83-467: WBEN may refer to: WBEN (AM) , a radio station (930 AM) licensed to Buffalo, New York, United States WBEN-FM , an FM radio station (95.7 FM) licensed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA WIVB-TV , a television station (channel 4 analog/39 digital) licensed to Buffalo, New York, United States, which used the call sign WBEN from 1948 to 1977 WBKV ,
166-529: A local marketing agreement with Martz Communications Group . Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York , United States. As of the 2020 census , the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River , across from the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario , and named after the famed Niagara Falls which they share. The city
249-577: A plea deal after Anello pleaded guilty to unrelated charges of pension fraud, regarding a pension from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , of which he is a member. He was sentenced to 10 to 16 months in prison. The city's decline received national exposure from Bloomberg Businessweek in 2010. On November 30, 2010, the New York State Attorney General entered into an agreement with
332-519: A state of emergency , the first such presidential declaration made for a non-natural disaster. Hundreds of residents were evacuated from the area, many of whom were ill because of exposure to chemical waste. After the Love Canal disaster, the city—which had already been declining in population for nearly two decades—experienced accelerated economic and political difficulties. The costs of manufacturing elsewhere had become less expensive, which led to
415-466: A company led by longtime Buffalo radio executive Laurence "Larry" Levite. Levite assembled a group of managers and talent that returned WBEN to prominence. The line-up was changed, and the format shifted from Full-Service, playing Top-40 to Full-Service with Adult Contemporary music. Jefferson Kaye hosted mornings, while Larry Hunter, Bill Lacey, and Kevin O'Connell and Tom Kelly were heard on middays, and Jack Mindy hosted afternoons. Stan Barron returned to
498-646: A contract to supply news for use by the Buffalo Broadcasting Company stations, however, a dispute led to the station group canceling the contract in September 1929. The five competing station applications were evaluated at a Federal Radio Commission hearing on December 18, 1929. The FRC issued its ruling two days later, denying the WMAK, WFBL, WEBR, and WBNY applications while ordering WFBL to transmit exclusively on 1490 kHz. It also granted
581-459: A large influx of workers and families to the area. New York City urban planner Robert Moses built the new power plant in nearby Lewiston, New York . Much of the power generated there fueled growing demands for power in downstate New York and New York City. The neighborhood of Love Canal gained national media attention in 1978 when toxic waste contamination from a chemical landfill beneath it forced United States President Jimmy Carter to declare
664-486: A mid-morning talk show, Limbaugh's program continued, and market veteran Sandy Beach moved from sister station WMJQ to host afternoon talk on the station, while evening hours were filled by syndicated lifestyle hosts Laura Schlessinger and Joy Browne ; Browne and Schlessinger were later replaced by The Sean Hannity Show and Jim Bohannon , respectively. From April 5, 2011, to September 26, 2013, Entercom switched its Classic Rock/Triple-A hybrid sister station WLKK to
747-560: A public square named Cataract Commons opened on Old Falls Street. It is a public space for outdoor events and activities. The city has multiple properties on the National Register of Historic Places . It also has three national historic districts , including Chilton Avenue-Orchard Parkway Historic District , Deveaux School Historic District and the Park Place Historic District . Niagara Falls
830-619: A radio station (102.5 FM) licensed to Buffalo, New York, United States, which used the call sign WBEN from 1946 to 1987 [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about radio and/or television stations with the same/similar call signs or branding. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WBEN&oldid=1161595534 " Category : Broadcast call sign disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
913-495: A religious broadcaster in 2023— WBKV . On April 5, 2011, WBEN began simulcasting on co-owned FM station WLKK at 107.7 MHz, relayed by translator W297AB at 107.3 MHz from Williamsville, New York . On September 26, 2013, WLKK dropped the simulcast. WBEN was simulcast on the second HD Radio subchannel of WTSS from 2011 to 2015. It is now heard on the HD3 subchannel of WKSE 98.5 MHz . ** = Audacy operates pursuant to
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#1732780810717996-805: A simulcast of WBEN. Entercom's WLKK was not able to assume the WBEN-FM call letters, since the company had previously released the WBEN-FM call letters. They are in use on a Beasley Broadcast Group station in the Philadelphia area. The "Lake" format continued on WLKK's HD2 digital subchannel . In July 2013, WBEN made its first major change to its daytime lineup in over a decade. The lineup change moved afternoon drive host Sandy Beach to midday, while midday host Tom Bauerle moved to afternoon drive and expanded his show to four hours. The station's evening news magazine, Buffalo's Evening News (which incorporated
