broadcasting career in the 1940s at the age of 19 at WBNY 1400 AM which has since changed its call sign. He spent most of his radio career doing an evening listener call in show branded Extension 55 at WGR...
, Ron Dobson, John and Ken
John and Ken
John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
, Rick Emerson
Rick Emerson
Rick Emerson , formerly known as Rick Taylor, is a radio personality most known for The Rick Emerson Show, currently broadcasting daily from , and has been broadcast in Portland, Oregon, in one form or another, since 1997. The show was nationally syndicated for a period from 1998-2001 by NBG Radio...
, Joey Reynolds
Joey Reynolds
Joey Reynolds is the pseudonym of Joey Pinto, host of the U.S. radio program The Joey Reynolds Show via the WOR Radio Network. Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV- in Buffalo at WGR TV 2...
, and several other local and national hosts. Syndicated talk radio host Leslie Marshall
Leslie Marshall
Leslie Marshall has been a liberal radio talk host since 1988 and a commentator on national television since 2001. Leslie became the youngest person ever to be nationally syndicated on radio when she replaced Tom Snyder on the ABC Satellite Radio Network in 1992...
, controversial talk radio host J. R. Gach
J. R. Gach
Jay Robert "J.R." Gach is a controversial talk radio host and shock jock from Schenectady, New York.Gach was born in 1952 to Joseph Harry Gach , a retired army colonel, and Dorothy Louise Shive...
and future WFAN New York morning drive fixture Craig Carton
Craig Carton
Craig Harris Carton is an American radio personality who currently co-hosts the Boomer and Carton in the Morning radio program.-Biography:...
worked at the station. Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
was at one time a candidate to host a show on the station, but lost out to Dobson. The station has been, since the network's inception, an affiliate of ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, which it has carried on the weekends since 1992.
In 1995, Rich Communications sold WGRF 97 Rock 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 and WKSE. Keymarket merged with River City Broadcasting
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 out of St. Louis, Missouri....
which was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
in 1997. Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
sold its entire radio division to Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
in 1999. In February 2000, WGR changed formats from News-Talk to Sports-Talk.
Becoming an all sports station
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 RomeJim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
, 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
WLKK
WLKK is an American radio station located in Wethersfield, New York. Broadcasting on the frequency of 107.7 MHz, the station is currently owned by Entercom Communications and is operated out of the company's studios in Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo...
, an FM station licensed to Wethersfield, NY 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
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and Buffalo Destroyers.
WGR landed a coup when it signed WNSA's top afternoon host, Mike Schopp
Mike Schopp
Mike Schopp is an American sports radio personality,. Mike was born and currently lives in Grand Island. He is the current afternoon co-host of the sports talk show Mike Schopp and The Bulldog which runs weekdays from 3-7 p.m. Eastern on WGR in Buffalo, New York and WROC in Rochester. His co-host...
, from WNSA-FM in 2002; the event came at about the same time as when Rigas and Adelphia Communications 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 the vitriolic Chuck Dickerson
Chuck Dickerson
Chuck Dickerson is a former position coach in the National Football League and Canadian Football League and sports radio host in Buffalo, New York. Currently, he is a regular featured commentator during the Buffalo Bills season....
in afternoon drive. When Dickerson departed WGR, Schopp was teamed with Chris "Bulldog" Parker. Bauerle moved from WGR to sister station WBEN
WBEN (AM)
WBEN is an AM and FM radio station serving the Niagara, Buffalo and Western New York area, broadcasting on 930 AM and, as of April 5, 2011, simulcasting on sister station WLKK at 107.7 FM. It previously simulcasted between 1946 and 1960 on 102.5 FM as WBEN-FM. Both stations retained the WBEN...
