WYRK
WYRK is a country music formatted radio station located in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts from the top of the Rand Building in Buffalo, where its studios are located on the 12th floor.
 | |
| City | Buffalo, New York |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Buffalo, New York Tonawanda, New York Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls, Ontario |
| Frequency | 106.5 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Country 106.5 WYRK |
| Slogan | "Buffalo's #1 For New Country" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Townsquare Media (Townsquare Media of Buffalo, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WBLK, WBUF, WMSX |
| History | |
| First air date | 1962 (as WADV) |
| Former call signs | WADV (1962-1981) |
| Call sign meaning | Western New YoRK |
| Technical information | |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 142 meters |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.wyrk.com |
The station began broadcasting in 1962 as WADV, on 106.5 MHz, a frequency that was originally assigned in 1946 to WBEN-FM (now WTSS), which had moved to 102.5 MHz in 1959. WADV had a MOR/easy listening format, and was the first station in Western New York to air an FM stereo signal.[1] WADV was sold in April 1981 to Stoner Communications which immediately changed the station to a country music format and adopted the call sign used today. The initial format was semi-automated, with airstaff added a few years later; as such, it was not immediately successful, as Ramblin' Lou Schriver-owned WXRL had been the city's heritage country outlet for over a decade by the time WYRK had adopted the format. WYRK received a major boost in popularity with country's massive shift in style in the early 1990s and embraced the new country sound.
WYRK, according to the Nielsen ratings service, is the most popular radio station in Western New York. WYRK remains a largely local operation, with the only known syndicated programs on the station being Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 on Sunday morning at 10 am and American Country Countdown on Sunday evening at 10 pm. It is currently owned by Townsquare Media.
WYRK began streaming its programming on the Internet in November 2006.
Concerts
WYRK hosts three concert series each year. The longest-running is the Taste of Country that is held every year in June. This event, held at Sahlen Field, celebrated its 16th anniversary on June 12, 2015 with performances by Dierks Bentley, Joe Nichols, Frankie Ballard, Canaan Smith and A Thousand Horses. Its recent series additions are acoustic concerts with one held in the fall and one held in the winter. These feature performances by up-and-coming national artists and can be seen at the UB Center for the Arts.
In 2013, WYRK hosted the Taste of Country June 14 with acts including Darius Rucker, Sheryl Crow, Rodney Atkins, Gloriana, and Jana Kramer.
References
- "North East RadioWatch" by Scott Fybush, April 30, 2001.
External links
- WYRK in the FCC's FM station database
- WYRK on Radio-Locator
- FCC History Cards (covering WADV / WYRK from 1961-1981)
- WYRK in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
now 106.6 wyrk