All radio stations have some kind of show line-up, but you know that. If people weren't interested in the thread they wouldn't click on it. (Unless they did, how would they have known about Shula's comments in the first place?)

We'll continue to give space to changes in Buffalo radio, although it's never going to be the priority here that Toronto and Southern Ontario are. 

Read it if you're interested. If not, you can skip it. Others will be curious. These posts are for them.  

paterson1 wrote:

Your points are well taken.  But it does seem odd that many times you seem to make a bigger deal about a lot of Buffalo radio news than Buffalo Radio Discussions.  Their board can go for a week with no new posts or comments. 

There was a time I would have said the same thing about talk radio on AM ... period.  There was an overabundance on the subject here.  However, more music radio subjects have been brought to light, current CanCon regs have been discussed, and more discussion on AI affecting music and radio has surfaced.  I would still say that discussion about ANYTHING related to Western New York has yet to reach 30% of this forum.  Radio Discussions has devoted a major thread to this subject, so I don't really see RA over-blowing the topic.  There are indeed American readers on the forum and they will sample the station.  The forum readership isn't all on this side of the border.

I think though (and you can correct me), that this comes from some sort of life long distaste of radio in Western New York you may have.  Often when RA (or even I) pine for the 70s and 80s Buffalo radio on this forum, you seem to downplay that.  As you've cited in the past, American radio didn't have that affect on you.  Today, I'd agree, but between 1978 and 1987, I'd say 30% of my time was spent listening to stations with names starting with a "dubya".  And between 1983 and 1986, I'll bet that number rose to between 60% to 70%, depending on the year, especially when it came to 80s R&B music.  Buffalo radio really had a lot going on in terms of content and polish back then.

My favorite Buffalo stations were the prog rockers. WYSL, WPHD, WBUF, WZIR and WUWU plus WCMF from Rochester. Fantastic loved them all. The early prog CHUM FM is still the best station that I have heard in this area and the early CFNY was also great but from 1971 to 1984 the US stations were a great alternative and button change option.

During my top 40 period I did sometimes listen to WKBW. Also in the late 70's with only AM in the car I would tune into WGR as the oldies on the station were preferable to the AM top 40 at the time. CHUM AM did have somewhat a revival for me when they began to feature acts like XTC and even the Ramones. In the late 80's and 90's I liked listening to WHTT Oldies 104.

Nowadays it's not necessarily signal strength that's the problem with  97 Rock or Classic hits 104, it's the content and same goes for all of the local rock and pop stations in Toronto. Indie 88.1 has potential and I would listen if they went fully triple A like WXRT in Chicago.

Last edited by Fitz (July 8, 2025 6:05 pm)

"And WBEN has a new host.  Does anyone know the other hosts or listen to that station?"

Well, I find Tom Bauerle interesting at times, especially when he comments on the effects of his lactose intolerance.  Otherwise, when the Toronto talkers get stuck in a rut on a particular news story, that's usually when I go to WBEN.  Also, WBEN's signal is strong enough in the GTA that most car radios (non-electric) will find it using the seek function.
 

WBEN's MAGAGruppe is a rather swarthy crowd. Bauerle seems thankful that management has been walking him on a short leash for his own safety - the State Police Shadow People are formidable even with Cumo currently deposed. War Hero Boy has been largely left to himself, though he sounds like he's been generously self-medicating from what I've heard recently (he was the primary booster to the current SoD don'cha'know).

The New Guy sounds like he is defensively proud of his high-school debate record.

What talent does the competition have to offer? Dozens wait breathlessly.

RadioActive wrote:

What interests me most as an outside observer is how nasty the MAGA-ites are. Their tone is always hostile, superior and really, really mean. I don't quite get it. Why are they such sore winners? The woman who does their press conferences at the White House, Karoline Leavitt, is incredibly unpleasant. Every response is practically spit out in hostility.

They may be in for a rude awakening if they continue - with an accent on the "rude."

 
Great point RadioActive. I think that rudeness, nastiness and general lack of class was normalized by their president. I think it has changed the way civilized people now view that country. Too bad, not too long ago I held the US in high esteem, hopefully I will again one day. Until then, I’ll vacation/spend elsewhere!

RadioActive wrote:

Almost two months to the day of its debut, WUSW 1270 has spread its reach even further. Owner Buddy Shula has secured two new rebroadcasting frequencies on FM to allow the conservative talk outlet an even bigger reach in the market. "The Patriot" can now be heard on 94.9 and 93.3 in the area. 

Shula is no stranger to repeaters, having gotten his oldies station, WECK, from 1230 AM onto the FM band, making it a more significant player in the Queen City. It's unlikely you'll ever hear either of the new low power signals here. 94.9 FM is the home of CKGE Oshawa's "The Rock," while 93.3 is sandwiched in between CFXJ at 93.5 and CBC Music at 94.1.

Buffalo’s ‘Patriot’ Stretches Its Legs

I wonder if it will block WWSE SE93 Jamestown. I hear that station in my car occasionally. Far more often than CFMU.

mace wrote:

I wonder if it will block WWSE SE93 Jamestown. I hear that station in my car occasionally. Far more often than CFMU.

More the opposite. The 1270 translator really will just be local and fill in any rough patches 1270 might possibly have in its immediate coverage area. SE-93 Jamestown is probably strong enough to otherwise carry as usual. And it shouldn't really impact CFMU Hamilton. Our side of the lake, in the GTA, I think the xltr will be a very tough catch. Even at the Scarborough Bluffs. We also have Cobourg to contend with. And I've also heard WFKL Fairport (Rochester) and WCIZ Watertown NY often enough in the 93.3 mix. There's even a 4 watt xltr for Rochester's 99.7 in Cheektowaga listed in the WTFDA db. I haven't heard that one.

