WBUF

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WBUF (FM)
Image:929jackfm.gif
City of license Buffalo, New York
Branding 92.9 Jack FM
Slogan Playing What We Want
First air date 1947
Frequency 92.9 MHz
Format Jack FM
Callsign meaning W BUF for Buffalo
Owner Regent Communications
Website [http://www.929jackfm.com

WBUF is the call letters of a current FM radio station in Buffalo, New York. Its transmitter is located in Buffalo. It is owned by CBS Radio (in the process of being sold to Regent Communications) and broadcasts on 92.9 FM. The station signed on in 1947.

[edit] Programming

WBUF currently is running the Jack FM format, which it has run since May 2005. WBUF has a notorious history of frequently changing formats, earning the dubious title of "Wheel O' Format" among those in the radio industry.

Among the former formats:

  • 1970's: Freeform rock
  • 1980: WFXZ "Foxy 93" Format lasted one year, calls reverted to WBUF the year after.
  • 1995: WSJZ Smooth Jazz 92.9 Format lasted two years.
  • 1997: WLCE Alice@92.9
    • Format was intended to challenge then-WMJQ, now WTSS. The format lasted two years, until morning host Gary Craig uttered an offensive slur.
  • 1998: WBUF B92.9 Disco.
    • Format was intended to challenge WHTT but lasted less than two years.
  • 2000: Buffalo's Rock Station
    • Format was intended to challenge WGRF and WEDG. WBUF in this era brought Howard Stern to Buffalo's morning drive. Later on, the station added Opie and Anthony, but An incident called "Sex for Sam", in which the duo awarded points for listeners to have sex in public places cause then Infinity Broadcasting to cancel the show. It is a misconception that a party thrown by the station and the two New York City hosts got them fired. As they claim on their current morning show on competitor WEDG, "We were well on our way to being fired for the 'T'n'A with O&A' party, when we were canceled for 'Sex for Sam'" (Gregg Hughes, on many occasions). Instead of reverting the drive time back to rock, they instead replaced O&A with the Don and Mike Show.
  • 2004: FM Talk
    • Format was intended to challenge WGR and WBEN. With both drive blocks filled with hot talkers, the natural progression was to make the station a full time talker. Brother Wease, from sister station WCMF in Rochester, was hired to fill the midday, while Tom Leykis and Loveline being given nighttime slots. The format ended in six months after Wease developed nasal cancer and could not work both his Rochester and Buffalo shifts.
  • 2005: Jack FM
    • Stern was the only host retained when CBS dropped the talk format in Buffalo in favor of Jack, the first format in about 10 years not intended to directly compete with another station in the market. When Stern left terrestrial radio for Sirius Satellite Radio, he was not replaced in Buffalo.

Since May of 2005, WBUF has been broadcasting as 92.9 Jack FM using the increasingly popular Jack FM format, playing an eclectic mix of popular music from the past 40 years without DJs. This is the only Jack FM station which doesn't use Howard Cogan as the voice of Jack, most likely due to it's proximity to Toronto's 92.5 Jack FM. Using Cogan would most likely cause confusion with listeners due to the fact the two stations are also closeby in frequency on the FM dial.

[1]

WBUF began streaming its programming on the Internet in mid-November 2006.

[edit] External links

FM radio stations in Buffalo, New York and the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada (Arbitron #52)

WCOU 88.3/W284AP 104.7 | WBFO 88.7 | W207BB 89.3 | WFBF 89.9 | WGCC 90.7 | WBNY 91.3 | CIXL 91.7 | NEW 92.1 | WBUF 92.9 | WBLK 93.7 | WNED 94.5 | WJYE 96.1 | WGRF 96.9 | CHTZ 97.7 | WKSE 98.5 | WDCX 99.5 | CKEY 101.1 | WLOF 101.7 | WTSS 102.5 | WEDG 103.3 | CFBU 103.7 | WHTT 104.1 | CFLZ 105.1 | CHRE 105.7 | WYRK 106.5 | WLKK 107.7/W297AB 107.3

New York State Radio Markets
Albany (AM) (FM) · Binghamton · Buffalo (AM) (FM) · Elmira-Corning · Ithaca · Long Island
New York City (AM) (FM) · Newburgh-Middletown · Olean · Plattsburgh · Poughkeepsie · Riverhead
Rochester (AM) (FM) · Saratoga · Syracuse (AM) (FM) · Utica (AM) (FM) · Watertown
See also: List of radio stations in New York and List of United States radio markets