1079-481: A simulcast of the first part of the CBS Evening News ), was canceled as part of the expansion, a move made to better coordinate with Arbitron 's dayparting practices. ( Buffalo's Evening News is expected to return in 2018 after Bauerle's show was cut back to three hours as part of a contract extension. ) After a very brief stint in which David Bellavia filled the shift from 10 pm to 1 am,
1162-506: A three-year hiatus on WKBW. Van Miller also returned to the Bills' broadcast booth, replacing WKBW announcer Al Meltzer. WBEN, WJYE (with a beautiful music format), and Top 40 outlet WKBW all fought for the top spot during this era, but WBEN had consistently solidified the number one position by 1980. Stan Barron died in 1984 and was succeeded by John Murphy. By the mid-1980s, Kaye departed WBEN's morning show, moving to Philadelphia to become
1245-554: A thunderstorm. As of the census of 2010, there were 50,193 people, 22,603 households, and 12,495 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,987.7 people per square mile (1,153.5 per square km). There were 26,220 housing units at an average density of 1,560.7 per square mile (602.6/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 70.5% White , 21.6% African American , 1.9% Native American , 1.2% Asian , 0% Pacific Islander , 0.8% from other races , and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of
1328-621: Is at the international boundary between the United States and Canada. The city is within the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area and is approximately 16 miles (26 km) from Buffalo, New York . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 16.9 square miles (44 km ), of which 14.1 square miles (37 km ) (83.43%) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km ) (16.57%)
1411-531: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages WBEN (AM) WBEN (930 kHz ) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Buffalo, New York , featuring a news/talk format . Owned by Audacy, Inc. , the station serves Western New York , the Niagara Falls region, and parts of Southern Ontario . WBEN's studios are located in Amherst , while
1494-522: Is published quarterly. The Messenger Of Niagara Falls, NY , which is officially Niagara Falls, New York's, first black-owned and operated news publication, founded October 2018. The Messenger Of Niagara Falls, NY published its inaugural issue April 2019. The Buffalo News is the closest major newspaper in the area. The city also is the home to a weekly tabloid known as the Niagara Falls Reporter . Three radio stations are licensed to
1577-549: Is represented by Congressman Brian Higgins . In the United States Senate , the city and the state are represented by senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand . Founded in 1892 Niagara Falls Police Department provide local law enforcement in the city with 155 sworn officers. This force is not to be mistaken for the Town of Niagara, New York which has a smaller force founded in 1954. Residents are zoned to
1660-486: Is water. The city is built along the Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge , which is next to the Niagara River . Niagara Falls has a humid continental climate ( Dfa ). The city experiences cold, snowy winters and very warm, humid summers. Precipitation is moderate and consistent in all seasons, falling equally or more as snow during the winter. The city has snowier than average winters compared to most cities in
1743-536: Is within the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the Western New York region. While the city was formerly inhabited by Native Americans, Europeans who migrated to the Niagara Falls in the mid-17th century began to open businesses and develop infrastructure. Later in the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists and businessmen began harnessing the power of the Niagara River for electricity and
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#17327808107171826-414: The Niagara Falls Reporter . Union boss Michael "Butch" Quarcini died before trial, while the rest of the union leadership was sentenced to prison. In early 2010, former Niagara Falls Mayor Vincenzo Anello was indicted on federal charges of corruption , alleging the mayor accepted $ 40,000 in loans from a businessman who was later awarded a no-bid lease on city property. The charges were dropped as part of
1909-827: The Bridal Veil Falls , Maid of the Mist , a popular boat tour which operates at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge , Prospect Point and its observation tower , Niagara Discovery Center, Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center , and the Aquarium of Niagara . Several other attractions also near the river, including Whirlpool State Park , De Veaux Woods State Park , Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park in nearby Lewiston (town), New York , and Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown, New York . Attractions in
1992-567: The Buffalo Evening News request to build a new 1,000-watt station on 900 kHz with unlimited hours. In early 1929 WMAK had been acquired by the Buffalo Broadcasting Company, based at Buffalo's Rand Building, which also controlled WGR and WKBW in Buffalo and WKEN in nearby Kenmore. The FRC saw this as pertinent to its decision, stating "There existed in Buffalo, New York, a virtual monopoly of broadcasting facilities controlled by
