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Coordinates: 43°02′02″N 76°07′52″W / 43.0339°N 76.1311°W / 43.0339; -76.1311
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WAER
Broadcast areaCentral New York
Frequency88.3 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWAER 88.3 FM
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatJazz/News/Sports
SubchannelsHD2: Jazz 88
HD3: Alt 88
AffiliationsNPR
Ownership
OwnerSyracuse University[1]
WERW
History
First air date
April 1, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-04-01)
Call sign meaning
W Alpha Epsilon Rho
(informally, Always Excellent Radio)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID64354
ClassB
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT84 meters
Transmitter coordinates
43°02′02″N 76°07′52″W / 43.0339°N 76.1311°W / 43.0339; -76.1311
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Listen live (via TuneIn)
Websitewaer.org

WAER (88.3 FM) is a radio station in Syracuse, New York. It is located on the campus of Syracuse University, and is a part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.[3] The station features a jazz music and National Public Radio format, with a news, Syracuse Orange play-by-play, and music staff providing programming around the clock.

It is best known for its sports staff, which has produced the likes of Bob Costas, Mike Tirico, 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 by WERW. Other alums include Ted Koppel, Jerry Stiller and Dick Clark. The station is managed by full-time professional staff and employs as many as 50 students each semester.[4][5][6]

History

Radio programming began on the university campus as early as 1931,[7] the year when AM station WSYR-WMAC in Syracuse built its new transmitter site on the university campus. This station employed the WMAC call sign only when it carried Syracuse University programming originating from Crouse College.[8][9] In late 1933 the call sign was changed to WSYR-WSYU, with WSYU, being used when broadcasting the university programs.[10][11] In 1940, the use of dual call letters was ended, and this station became just WSYR.

On April 1, 1947, an experimental low-powered educational FM station began broadcast at 88.1 MHz as WJIV-FM, primarily as a practical workshop for SU radio students,[12][13] becoming first class D educational station in the nation.[11] After three months, a license renewal from the FCC allowed the students to change the call sign letters to WAER (W Alpha Epsilon Rho), referring to the radio honorary society).[14][15][16] The call sign was also interpreted as Always Excellent Radio.[17] The studios, financial supported by General Electric, were located at Radio House, a set of prefabricated houses near the steps to Mount Olympus, immediately south of Carnegie Library.[14] GE provided the setup, valued at 150,000 in 1948,[18] and asked Syracuse university to experiment with this type of transmitter, in hopes of pioneering educational broadcasting by using the low-powered FM transmitters.[8][19]

The enterprise was overseen by the dean of Radio department Kenneth G. Bartlett and professor Lawrence Myers Jr. served as the faculty manager.[12] Student staff was soon appointed to create schedule of broadcast.[18][20] The broadcasts included classical music, sports, news, religious programs from the Hendricks Chapel, immediate university news, student activities, as well as official university events. The station operated from 4 pm to 10 pm to avoid lecture hours.[20][21][22][23]

When it began in 1947, WAER was authorized radiated power of only 2.5 Watt, but in 1951 FCC granted an increase in power to 1000 watts.[8] The station began broadcasting seven hours a day, seven days a week, and became Syracuse University's permanent radio station.[20][24][25] By 1984, The station ran at 6,000-watt power.[17] The station had moved to the then newly-built Newhouse II building by the seventies.[11]

Up until 1983, WAER was student-run, but in a controversial decision in 1983, SU took over WAER and hired full-time professionals to run operations and train students.[7]

Former logo

In 2017, a full length documentary titled "The Miracle Microphone: The Impossible History and History Makers of WAER Radio" chronicled the 70-year history of WAER.[14] The documentary was researched and produced by Scott MacFarlane and Keith Kobland and won New York state AP Press Association award in 2019.[19][26][27]

Formerly a component of the auxiliary services department, the station became part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in July 2021.[16] The station continues to be housed at Haft Hall, 795 Ostrom Ave, where it has been located since 2003.[11]

Programming

The station programming includes jazz music,[28][29] NPR programming, news,[30] Syracuse Orange play-by-play,[31] and special reporting projects.[32][33]

Sports

The WAER sports staff is made up entirely of students,[34] who report on home and away games.[35] It provides daily sports updates as well as play-by-play for Syracuse University football, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse. A pregame show begins 30 minutes before each broadcast (Countdown to Kickoff, Tipoff, or Faceoff) with a halftime segment (Orange at the Half) and a postgame wrap-up (The Double Overtime). The Double Overtime, airs after every football, basketball, and lacrosse game.[36]

Music

The WAER/88.3fm transmitter, atop Day Hall.