, Gaughan joined Kevin Sylvester
Kevin Sylvester (broadcaster)
Kevin Sylvester is the alternate television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network...
in morning drive (Burke had been released long before this) and Parker joined Schopp in the afternoon show, releasing Dickerson in the process. Riter was paired with sidekick Jeremy White in the evening and lastly The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show is a sports radio talk show out of Washington, D.C. hosted by Tony Kornheiser, which appeared on WTEM from 1992 to 1997; on ESPN Radio between 1998 and 2004; back on WTEM from 2004 to 2006; and on WTWP and then WWWT in 2007 and 2008; and back on WTEM since September 8, 2009...
(from ESPN) was added in Gaughan and Burke's old time slot. (Kornheiser would later be replaced by Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd
Colin Murray Cowherd is an American sports radio personality. He is currently the host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. He is also the co-host of the television show SportsNation on ESPN2.-Career:...
by ESPN.)
With the purchase of WNSA, WGR re-joined the New York Yankees radio network
Yankees Radio Network
The New York Yankees Radio Network is a CBS-owned broadcast radio network that broadcasts New York Yankees baseball games. The network is made up of 52 AM and FM stations in fourteen states...
and for the first time since 1996, regained the radio rights to the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. Howard Simon
Howard Simon
Howard Simon was a notable American illustrator, painter, and printmaker who is known for his woodcuts.Simon provided illustrations for several dozen books, and his work is displayed in numerous museums.-External links:*...
, 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
WECK is a radio station located in the Buffalo, New York, area. Founded in 1956 as WNIA, the station currently is owned by Culver Communications...
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
KOHD
KOHD is the ABC affiliated television station for Central Oregon that is licensed to Bend. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter in the city on Awbrey Butte west of U.S. 97. Owned by the Chambers Communications Corporation, the station has studios on...
morning anchor) Jim Brinson and WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
sports director Dennis Williams, hosted the vacated slot. (WGR also tried to lure John Murphy
John Murphy (announcer)
John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York.Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills, where he currently serves as the play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network...
, 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, the time slot is currently held by reruns.
WGR began a partial simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
sister station WROC
WROC (AM)
WROC is an AM radio station licensed to Rochester, New York. On September 2, 2008, WROC changed from an Air America affiliate to an ESPN affiliate...
in September 2008. Sabres games, Schopp and the Bulldog, and ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
will be carried on WROC.
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 Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
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. WGR also broadcasts on the HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
of WKSE
WKSE
WKSE is a Contemporary Hit Radio/Top 40 Mainstream station serving the Buffalo and Niagara Falls region of Western New York. The station's transmitter is located on Grand Island, New York...
(FM 98.5).
Criticisms
During the summer, because the station focuses almost exclusively on then out-of-season Bills and Sabres talk (sometimes some talk about UB football and basketballBuffalo Bulls
The Buffalo Bulls are the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo in intercollegiate athletics. The Bulls currently play in Division I , and are a member of the Mid-American Conference for all sports except women's rowing who is in the Cononial Athletic Assocition . They have been a...
, which occurs at the same season), WGR hosts have a tendency to drift into general interest talk, some of which can seem very random for a sports talk station.
Hosts and programs
- Howard Simon and Jeremy White (radio personality), the station's morning drive duo
- The Herd with Colin CowherdThe Herd with Colin CowherdThe Herd with Colin Cowherd is a sports talk radio show hosted by Colin Cowherd and broadcast on ESPN Radio from Bristol, Connecticut. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on most ESPN Radio stations and is simulcasted on ESPNews...
, syndicated sports talk host on ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut... - The Jim Rome ShowThe Jim Rome ShowThe Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live for three hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. The show is produced in Los Angeles, California, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the U.S...
, syndicated sports talk host - Mike SchoppMike SchoppMike Schopp is an American sports radio personality,. Mike was born and currently lives in Grand Island. He is the current afternoon co-host of the sports talk show Mike Schopp and The Bulldog which runs weekdays from 3-7 p.m. Eastern on WGR in Buffalo, New York and WROC in Rochester. His co-host...
and Chris "Bulldog" Parker, the station's afternoon drive team - Brian Koziol, host, Sabres Radio Network
- ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, overnight - Joe Buscaglia, host, Sports Talk Saturday
- Mike SchoppMike SchoppMike Schopp is an American sports radio personality,. Mike was born and currently lives in Grand Island. He is the current afternoon co-host of the sports talk show Mike Schopp and The Bulldog which runs weekdays from 3-7 p.m. Eastern on WGR in Buffalo, New York and WROC in Rochester. His co-host...