2075-879: The Gridiron Developmental Football League are a minor league football team based in Niagara Falls. The team played their inaugural season in 2021. In 2017, the Tier III junior North American 3 Hockey League team, the Lockport Express, relocated to Niagara Falls as the Niagara Falls PowerHawks. Former sports teams based in Niagara Falls include the Class-A Niagara Falls Sox, the Class-A Niagara Falls Rapids ,
2158-651: The Niagara Falls City School District . Niagara University and Niagara County Community College are the two colleges in Niagara County. Since Niagara Falls is within the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area , the city's media is predominantly served by the city of Buffalo. The city has two local newspapers, the Niagara Gazette , which is published daily except Tuesday and The Messenger Of Niagara Falls, NY which
2241-558: The Reform Jewish Temple Beth El. The Conservative Jewish Temple Beth Israel closed in 2012. Niagara Falls has struggled with high rates of violent and property crime ; FBI crime data indicate that the city has among the highest crime rates in New York state. In response to gun violence, volunteer groups such as Operation SNUG mobilized to promote positive community involvement in the troubled areas of
2324-408: The 525-line NTSC analog system and subsequent 1080-line high definition digital television. But the effort was historic because GE's experimental facility was the first American television station with a regular broadcast schedule, as well as the forerunner of the current Capital District CBS-TV affiliate WRGB . The comedy duo of Stoopnagle and Budd began their careers at WMAK in 1930. When WMAK
2407-427: The Buffalo Broadcasting Company devised a settlement, and agreed that instead of building a completely new station, the newspaper would purchase WMAK and upgrade its existing transmitter site. The assignment of WMAK's license to the Buffalo Evening News was made on June 25, 1930, and WMAK's call letters were changed to WBEN. The original construction permit for a (never built) new station was modified to specify that it
2490-586: The Buffalo Broadcasting Corporation by reason of which Buffalo and the surrounding community were given radio broadcasting service... of an unstable and unsatisfactory nature", therefore "the greatest benefit to the greatest number would result from granting the application of the Buffalo Evening News". A Construction Permit to build the new station on 900 kHz, with a sequentially assigned provisional call sign of WRDA,
2573-459: The Canadian side has a greater average annual income, a higher average home price, and lower levels of vacant buildings and blight , as well as a more vibrant economy and better tourism infrastructure. The population of Niagara Falls, New York fell by half from the 1960s to 2012. In contrast, the population of Niagara Falls, Ontario more than tripled. In 2000, the city's median household income
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2656-539: The Canadian side is the closest airport offering long-haul international flights for the Niagara region. The city is served by Amtrak 's Maple Leaf and Empire train services, with regular stops at the Niagara Falls Station and Customhouse Interpretive Center at 825 Depot Ave West. Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is the public transit provider in the Buffalo metro area, with hubs at
2739-688: The Evening News) led to the placement of the Evening News's properties in a blind trust (since Katherine Butler left no heirs). This trust company then sold the newspaper. This sale ended the Butler family's ownership of the Evening News. With the loss of the WBEN stations' grandfathered protection, WBEN-TV was sold to newspaper publisher Robert Howard. WBEN-TV's new owner changed channel 4's callsign to WIVB , which stands for "We're IV (4) Buffalo". By
2822-594: The Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 ). Buehlman's 34-year run at the station was the longest in WBEN history, a benchmark that would eventually be surpassed by Susan Rose in 2019. Kaye, who had been program director of crosstown rival WKBW, originally came to Buffalo via WBZ in Boston . As the newspaper and TV station became part of other companies, WBEN-AM and FM were sold to Algonquin Broadcasting,
2905-762: The Niagara Falls Lancers of the Midwest Football League , and the Western New York Thundersnow of the Premier Basketball League and American Basketball Association . The City of Niagara Falls functions under a strong mayor-council form of government. The government consists of a mayor, a professional city administrator, and a city council. The current mayor is Robert Restaino. The city council serves four-year, staggered terms, except in
2988-558: The State of New York established the USA Niagara Development Corporation, a subsidiary to the State's economic development agency, to focus specifically on facilitating development in the downtown area. However, the organization has been criticized for making little progress and doing little to improve the city's economy. From 1973 to 2002, the city had a Convention and Civic Center on 4th street. In 2002