The music department is organized by Eric Cohen, multiple-time winner of National Jazz Programmer of the Year.[28][29] Larry Hoyt is the longtime voice of Common Threads on WAER. Cora Thomas is the office supervisor and runs gospel music programming, as she maintains a Sunday morning show on WAER airing from 6-8AM.

Partnership with WERW

Since February 2010, WAER has partnered with Syracuse University's WERW 1570. WERW is a student-run, free-format station, which returned to the air in 2017 after six years of only being available through iTunes radio.[37] The partnership has resulted in a weekly, 3-hour show, called Real College Radio on WAER, which is hosted by alternating reps of a select cohort of WERW DJs. The genre is adult album alternative (AAA), and each DJ brings their own new flavor to the WAER offerings.

Alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ "FM Broadcast Station License Facility ID: 64354" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WAER". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "About Us". www.waer.org. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Korey, Eileen (January 15, 2019). "Engaging the Public Media Audience, Serving the Community While Preparing Students for Careers in News and Sports Journalism". SU News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  5. ^ Razo, Eduwardo (February 23, 2022). "Bolt, Craig Appointed to GM Roles at The Newhouse School". Barrett Sports Media. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  6. ^ Student Opportunities (PDF) (Media notes). WAER 88.3 FM. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "WAER Collection An inventory of the collection at the Syracuse University Archives". library.syr.edu. SU Libraries. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "WAER Officially Increases to 1,000 Watts Today & 400 TIMES STRONGER" (PDF). The Daily Orange. April 10, 1951. pp. 1, 6, 559, 562, 564. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  9. ^ "Hill Singers Radio Concert by "Air Caster"" (PDF). Syracuse Journal. April 28, 1932. p. 12. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "Additions, Changes and Deletions to List". Radio Service Bulletin: 2. December 1, 1933.
  11. ^ a b c d Fybush, Scott (September 26, 2008). "A selection from a decade of visits to tower and studio sites in the Northeast and beyond: WAER, Syracuse, NY". Northeast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Syracuse's Infant FM Radio Industry Rapidly Growing into Lusty Giant". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. December 7, 1947. p. 69. Retrieved October 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Serving as a practical workshop for Syracuse university radio students, FM Station WAER is a non-commercial station located on the campus of Syracuse university and is managed by Larry Myers. Broadcasting on an assigned frequency of 88.1. mc, WAER has a power output of two and a half watts, which not only covers the campus, but a radius of about three miles. Open access icon
  13. ^ Boccacino, John (August 29, 2023). "Charles Reichblum '48: Original Voice of the Orange and Co-Founder of WAER". Syracuse University News. Retrieved August 30, 2023. The five students who helped launch WAER-FM radio on April 1, 1947: Charles Reichblum, John Kurtz, Jerry Adler Ehrla Niman Lapinsky, and James Cohan.
  14. ^ a b c Speach, Amy (Fall 2017). "The WAER Connection" (PDF). Syracuse University Magazine. Vol. 34, no. 3. Syracuse University. pp. 46–47. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "It began in 1932 for TV-Radio at SU". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. May 31, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved November 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. The following year [after 1946], the campus radio station, WAER, was founded Open access icon
  16. ^ a b Loughlin, Wendy S. (January 25, 2021). "WAER Will Transition to the Newhouse School This Summer". SU News. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c Taaffe, William (March 12, 1984). "The voices from Syracuse". Sports Illustrated. p. 65. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Shogan, Robert (March 4, 1949). "A Secret Station Comes Out of Hiding" (PDF). The Daily Orange. pp. 2, 547. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Scott MacFarlane and Keith Kobland (2017). The Miracle Microphone (video). Syracuse University. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c Phillips, Richard L.; Wright, Donald G. (2005). Hendricks Chapel: Seventy-five Years of Service to Syracuse University. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. pp. 202–203. ISBN 9780815608271. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "Radio Station Offering Good Music Listed". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. April 9, 1955. p. 4. Retrieved October 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. The exception, of course, is our own Syracuse University FM station. WAER. at 88.1 on the dial. They give us much of the music of the great masters... Open access icon
  22. ^ "Selection of 'Sauciest' Co-ed Settles SU Saucer Question". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. July 12, 1947. p. 2. Retrieved October 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Sponsored by WAER this two hour program... Open access icon
  23. ^ "400 SU Graduates will Get Degrees at the Chapel Today". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. September 6, 1947. p. 6. Retrieved October 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Dr. O'Geran stated Ceremonies will be broadcast over the campus experimental FM station WAER. Open access icon
