As contracts are being signed and plans are being made, the sale of WLVL-AM is pitched as a good thing by its new owner.
Bill Yuhnke, who also owns Niagara Falls-based WEBR-AM, says the Lockport radio station’s brand will be strengthened. Because WLVL and WEBR are “sister” stations under Yuhnke’s ownership, listeners across Niagara County will be exposed to programming on WLVL through the promotional efforts of staff at WEBR.
In a pinch, Yuhnke added, if either station experiences technical problems, the other can ensure important information and popular shows are still aired.
Best of all, he said, local radio, community-focused radio, will live on in Lockport — as will WLVL’s most popular local shows.
There are more than 6,500 pre-registered accounts for the popular “Dial-A-Deal” show on Saturdays, according to Yuhnke. Dial-A-Deal is where discounted gift certificates from local businesses are sold to listeners who call in between 7 and 10 a.m.
When he talked about buying WLVL, Yuhnke said, the first thing people wanted to know was whether Dial-A-Deal would stay on the air.
“I know that people are listening, because people are coming up to me asking about Dial-A-Deal, Tradio and Wake Up Niagara,” Yuhnke said. “The 6,500 listeners who tune in for the Dial-A-Deal show every weekend, who have accounts with us, tells me we’re being heard.”
Tradio, which runs from 9:15 to 10 a.m. on weekdays, is staying, too.
Sort of like an audio classifieds section, there’s all kinds of buying, selling and swapping of merchandise going on. Host Eric Koch recalls a few unique deals that he has facilitated, for a talking Barney doll, a round headlamp case for a 1970s Chevy, even discarded Christmas trees bound for mulching and feeding goats.
“I’m not an automotive guy, and I do my best to get the name of the item right, but sometimes I’ll just say, ‘oh, the STO #5 VIN car piece,’ because I have no idea what it is, but the listener gets it and calls right up,” Koch said. “During lulls I play music, but it’s usually pretty lively. ... It’s 45 minutes of fun and frivolity.”
Koch also co-hosts WLVL’s morning show with John Maser, who Yuhnke says is “the heart” of the entire operation.
Maser, who at times turns up at the Michigan Street studio as early as 3 a.m. to get the ball rolling on Wake Up Niagara, said he sees his role as being a helper.
A town resident for 25 years, Maser’s regular guests include county legislators, town supervisors and local members of the state Assembly. Traffic and weather forecasts alternate between the area by Lake Ontario and the morning drive into Buffalo. It’s all about giving his listeners the local news and helping local people, he said, whether they’re citizens or businesses that need support to succeed.
At WLVL, Maser said, he has the freedom and the opportunity to report what he believes is important.
“We can do stuff immediately, there’s no corporate approval we have to get,” he said. Yuhnke, who was listening in, nodded his head in agreement.
Another WLVL classic, the Scholastic Bowl, is playing out this month. The station has given $1,000 to each participating school to invest in their gym and music programs.
WLVL has been and will continue to be a “people station” with great programming, Yuhnke said.
Bill Yuhnke, who also owns Niagara Falls-based WEBR-AM, says the Lockport radio station’s brand will be strengthened. Because WLVL and WEBR are “sister” stations under Yuhnke’s ownership, listeners across Niagara County will be exposed to programming on WLVL through the promotional efforts of staff at WEBR.
In a pinch, Yuhnke added, if either station experiences technical problems, the other can ensure important information and popular shows are still aired.
Best of all, he said, local radio, community-focused radio, will live on in Lockport — as will WLVL’s most popular local shows.
There are more than 6,500 pre-registered accounts for the popular “Dial-A-Deal” show on Saturdays, according to Yuhnke. Dial-A-Deal is where discounted gift certificates from local businesses are sold to listeners who call in between 7 and 10 a.m.
When he talked about buying WLVL, Yuhnke said, the first thing people wanted to know was whether Dial-A-Deal would stay on the air.
“I know that people are listening, because people are coming up to me asking about Dial-A-Deal, Tradio and Wake Up Niagara,” Yuhnke said. “The 6,500 listeners who tune in for the Dial-A-Deal show every weekend, who have accounts with us, tells me we’re being heard.”
Tradio, which runs from 9:15 to 10 a.m. on weekdays, is staying, too.
Sort of like an audio classifieds section, there’s all kinds of buying, selling and swapping of merchandise going on. Host Eric Koch recalls a few unique deals that he has facilitated, for a talking Barney doll, a round headlamp case for a 1970s Chevy, even discarded Christmas trees bound for mulching and feeding goats.
“I’m not an automotive guy, and I do my best to get the name of the item right, but sometimes I’ll just say, ‘oh, the STO #5 VIN car piece,’ because I have no idea what it is, but the listener gets it and calls right up,” Koch said. “During lulls I play music, but it’s usually pretty lively. ... It’s 45 minutes of fun and frivolity.”
Koch also co-hosts WLVL’s morning show with John Maser, who Yuhnke says is “the heart” of the entire operation.
Maser, who at times turns up at the Michigan Street studio as early as 3 a.m. to get the ball rolling on Wake Up Niagara, said he sees his role as being a helper.
A town resident for 25 years, Maser’s regular guests include county legislators, town supervisors and local members of the state Assembly. Traffic and weather forecasts alternate between the area by Lake Ontario and the morning drive into Buffalo. It’s all about giving his listeners the local news and helping local people, he said, whether they’re citizens or businesses that need support to succeed.
At WLVL, Maser said, he has the freedom and the opportunity to report what he believes is important.
“We can do stuff immediately, there’s no corporate approval we have to get,” he said. Yuhnke, who was listening in, nodded his head in agreement.
Another WLVL classic, the Scholastic Bowl, is playing out this month. The station has given $1,000 to each participating school to invest in their gym and music programs.
WLVL has been and will continue to be a “people station” with great programming, Yuhnke said.