Bills ditch WGR as flagship station

[The Wiz]

Just now, TheFunPolice said:

 

Not really. It's the history and goes way back to when he bought the Sabres. 

 

He was shocked by how negative (in his view) the local media was in covering the team. 

Too be fair, at that time it was Bucky Gleason and Jerry Sullivan.  They would piss in your cheerios if either team won a championship back then.

[US Egg]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

That's quite a leap.

Evel Knieval Snake River like.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

 

Not really. It's the history and goes way back to when he bought the Sabres. 

 

He was shocked by how negative (in his view) the local media was in covering the team. 

 

It's a leap to go from one statement like that to "he hates the local media." No evidence at all. This is entirely about MONEY! WGR has to pay for the rights to the Bills and Sabres. Audacy, who owns WGR, is bankrupt. Hence...

Edited February 3 by PromoTheRobot

[May Day 10]

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Nepo radio

 

 

It is kind of crazy to me.  You have these older guys who kind of go through the motions (Schopp actually has some talent for radio and can carry a show/time himself)....  and I am sure their salaries are very high for what the positions are worth locally.  

 

They have younger and hungrier guys who clearly put in more effort, they consume a wider variety of sports, provide fresher ideas (not saying they are all amazing or anything, but a breath of fresh air).   These guys would probably be hired at host positions at a fraction of what Schopp and the Bulldog are set at.  

 

Radio stations are out of money.

 

Answer:  Hire the relatives of the already overpaid guys whose salaries your company is already choking on.

Edited February 3 by May Day 10

[TheFunPolice]

4 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

Too be fair, at that time it was Bucky Gleason and Jerry Sullivan.  They would piss in your cheerios if either team won a championship back then.

 

Hey I didn't say he was wrong! 

 

Jerry Sullivan was absolutely awful IMO. You said it right: he would be miserable that the Sabres had to drag the Stanley Cup winning series to 7 games just to torture the fans. 

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

If this is about Audacy not affording the game rights, what does that say about Buffalo as a sports market? Not a good look.

[twoandfourteen]

55 minutes ago, Back2Buff said:

This is pretty massive news, not sure how much longer WGR will last. 

 

What happens with a guy like Sal.  Will he be a sideline reporter for the Bills now?  Pretty sure he works for WGR.

 

I think this will actually drive more listeners to WGR. No one is going to bother streaming “One Bills Live”. It only has listeners because it’s the “only game in town” during the day. It’s insufferable programming. 

If WGR does this right, they can revitalize the station as the honest “alternative” to the Bills State-Run "Pegulaganda Radio." 

[Green Lightning]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

It's a leap to go from one statement like that to :he hates the local media." No evidence at all. This is entirely about MONEY! WGR has to pay for the rights to the Bills and Sabres. Audacy, who owns WGR, is bankrupt. Hence...

Then why not market the opportunity to other outlets and not produce the games themselves. They can market the product to other stations, but you lose many hours of dedicated talk shows around your teams. Replacing it with homers and Bills staff won't cut it. Seems a big lift.

[The Wiz]

1 minute ago, TheFunPolice said:

 

Hey I didn't say he was wrong! 

 

Jerry Sullivan was absolutely awful IMO. You said it right: he would be miserable that the Sabres had to drag the Stanley Cup winning series to 7 games just to torture the fans. 

 

 

Pretty sure one of them criticized the sabres for winning the presidents cup that one season.  Not even joking.

Edited February 3 by The Wiz

[WotAGuy]

Guess I’ll have to keep subscribing to NFL+ to be able to hear Chris Brown scream “THE COOK IS IN THE KITCHEN!!”

[TheFunPolice]

Honestly this is better for almost everyone, especially out of towners. 

 

The Audacy app is only so-so, and if you stream anyway this won't affect you at all. 

[MikePJ76]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

If this is about Audacy not affording the game rights, what does that say about Buffalo as a sports market? Not a good look.

This is going on all over the sports world.  
 

most hockey and baseball teams can not find anyone who to pay to broadcast their games on the radio or tv.  
 

 

[TheFunPolice]

2 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

Pretty sure one of them criticized the sabres for winning the presidents cup that one season.  Not even joking.

 

That sounds right! 

 

It is incredible how negative the Buffalo News coverage was of both teams. 

[Krakensabres]

53 minutes ago, Bruffalo said:

One Bills Live is pretty bad anyways. There are way better options for informed Bills content.

 

The rest of WGR I listen to mainly out of habit. My dad used to call in decades ago when he was still alive and was a typical "Earl from Cheektowaga" type caller, so maybe it's genetic.

 

Most of their opinions are way off base, but it's a nice connection to Buffalo when you're hundreds or thousands of miles away.

TBH bills podcast content is very very good and wgr is the worst of the coverage of the team. I also listen out if habit but should stop wasting my time …cover 1, Joe Marino, Sal and bove separate podcast snd shout all kick wgr butt without even mentioning one bills live as an option! 

[The Wiz]

 

[TheFunPolice]

Just now, MikePJ76 said:

This is going on all over the sports world.  
 

most hockey and baseball teams can not find anyone who to pay to broadcast their games on the radio or tv.  
 

 

 

Too much competition. 

 

If you have Sirius XM you can listen to all NFL games online or in the car. Just one example. I think NHL too, but I'm not sure. 

[thenorthremembers]

I would say this is great but I remember the Colin Cowherd Jim Rome WGR days and that was insufferable

[JohnNord]

9 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

Too be fair, at that time it was Bucky Gleason and Jerry Sullivan.  They would piss in your cheerios if either team won a championship back then.

Yes but as a whole WGR could actually be critical on the team then.  I remember a few times when Doug Marrone wasn’t happy during his weekly interview segment, or another time when Buddy Nix threatened to hang up on Howard Simon.  

 

I feel since McDermott/Boyko came over in 2017 they really threw their weight around about negativity.  Now WGR plays nice for the most part 

[Big Turk]

Guess nobody will get after Beane about WR issues again. 😂

[Never NEVER Give-up]

To summarize:

• The Buffalo Bills announced today that the team will produce and distribute radio broadcasts for preseason, regular season and playoff games in-house, starting in 2026.
  • With this transition to in-house production and distribution, the Bills and WGR and Rochester affiliate 950-AM The Fan will conclude their broadcast partnerships. 
  • One Bills Live co-hosts Chris Brown and Steve Tasker will remain in their current roles. (means they want all the $$)
  • Starting Monday, Feb. 9, One Bills Live will be distributed in-house.
  • Broadcasts will stream exclusively on BuffaloBills.com and THE BILLS APP from 1-3 p.m. every weekday.
  • One Bills Live will continue to be simulcast on MSG Western New York.
• If your streaming experiences are poor (like mine are), this is a loss for listeners.
• In-house distribution will enable the Bills to expand their network of station affiliates across New York State, Southern Ontario, and additional regions throughout the country.
  • If true, maybe more radio stations will carry Bills programming.
• Daily podcast versions of each One Bills Live episode will be posted to the Bills App, BuffaloBills.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

From One Bills Drive Website.