- WAER
Infobox_Radio_station
name = WAER-FM
city =
area = Central New York
branding =
airdate =April 1 , 1947
frequency = 88.3 (MHz) HD Radio
format =Jazz /News /Sports
power = 50,000watt s
erp =
class = 202B
callsign_meaning =
owner =Syracuse University
website = [http://www.waer.org waer.org]WAER (88.3 FM) is a
radio station inSyracuse, New York . It is located on the campus ofSyracuse University , and is an auxiliary service of the school. The station features a jazz music andNational Public Radio format, with a news and music staff providing programming around the clock. It is best known, however, for its sports staff, which has produced the likes ofBob Costas ,Marv Albert ,Mike Tirico ,Sean McDonough ,Ian Eagle ,Brian Higgins ,Dick Stockton and many others.Lou Reed also hosted a free-format show on WAER during his time at Syracuse University; this free-format radio tradition at Syracuse is carried on byWERW .Student Sports Staff
The WAER sports staff is made up entirely of students. It provides daily sports updates as well as play-by-play for Syracuse University football, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse. During the summer, WAER also broadcasts Saturday night home games for the International League's
Syracuse Chiefs , the Triple-A affiliate of theToronto Blue Jays .*Training ProcessStudents learn the sports radio craft in a unique way. All training is conducted by students, with only casual supervision provided by the news director. Every fall, the process begins with a recruitment meeting, where students (mostly freshman) fill out applications and submit broadcast writing samples to the directors of the sports staff. Typically, there are anywhere from 30 to 50 applicants. This number is whittled down to roughly 20, using the applications and personal interviews as guidelines. The new members, called writers, then begin their training process.
It starts with each writer being assigned one morning a week to come in and hand write a sportscast and voice it onto a portable recording device. After each 'cast, the writer meets with his or her assigned personnel director, who is responsible for critiquing the cast and telling the writer what he or she needs to improve upon. The process continues week after week, until such time as the personnel director deems the writer ready to advance, or decides the writer has not progressed enough and needs to be let go. On average, writers take anywhere from two to four semesters to be cleared for air. Though the initial class starts with 20 members, the average class size on the WAER sports staff is about 7 to 9.
Notable personnel directors include: Alyssa TombackMarc PenzinerCory ProvusAndrew DemetraEvans BostonJason Chandler
Each personnel director has his or her own style. Some stress the importance of creativity in their writing, while others focus on the nuts and bolts breakdown of a 3:00 sportscast. Often, undergrads are forced to trek through sub-arctic conditions in the middle of the upstate New York winter to deliver a sportscast unheard by any listeners.
The current sports director at WAER is Dan Wolfgang.
*Recent Past Sports Directors2008-2009 Dan Wolfgang
2007-2008 Ryan Messick
2006-2007 Dan Bumpus
2005-2006 Greg Bilazarian
2004-2005 Jason Benetti
2003-2004 Anish Shroff
2002-2003 Andy Demetra / Evans Boston
2001-2002 Andy Jones
2000-2001 Damon AmendolaraTalk Show staff
The WAER talk show staff is student-run and puts on two types of show. One, the Express Sales Lincoln Mercury Double Overtime, airs after every football, basketball, and lacrosse game. This is a post-game call-in show that also includes a reporter, who explains what the coaches and players said to the media after the games. Some callers include former SU lacrosse All-American Ric Beardsley, as well as current SU basketball player Eric Devendorf.
In addition, SportsNight airs every Saturday at 8pm. This show is a magazine style format, similar to "Outside the Lines" on ESPN. The show examines issues such as gambling and sports, violence in athletics, and the growth of commercialism. SportsNight is also known for its yearly previews of the three main Syracuse sports teams, the MLB and NFL seasons, and also the NFL Draft. Previous guests on SportsNight have included SU graduates Bob Costas, Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Ian Eagle, Sean McDonough, Jayson Stark (ESPN.com), Tyler Kepner (New York Times) and Mike Tirico (voice of Monday Night Football). NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, Sal Paolantonio, a US Congressman, MLB hall of fame member Stan “The Man” Musial and dozens of columnists and writers from around the country. The program has been awarded many awards over the past 11 years.
External links
*FMQ|WAER
*FML|WAER
*FMARB|WAERThe music department is organized by Eric Cohen, multiple-time winner of National Jazz Programmer of the Year. E.C. (as he is affectionately known to employees of the station) is one of the most well-respected and influential jazz D.J.'s of the modern radio era (1970-present). Larry Hoyt is the longtime voice of Jazz Overnight Express on WAER. Larry blends smooth vocals with whimsical folk melodies to create a sound that takes Central New York jazz enthusiasts through the night. Chris Bolt (1992-present) is the dependable, curly-locked public-affairs and news director. He matches a keen news sense with a knowledge of the local news landscape unmatched by contemporaries. Joe Lee is the brawn behind the WAER operation. As G.M. Lee oversees the station to make sure it remains one of Central New York's most listened-to NPR affiliates. Nick Marasco (1996-present) is the hard-working engineer who ensures that every elegant horn and bone-rattling bass line sounds impeccable on WAER's airwaves. Ron Ockert is the buttery-voiced day-time jazz D.J. With his dry wit and trademark mustache, Ockert has been the voice of daytime AER listeners for years.
The contact phone number for the sports department is (315) 443- 4047. Callers will still find a voice mail message crafted by mid-90s grad Jim Lerch, now sports director of WHEN (Syracuse).
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