WHAM (AM): Difference between revisions

| area = {{ubl|[[Rochester metropolitan area, New York|Rochester metropolitan area]]<br>|[[Western New York]]<br>|[[Southern Ontario]]}}

| frequency = 1180 [[Hertz|kHz]]

| translatorstranslator = {{Radio Relay|96.1 [[MHz]]|W241DG|Rochester}}

| format repeater = {{Radio Relay|95.1|[[Talk radioWAIO|News/TalkWAIO-HD2]]|[[Honeoye Falls]]}}

| power format = 50,000 [[wattNews/talk]]s unlimited

| affiliations = {{ubl|[[PremiereCBS NetworksNews Radio]]<BR>|[[WestwoodFox OneNews Radio]]<BR>|[[FoxNBC News Radio]]|[[Compass Media Networks]]|[[Premiere Networks]]|[[Radio America (United States)|Radio America]]|[[Westwood One]]}}

| callsign_meaning = The word "wham"

| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1080 kHz (1922-19281922–1928)<br>|1150 kHz (1928-19411928–1941)}}

| coordinates = {{ubl|{{coord|43|4|55|N|77|43|30|W|type:landmark}}<br>{{nowrap|{{coord|43|5|51|N|77|35|1|W}}}} (backup)}}

'''WHAM''' (1180 [[Hertz|kHz]]) is a commercial [[Clear-channel station|clear channel]] [[AM broadcasting|AM]] [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]] in [[Rochester, New York]], United States. It is owned by [[iHeartMedia]] and airs a [[Talk radio|Newsnews/Talktalk]] [[radio format]]. The studios and offices are at [[Five Star Bank Plaza]] in downtown Rochester.

Its 50,000-[[watt]] [[omnidirectional antenna|non-directional]] [[transmitter]], located in [[Chili, New York]], operates the maximum power for commercial AM stations in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]]. During the day, it provides at least secondary coverage to all of [[Western New York]], including [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]. It can also be heard in much of [[Southern Ontario]], including [[Toronto]], [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], and [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]. At night, WHAM can be received across much of the [[Eastern United States]] and [[Eastern Canada]] with a good radio. It is the [[Emergency Alert System]]'s primary entry point station for Western New York.

WHAM carries two local newsblocksnews blocks on weekdays: ''The WHAM Morning News'' and ''The WHAM 5 O'Clock Hour News''. Local talk shows are [[Bob Lonsberry]] (8 am to noon) and ''Talking Back with Shannon Joy'' (9 to 10 pm). The rest of the schedule is [[Broadcast syndication|nationally syndicated]] talk shows, mostly from co-owned [[Premiere Networks]]: [[Clay Travis]] and ''[[The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show|Buck Sexton]]'', [[Sean Hannity]] and ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]'' with [[George Noory]]. In addition, WHAM carries [[Mark Levin]] from [[Westwood One]] and [[Joe Pags]], who is based at co-owned [[WOAI (AM)|WOAI]] in [[San Antonio]].

Weekend programming includes shows on money, health, home repair, cars, technology and law. Weekend hosts include [[Bill Cunningham (talk show host)|Bill Cunningham]], computer expert [[Leo Laporte]] "The Tech Guy", and some [[brokered programming]].

The station first [[Sign-on and sign-off|signed on]] the air on {{startJuly date11, and age|1922|7|11}}.<ref>{{cite news|title=Widespread Circle Help To Mark WHAM Birthday|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-07-14-BC.pdf|access-date=3 October 3, 2014|agency=Broadcasting4Broadcasting|date=July 14, 1947}}</ref> While not the first station to be licensed to the Rochester market (that distinction belongs to the defunct WHQ), it is the oldest surviving station in the area.

The selection of the "WHAM" call letters came from a suggestion from industrialistIndustrialist [[George Eastman]], the founder of the Rochester-based [[Kodak|Eastman Kodak Company]], based in Rochester. He helped the [[University of Rochester]] launch the station and thought the "WHAM" name would prove to be a clever marketing tool. Jim Barney helped the university get the station on the air.

In 1927, WHAM was acquired by [[Stromberg-Carlson]],<ref name=facility>{{cite news|title=(photo caption)|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-02-16-BC.pdf|access-date=7 November 7, 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=February 16, 1948}}</ref> a maker of radio and telecommunications equipment then based in Rochester. The company expanded the station's operations and boosted its signal to 5,000 watts shortly after the acquisition.

It was relocated from 1080 to 1150&nbsp;[[Hertz|kHz]] in the overall national reorganization of the AM radio band by the [[Federal Radio Commission]] in 1928. In 1933, WHAM was allowed to increase power to 25,000 watts. A ceremony marking the event included a three-hour broadcast from the [[Eastman Theatre]] with "a galaxy of stars" participating.<ref>{{cite news|title=WHAM ad|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1933/1933-04-01-BC.pdf|access-date=9 October 9, 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=April 1, 1933}}</ref> It later got a boost to its current 50,000 watt level.

In February 1948, WHAM and its FM [[sister station]], WHFM (now 98.9 [[WBZA]]), moved into a new facility, Rochester Radio City. The building included 24 offices and six studios, the largest of which could accommodate 400 people in the audience.<ref name=facility/>

WHAM has ties to two of the city's television stations. It put the city's first station on the air, WHAM-TV, in 1949. That station is now [[WROC-TV]], the area's [[CBS]] [[Network affiliate|affiliate]]. In 2005, the area's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate, WOKR, changed its [[call sign]] to [[WHAM-TV]]. Clear Channel Communications (now known as [[iHeartMedia]]), boughtalready the stationowner inof WHAM radio, owned WOKR/WHAM-TV from 2002 anduntil the sale soldof its entire television group to [[Newport Television]] (controlled by Providence Equity Partners) in 2007; the two stations still have a news partnership.

WHAM radio host [[Bob Lonsberry]] has often been the source of controversy, due to his on-air remarks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/22/1453272/-It-s-way-past-time-for-Bob-Lonsberry-to-go|title=It's (way past) time for Bob Lonsberry to go|website=Daily Kos|access-date=November 5, 2019-11-05}}</ref> He was fired from his show in 2003, but was later brought back due to boycotts by aggrieved fans.

News articles were circulated about him comparing a derogatory racial reference to the term "Boomers" - a colloquial reference for people born during the [[Baby boomers|Baby Boom]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/11/radio-host-bob-lonsberry-says-boomer-is-like-n-word-gets-ridiculed-online.html|title=Radio host Bob Lonsberry says 'boomer' is like N-word, gets ridiculed online|last=Herbert|first=Geoff|date=November 4, 2019-11-04|website=syracuse|language=en|access-date=November 5, 2019-11-05}}</ref>

Lonsberry's showalso ishosts alsoa broadcastshow later in the day on co-owned [[WSYR (AM)|WSYR]] [[(570 AM]] and [[WSYR-FM|106.9 FM]]) in [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] and co-hosts a show on WHAM sister station [[WAIO]].

*[ {{Official website|https://wham1180.iheart.com/ WHAM 1180 home page]}}

{{AM station data|37545|WHAM}}

[[Category:RadioIHeartMedia radio stations licensed before 1923 and still broadcasting]]