The rest of the Buffalo market falls this way. Rock  formatted 103.3 WEDG has a 4.1 share. Competitor to Star 102, 96.1 WMSX[formerly WJYE] has a 4.0 share. Sports 550 WGR has a 3.6, "Jack" formatted 92.9 WBUF has a 2.9 and Alternative 107.7 WLKK has a 1.9

Buffalo rock stations were always my 'go-to' stations back in the late 60s, and even into the 80s.

96.9 -WGR? (whatever is was at any given time), WYSL/WPHD, WUWU 107.7 (before it was destroyed by the dentist who owned it). I would listen to them before 'Q' any day.I concur with FMDXer. I can, and prefer, to do without the Guess Who, The Hip, and all of that ilk, being played to the point ad nauseum.

It ticked my off royally when the CRTC gave Humber College the 96.freq. My daily commute is the 401 corridor between Yonge and the 410 along which there is no way 97Rock is able to overcome the power of Humber radio.

Saying all that, I recently tuned in to their internet stream a few times, in the evening over the last week or two, and heard good 'ol Slick Tom after having not heard the station in a very long time. He hasn't changed, which is good. I wish though that the song selection from the period of music that they play was a liitle larger.

Moan, groan, bicth, complain - ah well, I'm older now and feel entitled to do so 

 

Last edited by DeepTracks (October 30, 2015 8:20 am)

DeepTracks wrote:

Buffalo rock stations were always my 'go-to' stations back in the late 60s, and even into the 80s.

96.9 -WGR? (whatever is was at any given time), WYSL/WPHD, WUWU 107.7 (before it was destroyed by the dentist who owned it). I would listen to them before 'Q' any day.I concur with FMDXer. I can, and prefer, to do without the Guess Who, The Hip, and all of that ilk, being played to the point ad nauseum.

It ticked my off royally when the CRTC gave Humber College the 96.freq. My daily commute is the 401 corridor between Yonge and the 410 along which there is no way 97Rock is able to overcome the power of Humber radio.

Saying all that, I recently tuned in to their internet stream a few times, in the evening over the last week or two, and heard good 'ol Slick Tom after having not heard the station in a very long time. He hasn't changed, which is good. I wish though that the song selection from the period of music that they play was a liitle larger.

Moan, groan, bicth, complain - ah well, I'm older now and feel entitled to do so 

 

You missed two of the very best Buffalo stations. WZIR from 1980-81 and WBUF from 1974-1978. Both were the best free form rock stations in the area during their existence. Early CHUM FM was a notch above WPHD/WYSL and CFNY was one of the best from the time of it's launch up to the time when a certain type of new wave music took over 70 % of the content and one had to rely on WZIR and WUWU to hear more creative rock programming.

DeepTracks wrote:

Fitz....you're right, I did forget WZIR & WBUF. Check the link out below for some perhaps forgotten background.

I do remember CHUM-FM. Do you remember that for a period of time during the day they played long-haired music and around 6~7 PM changed to playing music for long-hairs? Or was it the other way around? .

Hey 'grilled.cheese', I couldn't agree more. Anyone of our generation should be checking out YouTube for uploaded video for some very obscure film clips, etcetera, of groups from the era. I find it amazing all of the 'stuff' we have never seen, and would never see, if it weren't for this service.

Here's that link I mentioned...

http://www.buffalobroadcasters.com/news/Column:-Happy-Anniversary-97-Rock/70
 

Thanks for the link. Brings back memories and yes the author is correct WBUF was more free form than WPHD had became in it's latter days. I have a air check of Ken Weir on PHD from the watered down days and the station had seen better times.

I remember hearing the infamous Bob Allen, prior to the launch of WBUF, pitching a free form station on a program on 94.5. ( I think it was WEBR FM at the time) and he spoke about the fact that they were trying to get the station off the ground. I guess part of his campaign referenced in the linked article.

Here's WPHD/97 Rock vet  Jim Santella on WUWU FM and ironically he's playing much the same music mix that became dominant on CFNY  as they lost their early charm and creativity

I don't want to denigrate NY as they were the best option for rock before and after WUWU/WZIR. I just feel that the tecno new wave sound became too dominant and they took their eye off other developments in new music. I heard the Chronic Town EP by REM on WUWU months before I ever heard the group on NY. In fact the first time I heard REM on Toronto radio was when The Iceman played Radio Free Europe on Q 107.
Jim Santella

WUWU during it's prime was a wildly eclectic station and you could hear just about anything depending on when you were listening. 
WUWU 107.7

Here's a good sample of WZIR at their prime playing everything from the Sex Pistols to The Grateful Dead to acoustic folk music. Featuring the great John Farrell who was also on WPHD and WBUF.  The Buffalo radio dial was an interesting one for sure.
WZIR Birthday

I realize that the sentiments of the author, that WBUF was actually too free form for him,rings true for many and that explains the longevity of 97 Rock. There was a time however when stations such as the original CHUM FM reigned supreme. It's a fact that you could travel entire streets in downtown Boston and hear WBCN without turning on your own radio. The station would be blasting out of every second or third car.
 

Last edited by Fitz (November 4, 2015 8:24 pm)