3071-521: The US, however less than many other cities in Upstate New York including nearby Buffalo and Rochester. Thaw cycles with temperatures above 32 °F (0 °C) are a common occurrence. The hottest and coldest temperatures recorded in the decade through 2015 were 97 °F (36 °C) in 2005 and −13 °F (−25 °C) in 2003, respectively. 38% of warm season precipitation falls in the form of
3154-484: The WBEN stations to Kerby Confer's Keymarket Communications organization and retired from the broadcasting business (Levite later moved to print media and took over the monthly Buffalo Spree magazine until his 2017 death). Keymarket later sold the properties to River City Broadcasting , which then merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group . In 1999, Entercom Communications bought WBEN, as well as its competitor WGR and most of Sinclair's other radio stations as Sinclair exited
3237-500: The air while the upgrades were being made, until it made its debut broadcast on September 8. A new studio complex was built at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in downtown Buffalo, chosen primarily for access to the live orchestra there, which served WBEN, its sister FM station, and a television station opened in the spring of 1948, for more than 25 years. In 1934, WBEN continued the station's tradition of innovation, launching
3320-406: The average family size was 4.02. In the city, 22% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.1% aged from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 26,800, and
3403-446: The case of a special election. It is headed by a chairperson, who votes in all items for council action. On a state level, Niagara Falls is part of the 145th Assembly District of New York State, represented by Republican Angelo Morinello . Niagara Falls is also part of the 62nd Senate District of New York State, represented by Republican Robert Ortt . On a national level, the city is part of New York's 26th congressional district and
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3486-430: The city and its police department to create new policies to govern police practices in response to claims of excessive force and police misconduct. The city committed to create policies and procedures to prevent and respond to allegations of excessive force, and to ensure police are properly trained and complaints are properly investigated. Prior claims filed by residents will be evaluated by an independent panel. In 2020,
3569-467: The city annexed the village of La Salle, named for Robert de la Salle, from the Town of Niagara . Industry and tourism grew steadily throughout the first half of the 20th century due to a high demand for industrial products and the increased mobility of people to travel. Paper, rubber, plastics, petrochemicals, carbon insulators and abrasives were among the city's major industries. This prosperity would end by
3652-420: The city began to attract manufacturers and other businesses drawn by the promise of inexpensive hydroelectric power. After the 1960s, however, the city and region experienced an economic decline. As industries left the region, affluent and middle-class families relocated from Niagara Falls to other metropolitan areas around the country. Due to the loss of jobs in the region, especially in the manufacturing sector,
3735-464: The city has gone from over 102,000 residents in 1960 to approximately 48,000 residents in 2020, a population drop of more than 50%. Before Europeans entered the area, it was dominated by the Neutral Nation of Native Americans. European migration into the area began in the 17th century. The first recorded European to visit the area was Frenchman Robert de la Salle , who built Fort Conti at
3818-553: The city of Niagara Falls, including WHLD AM 1270, WEBR AM 1440, and WTOR AM 770. Niagara Falls is primarily served by the Buffalo Niagara International Airport for regional and domestic flights within the United States. The recently expanded Niagara Falls International Airport serves the city, and many cross border travellers with flights to Myrtle Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Punta Gorda. Toronto 's Pearson International Airport on
3901-538: The city. Niagara Falls' main industry is tourism, driven primarily by the waterfalls. A 2012 profile from the Office of the New York State Comptroller reported that Niagara Falls has "struggled through decades of population losses, rising crime and repeated attempts to reinvent itself from a manufacturing town with some tourism to a major tourist destination." The city became a boomtown with
3984-471: The closure of several factories. The city's population eventually dropped by more than half of its peak, as workers fled the city in search of jobs elsewhere. Then, much like the nearby city of Buffalo, the city's economy plummeted when a failed urban renewal project destroyed Falls Street and the tourist district. In 2001, the leadership of Laborers Local 91 was found guilty of extortion , racketeering and other crimes following an exposé by Mike Hudson of
4067-433: The death of Rush Limbaugh. WBEN's parent company also added Dana Loesch on a tape-delay, which was dropped two years later in favor of an even further tape-delayed airing of Armstrong & Getty. "Cinema Bob" Stilson, Entercom's creative services director, had a one-hour "Movie Show" that discussed upcoming theatrical releases and aired Fridays during Beach's program from 1997 until Entercom cut Stilson's budget and ended
