WGR (550 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to serve Buffalo, New York. Owned by Audacy, Inc., its studios and offices are located on Corporate Parkway in Amherst, and the transmitter site—used by WGR and co-owned WWKB—is in Hamburg. Programming is also heard on FM on WGR-FM, extending the station's listening area to Batavia and Rochester, New York, and on an HD Radio digital subchannel of WKSE.
Programming WGR has a sports radio format. The station targets a key demographic 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.
Jeremy White hosts the morning-drive show with Joe DiBiase, followed by The Extra Point Show.
Mike Schopp hosts the afternoon-drive home with Chris "Bulldog" Parker. Evenings feature an encore broadcast of Sabres Live with Brian Duff and Martin Biron, produced by the Buffalo Sabres, on nights when the station has no play-by-play content to broadcast.
WGR serves as the flagship outlet for: the Sabres Hockey Network, with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray calling games on-site; and the professional box lacrosse Buffalo Bandits, with John Gurtler and Randy Mearns calling games on-site. MSG Western New York also uses this feed as the announcers for the game.
History Early years
WGR was the first commercial radio station in Western New York. It was preceded by amateur radio operator Charles Klinck's short-lived 1920 station,"'News' Wireless Service on Election Wins Praise", Buffalo Evening News, November 4, 1920, page 2. in addition to sporadic experimental stations in the 1910s
Effective December 1, 1921, the Department of Commerce, which regulated U.S. radio at this time, 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", Radio Service Bulletin, January 3, 1922, page 10. The Buffalo Daily Courier and Enquirer (both owned by William J. Conners) were issued a temporary authorization for 360 meters, with the call sign WPU, for a concert on January 22, 1922. This broadcast employed apparatus "furnished by the Federal Telephone & Telegraph Co.""Wireless Phone Success Proven", Buffalo Courier, January 23, 1922, page 7.
In early 1922, Federal, headquartered in North Buffalo, began producing radio receivers.Radio Manufacturers of the 1920s: Volume 1 (Federal section) by Alan Douglas, 1988, page 205. As part of its marketing efforts, the company decided to apply for its own broadcasting license for Buffalo's first non-temporary radio broadcasting station. The license was issued on March 14, 1922, with the randomly assigned call letters WGR,The WGR call sign was available because the previous assignee, the SS Governor, sank off Port Townsend, Washington on April 1, 1921. Due to maritime superstition, the call letters were not reissued to another ship and reverted to a pool of available call signs for new land radio stations. ("Broadcast Station Calls With a Past" by William Fenwick, Radio Broadcast, July 1928, page 150.) transmitting on both 360 and 485 meters."New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, April 1, 1922, page 2. Limited Commercial license, serial No. 331, issued March 14, 1922, for a three-month period to the Federal Telephone & Telegraph Company in Buffalo, New York, for both 360 and 485 meters. The March 28 issue of the Buffalo Evening News reported hearing test transmissions made by WGR the previous night."Radio-Telephony", Buffalo Evening News, March 28, 1922, page 4. 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 pm."Radio Telephony: Radio Briefs", Buffalo Evening News, April 1, 1922, page 5. 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."Radio Telephony: Questions and Answers", Buffalo Evening News, April 14, 1922, page 26.
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."Radio Telephony", Buffalo Evening News, May 10, 1922, page 21. The "8" in 8XAD's call sign indicated that the station was located in the Eighth Radio Inspection district, while the "X" specified that the station was operating under an Experimental license."New Stations: Special Land Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, December 1, 1921, page 2. 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.""Big Broadcasting Plant Here", Buffalo Courier, May 14, 1922, page 60. 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'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."Buffalo's New Station Broadcasts Program", Buffalo Evening News, May 22, 1922, page 1."Courier-Enquirer Concerts To Feature Radio Week", Buffalo Courier, May 21, 1922, page 60.
In early 1923 WGR ended the government reports on 485 meters, although it continued making entertainment broadcasts on 360 meters."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, May 1, 1923, page 8. 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."Amendments to Regulations: Regulation 57", Radio Service Bulletin, September 1, 1922, pages 10-11. In May 1923 additional "Class B" frequencies were made available, with 940 kHz reserved for "Zone 1","Radio Conference Recommendations: New Wave Lengths", Radio Age, May 1923, page 11. 940 kHz is listed under its equivalent wavelength of 319 meters. Beginning with these assignments radio stations ended the practice of broadcasting their market reports and weather forecasts on the separate 485-meter wavelength. which was assigned to WGR later that year."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, November 1, 1923, page 8. Effective November 11, 1928, the recently formed Federal Radio Commission implemented its General Order 40, 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,"Revised List of broadcasting stations, effective 3 a. m., November 11, 1928, eastern standard time", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (June 30, 1928), page 200. while the station previously at that frequency, WMAK, was reassigned to 900 kHz.WMAK ceased operations in 1932; its lineage now rests with WUFO. () The August 1941 adoption of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s "duopoly" rule restricted licensees from owning more than one radio station in a given market,"Ban On Multiple Ownership in Same Area", Broadcasting, August 11, 1941, pages 6-7. and the Buffalo Broadcasting Company decided to divest WGR, while retaining WKBW. In late 1946, WGR was bought by a consortium of Western New York families known as the WGR Corporation. This company signed on WGR-TV (channel 2) in 1953 and WGR-FM (now WGRF) 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 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 after it was sold. Taft retained both WGR and WGRQ (the former WGR-FM).
During its days as a full service radio station, "GR55"'s 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 combined adult top 40 hits and rock oldies and featured some of Buffalo's top radio personalities, talk hosts and news reporters including Stan Roberts, Frank Benny, Tom Donahue, Randy Michaels, 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 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 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, 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. From 1990 to 1994, WGR owned the radio broadcast rights to Buffalo Bills football, Buffalo Sabres hockey and 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, 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 morning drive fixture Craig Carton also worked at the station. Jesse Ventura was at one time a candidate to host a show on the station, but lost out to Dobson."WBEN mum on whereabouts of Dobson" by Henry L. Davis and Tom Buckham, May 7, 2009 (buffalonews.com) The station was, from the network's inception, an affiliate of ESPN Radio, which it carried on the weekends from 1992 to 2013.