  24. ^ Bolton, Janet (February 1951). "News and notes". Quarterly Journal of Speech. 37 (1): 144. doi:10.1080/00335635109381630. ISSN 0033-5630. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "Threads: WAER in Syracuse". Oocities. June 2001. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  26. ^ Niles, Lydia (March 4, 2018). "Syracuse University alum produces documentary on 70-year history of WAER". The Daily Orange. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  27. ^ "NYSAPA broadcast, newspaper award winners announced". AP NEWS. June 2, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Baker, Chris (June 18, 2014). "Changes coming at WAER: More news, less jazz". The Post-Standard. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  29. ^ a b Kobland, Keith (June 18, 2014). "WAER Changes Format to News All Day, Jazz All Night". SU News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  30. ^ Intaglietta, Mary Kate (November 18, 2020). "Student Reporters Played Critical Role in WAER 88.3 FM's Election Coverage". SU News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  31. ^ "WAER News, Sports & Online Efforts Draw 10 Syracuse Press Awards". SU News. May 9, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  32. ^ "WAER 88.3 FM Launches 'City Limits: Winds of Change'". SU News. October 23, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  33. ^ "About". City Limits. WAER. September 23, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  34. ^ Intaglietta, Mary Kate (January 26, 2021). "WAER 88.3 FM Welcomes New Sports Director". SU News. Retrieved January 27, 2021. As sports director, May will be responsible for leading a team of students in the tradition of providing high-quality sports broadcasts and coverage to...
  35. ^ Horvath, Jennifer (April 7, 2021). "Alumni Provide Support to WAER Students at the NCAA Tournament". SU News. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  36. ^ Macri, Josh (November 9, 2008). "Double Overtime Recap - Rutgers 35 Syracuse 17". The Post-Standard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  37. ^ Herbert, Geoff (February 10, 2017). "Syracuse radio station returning to airwaves for first time in 6 years". The Post-Standard. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  38. ^ Herbert, Geoff (September 13, 2017). "Marv Albert returns to Syracuse for WAER Hall of Fame, new radio doc". The Post-Standard. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  39. ^ a b "Ed Levine, Marv Albert Among New WAER Hall of Famers". Insideradio.com. September 14, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  40. ^ a b Bush, Greta (September 27, 2018). "WAER Inducts Len Berman '68, G'70 and Steve Kroft '71 into Hall of Fame". SU News. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  41. ^ a b c Stockton, Dick (March 28, 2019). "What is the Greatest Enemy for a Sports Broadcaster?". Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  42. ^ Niedt, Bob (April 19, 2012). "Dick Clark, who died Wednesday, had solid connections to SU, Central New York radio and television". The Post-Standard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  43. ^ Tobin, Dave (June 5, 2013). "Newhouse School to name new studio after America's DJ, Dick Clark". The Post-Standard. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  44. ^ "Bob Costas '74 to Be Enshrined in WAER Hall of Fame". SU News. September 16, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  45. ^ "Syracuse Radio Station WAER To Induct NBC's Bob Costas Into HOF". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. September 21, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  46. ^ a b Keeler, Ricky (October 8, 2021). "Bob Costas: I Am Not As Good As I Used To Be". Barrett Sports Media.
  47. ^ "Ian Eagle Inducted into WAER Hall of Fame". American Sportscasters Association. August 19, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  48. ^ Masur, Andy. "Anatomy of a Broadcaster: Ian Eagle". Barrett Sports Media. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  49. ^ "'60 Minutes' journalist speaks at SU graduation". The Ithaca Journal. AP. May 13, 1996. p. 12. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  50. ^ "Syracuse University to receive Ted Koppel Collection". SU News. June 10, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  51. ^ Herbert, Geoff (May 25, 2012). "Syracuse University alumnus Ted Koppel is WAER Hall of Fame's first inductee". The Post-Standard. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  52. ^ a b Lee, Joe (August 26, 2014). "McDonough '84 Roth '87 Newest Hall of Fame Inductees". www.waer.org. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  53. ^ "Andrew Musser - Obituary". www.legacy.com. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  54. ^ "Greg Papa Is Still Trying To Impress His Big Brother". Barrett Sports Media. June 8, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  55. ^ Masur, Andy (September 19, 2019). "Ron Santo Prepared Cory Provus For Bob Uecker". Barrett Sports Media. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  56. ^ Segelbaum, Dylan; van Rheenan, Erik (November 4, 2013). "Excursions on a Wobbly Rail: Alumna remembers Lou Reed's time at WAER". The Daily Orange. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  57. ^ Kobland, Keith (October 21, 2016). "Dick Stockton '60 Recognizes WAER and Newhouse School During NFL Broadcast". SU News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  58. ^ Kobland, Keith (February 24, 2014). "Mike Tirico '88 Enshrined on WAER-FM Wall of Fame". SU News. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  59. ^ Lee, Joe (March 3, 2014). "Mike Tirico WAER Hall of Fame Induction". www.waer.org. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  60. ^ "ESPN's Mike Tirico to be inducted into Syracuse University's WAER Radio Hall of Fame". ESPN Front Row. February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
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