Buffalo Bills Radio Network
Encyclopedia
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is a broadcast radio network
based in Buffalo, New York
, the official radio broadcaster of the Buffalo Bills
. The network's radio broadcasts are currently flagshipped at WGRF
in Buffalo, New York
, a station owned by Cumulus Media
. Previously, the broadcasts originated from WBEN
through much of the team's history except for a period from 1971 to 1977 when WKBW
was team flagship.
Its primary programming is broadcasts of Bills home and away games to a network of approximately 20 stations in upstate New York
, northwestern Pennsylvania
and Toronto
. John Murphy
, sports anchor at WIVB-TV
in Buffalo, is the current play-by-play announcer, with former Bills safety Mark Kelso
as color commentator. Brent Axe, a talk host at WSKO
in Syracuse, hosts pregame and postgame on the network;; Rich "Bull" Gaenzler of WEDG
is the current sideline reporter.
The network is an autonomous organization from the team, and is unique in that it, and not the team itself, is the main sponsor of the Bills' cheerleaders, the Buffalo Jills
.
Van Miller
was the voice of the Buffalo Bills for its entire history until 2003, with the exception of seven years in the 1970s when WKBW controlled radio rights and Miller's TV employer, WBEN-TV, would not permit him to appear on WKBW broadcasts. He was succeeded by Murphy, his former color commentator, when he retired from the booth after the 2003 season.
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
based in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, the official radio broadcaster of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The network's radio broadcasts are currently flagshipped at WGRF
WGRF
WGRF is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "97 Rock". The station mostly plays Classic rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, a station owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
. Previously, the broadcasts originated from WBEN
WBEN (AM)
WBEN is an AM and FM radio station serving the Niagara, Buffalo and Western New York area, broadcasting on 930 AM and, as of April 5, 2011, simulcasting on sister station WLKK at 107.7 FM. It previously simulcasted between 1946 and 1960 on 102.5 FM as WBEN-FM. Both stations retained the WBEN...
through much of the team's history except for a period from 1971 to 1977 when WKBW
WWKB
WWKB is an AM radio station in Buffalo, New York that operates on a frequency of 1520 kHz. It is owned and operated by Entercom Communications. The station carries a progressive talk radio format. Declaring itself as A New Voice, A New Choice, The Voice of the New Majority; WWKB carries a number...
was team flagship.
Its primary programming is broadcasts of Bills home and away games to a network of approximately 20 stations in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, northwestern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. John Murphy
John Murphy (announcer)
John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York.Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills, where he currently serves as the play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network...
, sports anchor at WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
in Buffalo, is the current play-by-play announcer, with former Bills safety Mark Kelso
Mark Kelso
Mark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the...
as color commentator. Brent Axe, a talk host at WSKO
WSKO (AM)
WPRV is a radio station located in Providence, Rhode Island. The station is owned by Cumulus Media, and airs a news/talk format.-History:...
in Syracuse, hosts pregame and postgame on the network;; Rich "Bull" Gaenzler of WEDG
WEDG
WEDG is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "103.3 The Edge" and broadcasts on 103.3 MHz FM. WEDG has an active rock format and is best known for its afternoon-drive hosts, "Shredd and Ragan," and being the co-flagship of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network...
is the current sideline reporter.
The network is an autonomous organization from the team, and is unique in that it, and not the team itself, is the main sponsor of the Bills' cheerleaders, the Buffalo Jills
Buffalo Jills
The Buffalo Jills are the cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional American football team.The Bills had cheerleaders in 1960 known simply as the Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders. At the time, they were a group of 8 Buffalo State College cheerleaders...
.
Van Miller
Van Miller
Van Miller is a retired former radio and television sports announcer from Dunkirk, New York, where he began his career at Dunkirk radio station WFCB calling play-by-play for high school football games...
was the voice of the Buffalo Bills for its entire history until 2003, with the exception of seven years in the 1970s when WKBW controlled radio rights and Miller's TV employer, WBEN-TV, would not permit him to appear on WKBW broadcasts. He was succeeded by Murphy, his former color commentator, when he retired from the booth after the 2003 season.
New York
- WGRFWGRFWGRF is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "97 Rock". The station mostly plays Classic rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
96.9 Buffalo (flagship station) - WEDGWEDGWEDG is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "103.3 The Edge" and broadcasts on 103.3 MHz FM. WEDG has an active rock format and is best known for its afternoon-drive hosts, "Shredd and Ragan," and being the co-flagship of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network...
103.3 Buffalo (co-flagship) - WSPQ 1330 Springville/Buffalo (AM home of the Bills)
- WHAM (AM)WHAM (AM)WHAM is a clear-channel talk radio station in Rochester, New York, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its 50,000-watt transmitter is located in Chili, New York, and the station broadcasts on 1180 kHz.The station first went on the air in 1922...
1180 Rochester - WNSSWNSSWSKO is a sports radio station in Syracuse, New York. Broadcasting on 1260 kHz on the AM dial, WSKO covers the Buffalo Bills, Syracuse Crunch AHL hockey, and recently announced that it will air the 2011 Syracuse Chiefs AAA baseball season. The station is owned by Cumulus Media...