4150-565: The downtown include the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and Pine Avenue which was historically home to a large Italian American population and is now known as Little Italy for its abundance of shops and quality restaurants. The Niagara Power of the New York Collegiate Baseball League play at Sal Maglie Stadium . The team is owned by Niagara University . The Cataract City Wolverines of
4233-653: The equipment originally used by W8XH. The facsimile service was ended in December 1940. In 1941, WBEN moved to its current frequency of 930 kHz as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) reassignments. The station also relocated its transmitter to Grand Island at this time, increasing full-time power to its current 5,000 watts. The Grand Island transmitter and two towers are still in use today. Buffalo, in general, and WBEN in particular,
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#17327808107174316-819: The frequency, while two other existing stations, WEBR in Buffalo and WBNY in New York City, applied for half-time assignments. A fifth application, made with support from local businesses, came from the Buffalo Evening News newspaper, which filed a request to build a new full-time station. Although it had never operated a radio station, the News had extensive experience supplying a news service to local stations, beginning in November 1920 when it provided election returns for broadcast over an amateur station operated by Charles C. Klinck, Jr. The News also had
4399-408: The fur trade. The City of Niagara Falls was incorporated on March 17, 1892, from the villages of Manchester and Suspension Bridge, which were parts of the Town of Niagara . Thomas Vincent Welch , a member of the charter committee and a New York state assemblyman and a second-generation Irish American , persuaded Governor Roswell P. Flower to sign the bill on St. Patrick's Day . George W. Wright
4482-729: The late 1960s as aging industrial plants moved to less expensive locations. In addition, the falls were incompatible with modern shipping technology. In 1956, the Schoellkopf Power Plant on the lower river just downstream of the American Falls was critically damaged by the collapse of the Niagara Gorge wall above it. This prompted the planning and construction of one of the largest hydroelectric plants to be built in North America to that time, generating
4565-534: The leadership in total audience in most quarterly ratings surveys. Between 1946 and 1960, WBEN simulcast on co-owned WBEN-FM, which started on 106.5 MHz . From 1960 (when the station moved to 102.5 MHz) until 1973, the morning show continued to be simulcast.The 106.5 frequency was reallocated, switching its call letters to WADV and eventually WYRK. The co-owned TV station, WBEN-TV 4, was sold separately to become WIVB in 1977. WBEN-FM later became WMJQ in 1987, WTSS in 2000, and—after WBEN's parent company sold 102.5 to
4648-545: The median income for a family was $ 34,377. Males had a median income of $ 31,672 versus $ 22,124 for females. 23% of the population was below the poverty line. Niagara Falls has a number of places of worship, including the Salvation Army, First Assembly of God Church, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Niagara , St. Peter's Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian Church, St. Theresa Roman Catholic Church in Deveaux, and
4731-938: The most powerful FM station in New York State, and eventually become WBKV . As many national network radio programs moved to television, WBEN shifted to a middle-of-the-road format and developed a stable talent to lead the market in ratings. The station's affiliation with CBS brought Arthur Godfrey , "The World Tonight" and other network programming, but the station was primarily live and local. In addition to morning host Clint Buehlman, other on-air voices included Al Fox, John Corbett, Ken Phillips, Bill Masters, and John Luther. Sports personalities Van Miller , Stan Barron and Dick Rifenburg shared various duties, including hosting and interview programs, while familiar news voices Jack Ogilvie, Gene Kelley, Lou Douglas, Virgil Booth, and others were heard during this period. Most of these personnel also handled TV duties, anchoring, announcing
4814-568: The mouth of the Niagara River early in 1679, with permission from the Iroquois , as a base for boatbuilding; his ship Le Griffon was built on the upper Niagara River at or near Cayuga Creek in the same year. He was accompanied by Belgian priest Louis Hennepin , who was the first known European to see the falls. The influx of newcomers may have been a catalyst for already hostile native tribes to turn to open warfare in competition for
4897-498: The news, weather, and sports, and hosting game shows and other programming at WBEN-TV. When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) disallowed same market co-ownership of newspapers and broadcast licenses in the early 1970s, the combination of the Buffalo Evening News and WBEN-AM/FM/TV was grandfathered under the new rule. However, the 1974 death of Katherine Butler (longtime owner and publisher of
