News
WNED signs agreement to acquire WBFO
Western New York Public Broadcasting Association and UB announced today that WBFO-FM 88.7 will become part of the WNED family of public radio and television stations.
Under the agreement, WNED will pay UB $4 million for the licenses to operate WBFO and two stations serving the Southern Tier: WUBJ-FM 88.1 in Jamestown and WOLN-FM 91.3 in Olean.
All three stations will retain their call letters and continue to operate on the same frequencies. The stations reach large portions of Western New York and Southern Ontario, serving approximately 90,000 listeners weekly.
The agreement is the culmination of months of strategic discussions, with management and board members from both organizations exploring ways to strengthen public radio in the region and make more resourceful use of donor and taxpayer funding.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to create a more efficient service to the community and offer a more comprehensive program schedule,” said Donald K. Boswell, WNED president and CEO. “These two big names in public radio are joining forces.”
Marsha Henderson, consultant to UB President Satish K. Tripathi, said that UB is putting WBFO in the hands of a community-based organization with an outstanding track record in public broadcasting. “Radio isn’t a new business to WNED,” Henderson said. “They are already committed to radio and will continue to be so. We are confident that WBFO will thrive in its new home.”
The sale is subject to state and federal approval. In the meantime, the two organizations will begin planning the integration of services.
WNED affirmed its commitment to continuing a full schedule of NPR programs on WBFO, including the popular news programs “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
WBFO, as the largest provider of NPR news and information in the region with more than 90,000 weekly listeners, through this agreement will be able to continue to provide a full lineup of NPR programs from its new home at WNED, while joining the well-known and established journalistic offerings of WNED AM 970. Together, these services will offer a combined public media newsroom, improved digital and online resources for users, and embody a new, shared public journalism that will enhance civic engagement.
“I am proud to have started my career in public media at WBFO,” said Vincent Curren, executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a UB alumnus. “I know first-hand the long tradition of high quality of service that WBFO and WNED have provided. This joining of forces will ensure that public media service continues to thrive in Western New York and offer the very best national programs, in-depth news and information, outstanding classical music and even more choice in content.”
WBFO-FM was founded in 1959 by a group of students and faculty members at the then-private University of Buffalo. It was one of the charter founding members of National Public Radio in 1970. UB will use the proceeds of the sale to provide student scholarships and support for faculty research, Henderson said.
Reader Comments
Bruce Acker says:
As someone who used to work in the non-profit sector in Buffalo, I think this is a wise move. Having two public radio stations operating in Buffalo is not a good use of shrinking community resources. Overall, I have to think that programming--and therefore the public service--will be strengthened, given the combined expertise and staff at the two organizations. WBFO is hardly a college radio station in the typical sense of organization and format. It might be that Buffalo would be well-served by a student-generated UB radio station--that is, if students and others of their generation even listen to radio anymore.
Posted by Bruce Acker, Assistant Director of Asian Studies, 08/26/11
Price Obot says:
Tsk, tsk, UB. Just when your students are beginning to understand the importance of public radio and taking to heart what it means to be part of this community you make this poor move.
Check.
Posted by Price Obot, Student, 07/30/11
Aaron Robertson says:
I'm truly saddened, but not surprised, by this development. I worked at the largest student-run radio station in the country for the most exciting three years of my life. It's sad to see the college radio world shrink this much more.
Posted by Aaron Robertson, Former DJ, WRAS 88.5FM Atlanta, 07/30/11
John Hider says:
UB has made a mistake. Selling off WBFO is cutting a link to the community. A link that the school has been trying to strengthen in recent years. It makes little sense.
Posted by John Hider, UB Alumnus and concerned community member, 07/30/11
Shonnie Finnegan says:
So shortsighted! It took 50 years and the efforts of visionary radio people such as Bill Siemering, Ira Glass, Terry Gross, Cliff Stoll, Dan Sack, Bob Rossberg, and so many others to build up WBFO---and now UB is letting go of its best link to the community --and for a pittance. What are they thinking? This is the dumbest PR move UB has made since it gave up Shakespeare in the Park!
Posted by Shonnie Finnegan, University Archivist Emerita, 07/28/11
Bill Altreuter says:
UB has sold off an important part of its history-- and an important part of its service to the Western New York community-- for a mess of pottage.
Posted by Bill Altreuter, Former WBFO Advisory Board Member, 07/28/11