There's already a pair of applications pending to upgrade both translators to 250 watts by swapping them - 94.9 will operate from the One Seneca (M&T) building downtown and 93.3 from the WBFO tower in Amherst.

It's all in my column today.

Thanks Scott/RA. Under the current environment, I can't imagine the FCC will deny those changes. Makes sense to swap the frequencies around so they both will be a bit further away from their respective co-channel interferer's. It's interesting that aside from BTPM, Buddy seems to like doing business with religous organizations. Even his 1270 AM signal is diplexed on the Crawford WDCX 970 AM array, though I think its been that way long before he bought 1270.

I'm not going to be surprised if with a good tropo opening, that we can hear them on occasion in Toronto. I think folks to the west of the city and near the lake will have a shot at hearing 94.9. Anecdotally, When I'm over in east Scarborough, I can always hear WEBR 105.3 over distant CFCA. Considering WEBR is only 250W from a 175' tower in Lockport, not bad. So, I suspect there's a good chance to hear WUSW on 93.3 over there as well.

Saul wrote:

mace wrote:

I wonder if it will block WWSE SE93 Jamestown. I hear that station in my car occasionally. Far more often than CFMU.

More the opposite. The 1270 translator really will just be local and fill in any rough patches 1270 might possibly have in its immediate coverage area. SE-93 Jamestown is probably strong enough to otherwise carry as usual. And it shouldn't really impact CFMU Hamilton. Our side of the lake, in the GTA, I think the xltr will be a very tough catch. Even at the Scarborough Bluffs. We also have Cobourg to contend with. And I've also heard WFKL Fairport (Rochester) and WCIZ Watertown NY often enough in the 93.3 mix. There's even a 4 watt xltr for Rochester's 99.7 in Cheektowaga listed in the WTFDA db. I haven't heard that one.

CFMU 93.3 is 166W (with maximum erp of 250W), transmission from near the mountain edge at Mohawk College (shared tower with 101.5 CIOI.

(Ive listened to CFMU on Toronto Islands a few times reasonably)

The 50 watt bridge radio in welland is also on 93.3

With 250 solid watts, those of you in Toronto would possibly catch WUSW on  either of their potential new signals. (That would be something interesting to have in the ol' radio selection (albeit not likely in static free stereo))

I am hearing CFCN 93.3 From Welland here in Niagara Falls, NY

newsguy1 wrote:

There's really not much of a mystery about why Magats are the way they are.
If you do a little research into who they are several themes crop up.
They were ridiculed or shunned as children, perhaps even by their own parents.
They have never been anything in their lives and they greatly resent successful people.
They discovered that far right wing views get them noticed and they build up support from fellow sad losers.
It takes absolutely no effort to be a racist, misogynist, etc.
Everyone else has already written a script for them to follow.

Nowhere near foolproof as a generalization. I've known a few, some for years. The ones I've met range from assholes to very nice people. They've ranged from selfish to generous, stupid to smart, mean spirited to kind, uneducated to educated, accepting of other people to racist and unaccepting. If I were to generalize, and look for common traits, I'd come up with competitive (but not in all cases); religious (tend to be religious zealots, but not always, but I do see strong potential common ground between US Christians and ultra-religious Muslims, both exhibiting a kind of religious nationalism.
I've seen and met people you describe, newsguy1, on the left and also in the centre, and also completely apolitical, as well and on the right. I've also met, seen and heard of people fitting those descriptions flipping from left to right and right to left.
The key problem with your list of traits, above, is incorrect generalizations and I sense a possible contempt ('Magat'). I've also tried to consciously generalize, thinking about common traits, simply because I want to better understand a phenomenon like MAGA. I've come up with: need to feel safe (but I find a lot of that on the left too); racist (some are, but I also see versions of that on the left); need predictability and value stability (but also found in other ideologies); controlling, and like to call their own shots in life (same); angry (anger on the left and in the centre, too).
I don't like the overall MAGA mindset and many of its core beliefs; but I think it might be more fruitful to establish elements of common ground, even if they're minuscule, and work from there. The likelihood of success will likely vary - some people might never change (assholes and religious zeolots might simply be assholes and religious zealots), but others might benefit from some civil persuasion, getting to know people who don't appear to be like them, etc...
It might also help to look at people and what they support and espouse from outside the left-right continuum.
 

Last edited by Saul (September 11, 2025 7:04 pm)

Chrisphen wrote:

Words have meaning, and there are many do not comprehend this concept.

True. And often words are said when the speaker means nothing at all. As with official apologies, many land acknowledgements, weasely ways of saying things to create a meaningless counter-argument. Words can also be used to inundate and overwhelm. I always liked Greta Thunberg's use of 'blah blah blah' ...
 

I have a close family member who is both a Trump and Elon Musk diehard supporter (at least he was a few years ago right before the first Trump presidency, I don't talk politics any more with him because it's pointless).

I'm sorry to say that he has antisemitic views, is very much a pro-gun guy, and his reason for being such a huge admirer of Trump?  He believed that Trump, when he became president would reform the corrupt US government and corporations, the system that oppresses the little guy while the rich help themselves. He genuinely believed Trump, the billionaire, was going to put an end to that and expose the deep state.

In the meantime, my family member is tens of thousands of dollars in debt, only has housing because his parents bought him a condo to live in, and lives on welfare, seemingly unable to find work for the past decade. So yes, MAGA are losers who are looking for a messiah figure to save them from their own failings, someone to blame (a mysterious corrupt system that keeps someone like them from rising up to the top where they belong, surely) and a promised golden age.