Plans are dropped for WNED-AM to simulcast WBFO programming

By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor

Plans for the financially troubled WNED-AM to suspend operations this month and simulcast programming from WBFO 88.7 FM will not happen at this time, said Jennifer Roth, WBFO general manager.

However, while the two noncommercial stations will not pursue plans to apply for a grant to study ways they could work together, WBFO-UB's National Public Radio affiliate-remains open to the two stations possibly working together in the future, Roth said.

An outcry from the community prompted officials from the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNYPBA), owner of WNED-AM, WNED-FM and WNED-TV, to drop plans to suspend operation of WNED-AM and have WBFO's programming simulcast on WNED. Critics had called the proposal to suspend operations of WNED-AM, the former all-news station WEBR-AM, another blow to local radio journalism.

In the meantime, the WBFO Advisory Board has opposed plans for the two stations to apply jointly for a Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant to fund a study of ways the public-broadcasting entities in Western New York might collaborate.

Roth said that although the WBFO board did not take a formal vote on the issue, it was the "sense of the board" that WBFO "is a strong and successful station moving ahead in the right direction." The board felt it should not do anything "that might change that direction," she said. She stressed that although the two stations currently are not pursuing joint funding, WBFO will continue discussions with WNYPBA regarding ways the stations might collaborate in the future. "There might be projects we could do together that would be beneficial to the community," Roth said.

She pointed out that while WBFO and WNED-AM both broadcast NPR's weekday news magazines "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered"-programs WBFO has aired since their inception and that had been picked up several years ago by WNED-the majority of the two stations' schedules consist of different programming, both locally and nationally produced.

And even with that small duplication of programming, listeners "get different local services altogether" in the presentation of that programming, such as local news, public service announcements and community information, she emphasized.

WNED-AM will kick off a nine-day, on-air fund-raising campaign just prior to WBFO's spring fund-raiser, scheduled to run from Feb. 27 through March 6. Roth said that many Western New Yorkers might believe WBFO is part of WNYPBA and she hopes that will not impact WBFO's fund-raiser. "We're not legally or technically connected in any way, but share common missions, goals and needs," she said.

"We hope WBFO's listeners understand and appreciate the distinctions between the two entities and give as generously as they can to WBFO, especially the UB community. As of today, there are (in Western New York) three noncommercial public radio stations, each filling a market niche; that's a terrific thing," she added. "It's saying something about the people of Buffalo that they are willing to support these three different services."