, Saturday Mornings 8-9 AM, The Hobby - Tony Caligiuri, Saturday Mornings, Inside High School Sports
- Dave Buchanan, Sunday Mornings 10-11 AM, WGR's Fast Track (NASCAR Talk)
Contributors and regular guests
- John ClaytonJohn Clayton (sportscaster)John Travis Clayton is a National Football League writer and reporter for ESPN. He is also a senior writer for ESPN.com.-Early career:...
, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
football reporter - Joe DeLamielleureJoe DeLamielleureJoseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
, Hall-of famer, former Buffalo Bills offensive lineman - Paul Hamilton, WGR Buffalo Sabres beat reporter
- Rick JeanneretRick JeanneretRichard "Rick" Jeanneret is the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network. Having started with the team on radio during the 1971–72 season, he is the longest-tenured announcer in the NHL...
, Buffalo Sabres play-by-play announcer - Harry NealeHarry NealeHarold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
, Buffalo Sabres color analyst - Mike RobitailleMike RobitailleMichael James David Robitaille is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks...
, Former Buffalo Sabre and current MSGMSG NetworkThe MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
hockey analyst - Lindy RuffLindy RuffLindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
, Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
head coach - Jerry SullivanJerry SullivanJerry Sullivan is the current Wide Receivers/Senior Assistant Coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2003....
, Buffalo News columnist - Thurman Thomas, Hall-of famer, former Buffalo Bills running back
- Aaron SchatzAaron SchatzAaron Schatz is the creator of Football Outsiders and one of the main contributors to Football Outsiders Almanac, published yearly since 2005...
, creator of Football OutsidersFootball OutsidersFootball Outsiders is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.In 2005 and 2006,...
, Obscure and intersting football statistics - WGR Panther, Rawrrrr!!!
20/20 sports anchors and producers
- Greg Bauch, Producer for Mike Schopp & The Bulldog
- Dave Buchanan, Sabres Radio Network producer, weeknight producer/anchor
- Joe Buscaglia, Anchor for Mike Schopp & The Bulldog
- Dan Cave, Weeknight producer/anchor, anchor on Sabres broadcasts
- Dan Fisher, Howard Simon Show Producer
- Jon Koziol, Sabres Radio Network Producer
- Pat Malacaro, Weekend producer
- Michael Jafari, Weekend producer
- Steve Tripi, Weekend producer
Live sports coverage
- Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
flagship station; play-by-play with Rick JeanneretRick JeanneretRichard "Rick" Jeanneret is the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network. Having started with the team on radio during the 1971–72 season, he is the longest-tenured announcer in the NHL...
and Harry NealeHarry NealeHarold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network... - Buffalo BanditsBuffalo BanditsThe Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
lacrosse play-by play with John Gurtler (usually delegated to WWKB) - Sunday Night BaseballSunday Night BaseballSunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
play-by-play on ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut... - Sunday and Monday nightNFL on Westwood OneThe NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
NFL play-by-play on Westwood OneWestwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group... - NASCAR Sprint Cup play-by-play from the Motor Racing NetworkMotor Racing NetworkThe Motor Racing Network is the principal radio broadcasting operation of NASCAR, promoting themselves as "The Voice of NASCAR." It broadcasts coverage of most major NASCAR races at the top three levels of NASCAR at tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation as well as Dover International...
- Buffalo BisonsBuffalo BisonsThe Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
baseball Game of the Week (shared with WWKB and WBEN) - "Friday Night Lights" high school footballHigh school footballHigh school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
package - NCAA college football play-by-play on Westwood One, Saturdays
- Niagara Purple Eagles basketball (sometimes delegated to WWKB)
External links
- WGR 550 official Website
- 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.