1260 Syracuse - WADRWADRWADR and WUTQ are AM radio stations operating at 1480 kHz and 1550 kHz and located in Remsen, New York and Utica, New York respectively. They are former Clear Channel Communications stations, but with the breakup of Clear Channel's Utica cluster, were sold to Ken Roser. In July 2010,...
1480 Remsen/WUTQ 1550 Utica/W238CA 95.5 Middleville - WQBKWQBK-FMWQBK-FM and WQBJ are Active Rock music formatted radio stations licensed to Rensselaer, New York and Cobleskill, New York respectively, and serving New York's Capital District and Mohawk Valley. The stations are owned by Townsquare Media...
103.9 Albany/WQBJ 103.9 Cobleskill - WNBFWNBF (AM)WNBF is a News–Talk radio station in Binghamton, New York. It broadcasts on AM frequency 1290 and is currently under ownership of Cumulus Media....
1290 Binghamton - WELMWELMWELM signed on in 1947 as Chemung County's second radio station and the Elmira-Corning, New York market's third. It broadcasts on 1410 kHz. The station uses a three-tower array, broadcasting at 5,000 watts from a single tower until sundown, when the power is lowered to 1,000 watts and the pattern...
1410 Elmira - WPIEWPIEWPIE signed on in 1989 as Tompkins County's third AM radio station and the Ithaca, New York market's 12th station on both radio bands. It broadcasts on 1160 kHz.-History:...
1160 Trumansburg (Ithaca) - WWSEWWSEWWSE is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Jamestown, New York, USA, the station serves the Jamestown NY area. The station is currently owned by Media One Group, LLC and features programing from Premiere Radio Networks.-Programming:The station broadcasts...
93.3 Jamestown - WJTNWJTNWJTN is a radio station licensed to Jamestown, New York. The mostly local news/talk outlet is owned by Media One Group. The station signed on on December 31, 1924, making the station the oldest in southwestern New York and fourth-longest lived in all of Western New York-- behind only WGR, WBEN and...
1240 Jamestown - WPIGWPIGWPIG is an FM radio station located in Olean, New York. Branded as the "Big Pig," "The Pig" or simply by its frequency and callsigns at times, the station operates at 95.7 MHz on the FM dial and operates a broad-based country music format...
95.7 Olean - WBKXWBKXWBKX is a radio station that is based in Dunkirk, New York and also broadcasts at 100.3 FM in Jamestown, New York...
96.5 Fredonia (Dunkirk)/W262BX 100.3 Jamestown - WACKWACKWACK is a radio station broadcasting a news talk information format and licensed to Newark, New York, USA. The station is owned by Waynco Radio, Inc., and features programing from CNN Radio, ESPN Radio and Westwood One....
1420 Newark (Finger Lakes) - WABHWABHWABH is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Located in Bath, New York, USA, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area. The station is owned by Pembrook Pines Mass Media N.a. Corp and features programing from ESPN Radio and Westwood One....
1380 Bath - WZKZWZKZWZKZ is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Alfred, New York, USA. The station is currently owned by Pembrook Pines, Inc. and features programing from AP Radio and Jones Radio Network....
101.9 Alfred
Play-by-play
- Van MillerVan MillerVan Miller is a retired former radio and television sports announcer from Dunkirk, New York, where he began his career at Dunkirk radio station WFCB calling play-by-play for high school football games...
(1960-1971, 1978-2003) - Al Metzler and Rick AzarRick AzarRick Azar is an American broadcaster who spent 31 years at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York.- WKBW-TV career :Rick Azar was the first voice heard on WKBW-TV on November 30, 1958...
(1972-1977) - John MurphyJohn Murphy (announcer)John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York.Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills, where he currently serves as the play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network...
(2004-present)
Color analysts
- Ralph Hubbell and Dick RifenburgDick RifenburgRichard Gale "Dick" Rifenburg was a pioneering television broadcaster for the forerunner to WIVB-TV in Buffalo. He was also a professional American football wide receiver who played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions in 1950 and had been an All-American end for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
(1960-?) - Ed RutkowskiEd RutkowskiEdward John Anthony Rutkowski is a former American football player, and a former politician in Buffalo, New York. Rutkowksi was a noted college and professional American football player...
(1973-1977) - Stan Barron (1978-1983)
- John MurphyJohn Murphy (announcer)John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York.Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills, where he currently serves as the play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network...
(1984-1989, 1994-2003) - Greg BrownGreg Brown (broadcaster)Greg Brown is a sports announcer, born in Washington, D.C., who currently works for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Root Sports Pittsburgh and 93.7 the fan . He has worked in the booth for the Pirates since 1994. He works with Steve Blass, Bob Walk, John Wehner, and Tim Neverett...
(1990-1993) - Alex Van PeltAlex Van PeltAlexander "Alex" Van Pelt is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers of the National Football League.-College:...
(2004) - Mark KelsoMark KelsoMark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the...
(2006-present)
Sideline reporters
- Jeff Burris (2006)
- Paul Peck (?-2005, 2007-2008)
- Rich Gaenzler (2009-present)
Studio hosts
- Howard Simon (2004)
- Rich Gaenzler (2004-2008)
- Brent Axe (2009-present)