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Has this ever happened in Buffalo?

Web site doesn't even work...the URL links to a GoDaddy page offering it for sale. Maybe whatever was there got pulled down.

Having said that, anything's possible, and stations in Buffalo back in the day used to throw subtle digs at each other about what they were doing (not mentioning the competition by name, but you knew who they were talking about if you weren't living under a rock). WBEN got the biggest number of stones thrown at it in the late 70s, with KB and GR sniping at some of our more over-the-top promotions, like arranging a tradeout with a local builder and giving away a suburban home. $64,000, biggest prize in the market's history at the time and I don't know if it's ever been topped in Buffalo in the 32 years since we did it. But hey, it worked...we not only funded a big promotion with some previously unsold inventory at minimal out-of-pocket cost to the station and made a big splash, we moved back to #1 12+ and 35-54 in that book (fall 1978), made up for all the inventory we gave away to the home builder in sales made to all sorts of accounts on the strength of that and subsequent books, and didn't look back. Stayed on top for another 30 years, and WBEN still is in the hunt for the lead spot every time. Not the same station now that iit was then (what station is?) but they remain strong at what they do.

We'll never see that kind of promotional battle again, since all the stations that were fighting each other so hard back then are under the same physical and corporate roof today. :(
 
In Canada, the link still works, and GoDaddy claims that http://www.tsnradio1050.com/ is "already taken".
It rambles on about all different alternate possibilities available, including "mytsn1050" and so on...

Interesting how internet in the States views availability differently.
 
Just heard WGR's legal ID this past hour as WGR/Buffalo and WKSE-HD2. Evidently they're on HD Radio now too to add to the confusion.
Click to expand...

you don't say who is sending you to where? Only the result. The end through the means is a no brainer...(quite humorous in fact) but this link says nothing to help your question ???

HDBG

(Ok, maybe I'm missing something here)
 
Bob1370 said:
we (WBEN) moved back to #1 12+ and 35-54 in that book (fall 1978)...Stayed on top for another 30 years, and WBEN still is in the hunt for the lead spot every time.
Click to expand...

Bob, WBEN was a terrific radio station during Larry Levite's ownership - well-programmed with a great news department and great music personalities.  Can't deny it! But I must correct you on the above. 

WBEN was unseated at least twice in the late 80's for the 12+ crown (First time, SP '86 ARB) and probably, 35-54 as well, by WBUF-FM during my time there as VP/GM with the Lincoln Group.  And since your 30 years takes us up to 2008, I'm guessing that WYRK has possibly topped them once in awhile as well. (Having left the business 20 years ago this month, I don't have access to the ratings to back that up).
 
Larry White discusses the later run WBUF made at WBEN's crown, which was a serious challenge indeed...and I don't doubt that y'all gave WBEN a real fight because 'BUF was a fine sounding station in the middle and late 80s. IIRC you had an on-air lineup that included yourself, Stan Roberts, and was Steve Mitchell there too? Anyway, it sounded great.

I left the market, and radio, in '81 so I missed a lot of the action, although my business still took me to Buffalo from time to time and I still did a lot of listening with more than a casual interest. Buffalo was blessed with some really good radio through the 80s. There was WBEN, WKBW (until it started really going downhill after CapCities/ABC dumped it), WGR, WBUF, 97Rock, and then Q102 started coming on strong. There were a lot more important players in the game by 1985. But I'm old enough to remember the late 70s when those of us working in one of the big 3 on AM (which at one point divided about half the audience among us) were worrying so much about each other, we didn't see those big FM signals sneaking up on us.
 
Cough... to say nothing of the original Classic Hits, 86-88 and Oldies 104 through the 90s. Just sayin'. Carry on.
 
My apologies to my friend, Jim Pastrick. I thought there might have been others besides WYRK that challenged WBEN, but I have enough trouble remembering my own stuff as you know, Jim. Hey Jim, jump in here and fill in the blanks like only you can.

Bob, I was never on the air except maybe for some promos. The WBUF On-Air staff in the mid 80s included Stan Roberts, Paul Warren, Steve Ehmke, Chris Whittingham, Fred Klestine, Chuck Stevens, Jim Majors and Dan Catone. And in the newsroom - Kim Helper, Jack Mahl and Carl Spavento.

No doubt I'm in trouble again for missing someone, so I'll slide out of here.
 
Are you kiddin' me, Whitey? WBUF was a runaway train! No apologies necessary. It clearly ate WBEN's, WGR's and KB's lunch too. It was a five course meal! What an amazing full service, measured-personality AC station. Remember when 97 Rock flipped to AC (Jan 1985) in an attempt to short circuit WBUF? Pfffft! Did. Not. Happen. Classic Hits WHTT caught WBUF at a good time in 86, but then 97 returned in 89, ate 104's lunch and 104 then flipped to Oldies... and Tom Schuh ate a lot of stations' lunches. Meanwhile, WYRK was ready-steady-go, ate WNUC's lunch, continued to build muscle and became the thoroughbred that it is today. There's a lot of empty brown bags strewn aside Buffalo Radio Boulevard (just down the street from the big blue water tower.) ;)
 
The '80s? I seem to remember a couple of guys named Taylor & Moore who made some noise back then, too. Then again, that was only 18-49...
 
No doubt I'm in trouble again for missing someone, so I'll slide out of here.
Click to expand...

Doubt you're in trouble! I'm thinking you're correct! "MID 80's" being the key time frame! (the later 80's brought in more names)
Now back to our regular programming, already in progress.

HDBG
 
I can't think of any other market in the '80's that had 3 incredible AM's like WGR, WBEN, and WKBW. I wonder if that's why Buffalo was a little later than most other markets to embrace FM?

I do know that in South Florida the FM's took hold very early. The first serious Top 40 came on down there in '71. AM radio started it's long struggle in the late '70's in Miami.
 
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