4980-499: The opening of the New York State Power Authority 's hydroelectric Niagara Power Plant in the 1960s; the cheap electricity produced by the plant generated power for a burgeoning manufacturing industry. Along with the rest of Western New York , Niagara Falls suffered a significant economic decline from a decline in industry by the 1970s. Today, the city struggles to compete with Niagara Falls, Ontario ;
5063-410: The population. There were 22,603 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.8% were married couples living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and
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#17327808107175146-511: The program in 2017; Stilson later joined WEBR in 2020. Morning host John Zach was permanently laid off at the end of 2016 and later emerged at WECK . Until 2016, WBEN carried news from CBS News Radio , an affiliation the station had held for 76 years. Sandy Beach, whose Beach and Company show had been part of the WBEN lineup since 1997, announced his departure from the station in July 2020. Today, WBEN competes with country-formatted WYRK for
5229-568: The radio business. WBEN and WGR had been competing for news/talk/sports stations during the 1990s. In 2000, under common ownership, the stations rearranged personnel. WGR became the market's all-sports station, while WBEN became the market's principal commercial news/talk station. With sister station WGR's move to sports talk, WBEN solidified its position as the dominant news/talk station. Market veterans John Zach and Susan Rose replaced Bill Lacey (who currently hosts mornings at WHTT ) to host "Buffalo's Morning News". Tom Bauerle moved from WGR to host
5312-458: The same day as Buffalo Bills football contests. WBEN features local talk hosts during the day; nighttime syndicated programming includes Armstrong & Getty , Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb , and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory . WBEN has traditionally traced its history to September 8, 1930, the date when it made its first broadcast using the WBEN call sign . However, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records list
5395-406: The station added The Savage Nation to its syndicated offerings in early 2014. It was explained at the time that Bellavia's other employer objected to him being on WBEN, so Savage was replacement programming for that slot. Bellavia would however return in late 2016 as Bauerle's co-host and eventually moved to middays with his own show in 2020. Buffalo's Evening News would be revived in 2021 after
5478-428: The station from other markets. Within months the ratings dropped as longtime listeners were angered, yet Top-40 listeners were already entrenched at WKBW and WYSL. Jefferson Kaye , however, had remained successful as the afternoon personality during this period (he succeeded the retiring Clint Buehlman as a morning show host in 1977; Buehlman's retirement was in part prompted by poor reviews for his handling of coverage of
5561-596: The station's first license date as September 22, 1922, tracing WBEN's origin to an earlier license, with the sequentially assigned call letters of WMAK, that was issued to Norton Laboratories in Lockport, New York . The station initially used the facility built by the Norton Laboratories organization from Boston as part of an experiment to send amplitude modulated (AM) voice transmissions between Niagara Falls, New York , and Cambridge, Massachusetts . WMAK
5644-416: The station, bringing back his "Free-Form Sports" program, and overnights eventually shifted from Dick Rifenburg's music show to Mutual's syndicated Larry King talk show. Bob Wood served as the station's program director. Helicopter traffic reports were added, featuring reporters Dave May and Debbie Stamp, the news department staff was increased - and Levite brought Buffalo Bills broadcasts back to WBEN after
5727-520: The time of this transition period, WBEN radio's demographics had grown older with its folksy personalities and middle-of-the-road music. With the Butler family no longer owning the newspaper or broadcast properties, WBEN attempted to contemporize the sound during the mid-late 1970s by firing some of its longtime on-air institutions, hiring DJs, and playing Top-40 music. The station went from being known as "WBEN Radio 9-3-0" to "93/WBEN". DJs Jay Fredericks ( Fritz Coleman ), Chris Tyler, and Charlie Warren joined
5810-479: The transmitter site is in Grand Island . In addition to a standard analog transmission , WBEN is relayed over WKSE 's HD3 digital subchannel , and is available online via Audacy . WBEN is an affiliate of ABC News Radio , and WKBW-TV provides weather forecasts. The station airs overflow sports programming from WGR , including the ' NFL on Westwood One and Buffalo Sabres hockey games that are played on
5893-486: The ultra-shortwave experimental station W8XH on the Apex radio band, as the first station of its kind to broadcast a regular schedule. In December 1938, WBEN began an experimental facsimile service, transmitting overnight newspaper extracts printed with special receivers in subscribing homes. In April 1939, the facsimile service was transferred to an "experimental facsimile broadcasting station", W8XA, which employed much of
