The Amherst native was a nationally touring comic in the 1980s before joining the radio station in 1991. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The stream was stopped (connection time out occurred). They looked like they were having so much fun, Piccillo said. When opening up about his health he said, The last four years have been sheer hell for me. A big thanks to the Cumulus Buffalo group including Joe Russo, Joe Siragusa andJimRiley,along with the team we go to work with every day,JimJacka and Evan James, for helping to make this a success. Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS)is a leading media, advertising, and marketing services company delivering premium content to over a quarter billion people every month wherever and whenever they want it. Were grateful beyond measure., Ted Shredd, Co-Host, Shredd & Ragan, remarked: Were really excited about making the move! Shredd & Ragan, hosted by Ted Shredd and Tom Ragan, will move across the hall from its longtime perch on Alternative 103.3 The Edge WEDG to WGRF starting Monday, August 16. SARASOTA, Fla. A former Southwest Florida radio personality was killed Tuesday in an industrial accident, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. "Then, I said, 'Would it make a difference if it is Buffalo?' The transmitter is off Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. Visit our, Shredd & Ragan To Move To 97 Rock Buffalo, From Banned To All-Weekend Stunt, KMLE & WPAW Goes Nonstop Morgan Wallen, Audacy Launches Front Range Country 103.1 Denver, Tino Cochino Radio Joins 106.1 Kiss-FM Dallas, News Center Maine: It was a lightning bolt: Maines WBLM celebrates 50 years of classic rock, Edison Research Releases 2023 Infinite Dial Study. Thats exactly how Pesci played him.. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. He presents trivia about the four Beatles and their music, plays recorded comments from the Fab Four, and occasionally spices the show with his own interviews with people who knew or worked with the Beatles. That was one of the most genuine, honest and real performances Ive ever witnessed, judge Luke Bryan told Wilson. Connelly has been playing with Beatles bands in Buffalo since the early 1970s. He previously worked at NBC Sports and The Buffalo News. Its all about the quality, the spirit and variety of the bands music, Piccillo said. Jeff Spindel By the late 1960s, WGR-FM switched to beautiful music, playing quarter hour sweeps of soft, instrumental cover versions of popular songs. He said he enjoys telling listeners the stories behind the songs not only Beatles songs, but songs by other classic rock bands, including Led Zeppelin and the Who. 97.5 WAMZ presents: iHeart Country Series - Conner Smith. The guys that began when DJs chose what they played, openly expressed their personalities and established a lifelong relationship with their audiences., Piccillo's favorite Beatles album is Rubber Soul, favorite Beatles song is Hey Jude and his choice for most underrated song by the band is the heartbreaking ballad, For No One.. You have permission to edit this article. AT MIDNIGHT tonight, 97 Rock is coming back. Two men who claim they were shot outside a 2022 Super Bowl weekend party . [6] Owner Cumulus Media brought over longtime WEDG morning hosts "Shredd and Ragan" to host WGRF's morning drive time show in August of that year. As soon as I saw the words in print, and as soon as I heard them on a recording, I was like that sounded awful,' he said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Cumulus Media confirmed the additional departures later Wednesday, saying in a statement: Upon further consideration following the racist incident that occurred on The Morning Bull Show, we decided to terminate the whole morning show in addition to the Program Director.. They are the perfect fit for where we are going with 97 Rock and the perfect addition to our already legendary lineup., Tom Ragan, Co-Host, Shredd & Ragan, commented: Were thrilled this radio show experiment somehow continues to work. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Cops Gone Wild 2023. Cumulus Media is the only audio media company to provide marketers with local and national advertising performance guarantees. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)-For the 14th year in a row 97 Rock is teaming up with FeedMore WNY for Operation: Rock Out Hunger. From 1999 to 2013, WGRF was the flagship station of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network. He worked at radio stations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia before hosting afternoons on WGR/Buffalo and eventually teaming with Shredd on WUFX-FM and WEDG-FM. He recalled that Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager in the 1960s, correctly predicted people would still be listening to the Beatles in the 21st century. The album "Break Out" went triple platinum and garnered two American Music Awards. Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters, died Saturday at the age of 74. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. That was the station's first song as well in 1974. They were unacceptable, inappropriate, and there is no place for them in our community. Lite Rock WHMS 97.5 2101 Fox Drive, Champaign, IL 61820 +1(217)351-9797 (Carter is ending her term as president of the organization.) Meanwhile, Pegula Sports & Entertainment fired Gaenzler from his role as the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bandits arena host. He said his musical heroes including Lennon, McCartney, Pete Townshend of the Who and Zeppelins Jimmy Page changed my life., Their music and their careers are filled with amazing stories and messages. Walmart Closing ALL of Their Portland Oregon Stores, Super Soul Soup Volunteers to Feed Hungry Homeless in Tri-Cities, RABIES: Why These 5 Animals are Illegal Pets in Washington State. Tweets by @97RockBuffalo To launch 97 Rock, Rich had to terminate WRLT staffers Jerry Reo, John Jarrett, Mark Jensen and Bob Christian. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Little Steven says 97 Rock's 'JP' is a 'national treasure'. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Owned by Rubber City Radio Group, Inc., the station primarily serves the Akron metro area.In addition to a standard analog transmission, WONE-FM broadcasts over one HD Radio channel (as of April 2020) and is available online. Norton recommended Hager, who put the April Fools' Day program together at WPHD, where he had been program director. "The Baby Boom generation has grown up with this music and made it their own.". In December 2015, morning host Larry Norton retired from broadcasting. Disgusting. I love it when a listener sends an email thanking me for playing a song they hadnt heard in a long time, or somebody tells me their kids or grandkids are now listening to the Beatles.. We must be better than this. We embrace actions that respect the dignity and equity of all people, and forcefully reject any and all forms of racism.. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has a radio format playing classic rock, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. Get the latest news and information, weather coverage and traffic updates in the Tri-Cities area with the 97 Rock app! Mercury Radio separated WGRF from WGR AM in 1995 when it bought WGRF from Rich Communications, which in turn retained WGR until selling it to the Sinclair Broadcast Group two years later.[3]. Hiber said he asked a recent research test group what was the most exciting thing to happen in Buffalo radio. Station officials at WGRF-FM 96.9 would not comment about her fate when contacted Monday. Longtime programming director and Buffalo. The Reeve jokes were the latest of an ongoing bout of tasteless humor and vulgarity that has been a regular part of the Norton/Stout program. BUFFALO, N.Y. A 97 Rock employee was fired and two others suspended following racist comments made on-air Wednesday morning. I think the Beatles produced the strongest music of influence in our musical history, Connelly said. If you went to the 97 Rock Twitter page as of 3 p.m. Thursday, two of the personalities were still featured at the top of the page promoting the show. LIVE Music by Hit N Run! You have permission to edit this article. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Hiber's research indicated that an album rock station that plays a mix of classics and new tunes could fill a void. Saturday night U2 was honored alongside George Clooney, singer Gladys Knight, composer Tania Leon, and singer-songwriter Amy Grant. Rock Foundation; AROUND RIVER CITY; CONCERTS; HARDDRIVE XL; Evil Dead Movies Ranked. NEWS CRITIC, ANTHONY VIOLANTI/NEWS STAFF REPORTER, City mourns Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno as investigation into fatal fire launches, Buffalo firefighter makes 'ultimate sacrifice' in blaze that may have sparked backdraft, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Vandal damages 'brokenhearted' Russell Salvatore's tribute park in Lancaster, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. March 1, 2023 Read More. This website uses cookies. They drew scorn both locally and nationally, from Buffalo mayor Byron Brown to actress Halle Berry, who was referenced in the segment. Were grateful beyond measure., Ted Shredd, Co-Host, Shredd & Ragan, remarked: Were really excited about making the move! If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. Get Social with ROCK 97.7. WGRF has an effective radiated power of 24,000 watts. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has a radio format playing classic rock, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. Stefon Diggs had not spoken publicly about the Bills performance against the Bengals at Highmark Stadium until Monday evening when he tweeted three times in under More, Brian Johnson has been told not to answer any questions relating to whether or not he will ever play with AC/DC live again. To launch 97 Rock, Rich had to terminate WRLT staffers Jerry Reo, John Jarrett, Mark Jensen and Bob Christian. He hired a promotion manager and sent him to Fort Erie to work in secrecy. "People lamented the loss of 97 Rock," said Hiber. Disgusting. 97 Rock - WGRF, FM 96.9, Buffalo, NY. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) More employees at 97 Rock have been fired after racist remarks were made on the air last month. The same band that recorded I Want To Hold Your Hand also recorded Helter Skelter, Yesterday and Come Together. All of them, completely different songs.. ", Norton called Rich the next morning. In a statement early Wednesday evening, PSE said: All organizations across the Pegula Sports & Entertainment umbrella strongly condemn racism in all forms. ", Meanwhile, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a tweet:"I know our community is better than this. Fifty-six years later, Piccillo still loves it. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. I've always felt a responsibility to pass those stories on to 97 Rock listeners. February 14, 2023. Ragan started his broadcasting career as a spotter and statistician for his fathers high school football and basketball play-by-play duties. WGRF was among the first commercial stations in Buffalo to resume streaming after the earlier changes. Snow showers this morning. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. WGR-FM, 97 Rock's new call letters, will play 97 hours of non-stop music starting at midnight. The other two people involved in the conversation were lead host Rich "Bull" Gaenzler and co-host Chris Klein. Piccillo also has a daily show on 97Rock and hosts a one-hour Led Zeppelin show on Sunday nights at 9. Orange County Sheriff John Mina says the shooter then walked to a nearby home. The studios are in the eastside of Buffalo. They are the perfect fit for where we are going with 97 Rock and the perfect addition to our already legendary lineup., Tom Ragan, Co-Host, Shredd & Ragan, commented: Were thrilled this radio show experiment somehow continues to work. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Stu Jeffries . The British bands music is clever, timeless and magical, said John Connelly, singer-guitarist with the BBC Band. For years weve battled against them and now we are joining forces. Lederman's firing ends a lengthy and high-profile career at 97 Rock. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Community Town Hall Brewery - Cities 97.1 Studio Sponsor Jan 12, 2023. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? But many people will be happy about the change. 97 Rockers left major markets in Chicago, Dallas and Boston to come to Buffalo. [7], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "WGR-FM - 97 Rock returns to Buffalo - 1988", Larry Norton, radio staple at 97 Rock, announces his retirement on-air, "WGRF Fires Program Director & Rest of Morning Show Following Racist Morning Show Comments", "Shredd and Ragan move to 97 Rock to replace Morning Bull Show", 1970s Photos of 97 Rock jocks from Steve Cichon's staffannouncer.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WGRF&oldid=1126549798, This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 23:21.