5976-531: The venue was converted into the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel . In 2004, a new Niagara Falls Convention Center (NFCC) opened on Old Falls Street. The Old Falls Street venue has 116,000 square feet for exhibitions and meetings, and a 32,200-square-foot event/exhibit hall. The city is home to the Niagara Falls State Park . The park has several attractions, including Cave of the Winds behind
6059-491: The voice of NFL Films and WPVI-TV . Midday host Bill Lacey, later joined by Kevin Keenan, assumed morning hosting duties. The station won numerous regional and statewide awards for its news and public-service efforts. Levite presided over the gradual transition of WBEN from an adult contemporary station to its current news and talk format. The local talk continued, along with the addition of Rush Limbaugh . In 1994, Levite sold
6142-628: Was 36% below the national average. In 2012, the city's unemployment rate was significantly higher than the statewide unemployment rate. Significant sources of economic activity in the region includes the Niagara Falls International Airport , which was renovated in 2009; the Seneca Gaming Corporation 's Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel , which opened in the 2000s respectively; and the nearby Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station . In late 2001,
6225-552: Was a charter member of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio network, being one of the 16 stations that aired the first CBS network program on September 18, 1927. In 1928, WMAK joined with General Electric's WGY in Schenectady to demonstrate television technology. A mechanical scan system with only 30 lines of vertical resolution, it was crude compared to later electronic standards such as
6308-604: Was also the station where longtime national commercial spokesman Ed Reimers launched his career, In 1946, WBEN was one of the first radio stations in the United States to launch an FM radio station, which originally was located at 106.5 MHz on the dial. In May 1948, it launched what would become WIVB , the first television station in Buffalo and the second in Upstate New York , following WRGB in Schenectady / Albany . The original WBEN-FM would later move to 102.5, increase its signal strength to 110 kilowatts to become
6391-478: Was also unhappy, even though it was also issued an unusual second authorization for unlimited use of 1490 kHz to test "synchronized" transmissions. In practice, WFBL preferred the 900 kHz assignment and only broadcast on 1490 kHz during times when, under the timesharing agreement, 900 kHz was in use by WMAK. Eventually, a five-way legal battle broke out over control of the 900 kHz assignment. WMAK and WFBL filed applications for full-time use of
6474-452: Was an incubator of national radio and television talent. In the early 1940s, WBEN's morning host was comedian and future national late-night television star Jack Paar (he left the station when drafted into the military in 1943 during World War II and opted not to return to Buffalo after the war). Paar's place was taken by Clint Buehlman, who was recruited from competing station WGR. Buehlman remained for 34 years until retiring in 1977. WBEN
6557-439: Was elected the first mayor of Niagara Falls . By the end of the 19th century, the city was heavily industrialized, due in part to the power potential offered by the Niagara River . Tourism was considered a secondary niche, while manufacturing of petrochemicals , abrasives , metallurgical products and other materials was the main producer of jobs and attracted a large number of workers, many of whom were immigrants. In 1927,
6640-511: Was issued on January 23, 1930, specifying a transmitter site in Orchard Park and studios in Buffalo. Both WMAK and WFBL appealed this ruling. WFBL complained that 1490 kHz was an "undesirable" assignment, and the FRC eventually agreed for the station to use 1360 kHz instead. Following plaintiff arguments, but prior to the appeals court making a ruling, the Buffalo Evening News and
6723-508: Was launched in 1922, it initially operated on the standard "entertainment" wavelength of 360 meters (833 kHz). In mid-1924 the station was reassigned to 1100 kHz and at the end of the year was shifted again, to 1130 kHz. In late 1927 the transmitter site was changed to Tonawanda , followed a few months later to Shawnee Road in Martinsville. In mid-1927 the station moved to 550 kHz. Effective November 11, 1928, WMAK
6806-526: Was now an upgrade to the existing Martinsville transmitter site. At the same time, WMAK's call sign and intellectual property were transferred to the former WKEN in Kenmore, where it would operate until its deletion in 1932. Following the repeal of the Davis Amendment, in 1948 WMAK's vacated frequency assignment was licensed to a new station in Kenmore, now WUFO in Amherst . WBEN remained off
6889-582: Was reassigned to 900 kHz, with 750 watts of power, now with a timeshare partner, WFBL in Syracuse , as a result of the Federal Radio Commission 's (FRC) General Order 40 , which implemented a major realignment of American AM radio. (At this time, WMAK's previous frequency of 550 kHz was assigned to WGR ). WMAK was unhappy with this new assignment because the reduced hours limited its ability to carry CBS network programming. WFBL
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