WGWE

WGWE (105.9 MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Little Valley, New York. The station, with its tower on Fourth Street in the village of Little Valley, broadcast at 7,000 watts, effective radiated power (ERP).[1]

WGWE
CityLittle Valley, New York
Broadcast areaSouthwestern New York/Southtowns
Frequency105.9 MHz
BrandingClassic Hits 105.9 WGWE (2010–2021)
Energy Radio Buffalo (2022)
Programming
FormatDefunct (was EDM and classic hits)
Ownership
OwnerRadioactive, LLC (2009)
Seneca Nation of Indians (2010–2021)
Paul Izard (2022)
(Paul Izard Communications LLC)
History
First air date
February 1, 2010 (2010-02-01)
Last air date
April 14, 2022 (2022-04-14)
Call sign meaning
"Gwe" translates to "What's up?" in the Seneca language
Technical information
Facility ID166028
ClassB1
ERP7,000 watts
HAAT191 meters (627 ft)
Repeater(s)WAGL 96.7 FM Portville, New York (2020)

From 2010 to 2021, the Seneca Nation of New York operated the station with a locally originated classic hits format, targeting the western Southern Tier; the station's signal gave strong coverage to both of the Seneca Nation's populated reservations as well as the cities of Dunkirk, Jamestown, Olean and Bradford, all within a 30-mile radius of Little Valley (such that the previous inhabitant of 105.9 in Jamestown, WOGM-LP, had to change frequencies to 104.7 to accommodate the new signal). It was this 11-year run that is most associated with the WGWE history.[2] Pandemic-related disruptions and consolidation of the other radio stations in Cattaraugus County under one company prompted the Seneca Nation to abandon the station, in which it had previously invested heavily, in 2021. A brief effort was made to repurpose the signal as a rimshot covering the southern suburbs of Buffalo, New York when Paul Izard purchased the signal to simulcast his electronic dance music webcast, but Izard shut down the station after six weeks and surrendered the license in 2022 without making an effort to resell.

History
WGWE's logo as a Seneca Nation-owned classic hits station, along with its mascot Rocky the Rockin' Raccoon.

The Seneca Nation had been attempting to enter the radio business for several years prior to WGWE's founding. In the immediate years before acquiring the station, it was applying for noncommercial licenses to operate from the Seneca Nation's capital of Irving. Mutual exclusivity conflicts with out-of-town religious broadcasters prevented these proposals from reaching the air.

The Seneca nation purchased WGWE's construction permit from Randy Michaels's holding company Radioactive, LLC in early 2009 and signed on February 1, 2010.[3] The first song played on WGWE was "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow," a song by Peter La Farge about the Senecas' opposition to the Kinzua Dam that was performed by Johnny Cash on Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian; it would continue to be played every Friday at noon through its entire existence. Originally a locally originated automated station for its first several months, the station began broadcasting what was then Citadel Media's Classic Hits Radio satellite format in late June 2010 in all shifts except weekday mornings and noon; the station disaffiliated from Classic Hits Radio in 2016. Mike "Smitty" Smith, former disc jockey at WPIG, was the station's first manager, hosting the morning drive time show and noon call-in request hours from studios inside the former Uni-Mart in Salamanca. Additional local hosts were added several months later.

Casey Hill and Jesse Garon, both of whom had previously worked with Smitty at WPIG, also held shifts at WGWE for several years before leaving Western New York. Former KFXM disc jockey "Double-D" Danny Dare also worked at the station for short stints in fall 2014 and in 2015. After Hill's and Garon's departures, for a brief time in the mid-2010s, dayparts outside of morning drive and noon were held by younger disc jockeys, including Erika J, JB's Jukebox, and the Austin Hill Show. Engineer Ace Boogie also held an afternoon drive airshift. Under Smith, the station used minimal jingles and an open-ended playlist ranging from the 1930s to the 1990s.

Smith retired from radio in 2016 to pursue the office of (and eventually serve four years as) mayor of Salamanca. Chris Russell, who had been program director at the cluster of WQRS and WGGO, took over as manager and morning drive host. Russell overhauled and streamlined the station's format into a more professionally styled presentation and more narrowly defined (but still slightly eclectic)[2] playlist, also adding a roster of syndicated programming (much of it brought over from WGGO) on weekends, including reruns of Wolfman Jack and That Thing with Rich Appel.[2] Under Russell's five-year tenure, the station's on-air lineup added market veteran Cindy Scott and held over Brett Maybee and Miss B from the Smitty era.

Throughout its existence, a portion of its programming was set aside for Native American content, including daily airings of National Native News and a local show devoted to native music, "Gae:no'." The station was also a partner for the Native American Music Awards, airing several ceremonies. The station also carried a roster of mostly local sports that included Buffalo Bandits indoor lacrosse, St. Bonaventure Bonnies women's basketball (the station was also slated to carry the college's men's lacrosse team but shut down before that team began play), high school athletics, Southern Tier Diesel adult amateur football, Olean Oilers collegiate summer baseball, and youth football and lacrosse. As recently as 2020, the Seneca Nation—which abolished Seneca Holdings and took over operations of the station directly under its Seneca Media and Communications Center arm after Russell's arrival—had planned on maintaining and expanding the station,[4] including the eventual addition of FM 96.7 as a simulcast, an agreement that ultimately lasted only three days.

Closure

With Seven Mountains Media buying out all three of WGWE's privately held competitors—Community Broadcasters, Andrulonis Media and Sound Communications;[5][2] the Seneca Nation announced on March 1, 2021 that it would be shutting down WGWE on March 31, a decision made directly by the Seneca Nation council.[6] In its filing with the FCC, the Seneca Nation noted that it had sustained "long-term losses" operating the station, which had escalated into "financial distress" during the COVID-19 pandemic. The filing requested a suspension of operations, which would allow up to one year for the Seneca Nation to either relaunch or sell the station.[7] WGWE ended programming at 10:09 p.m., with a farewell statement from Russell, a montage of end-themed songs, a final playing of "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow," and ending programming with Van Halen's cover of "Happy Trails."

"Gae:no'" was later picked up for syndication through Native Voice One.[8] Russell and Scott, being [9]nationally syndicated on air personalities, had their shows picked up by WXMT-FM in Bradford, PA [10] The former studios were sold off to a neighboring restaurant.[11]

Final days under Paul Izard

In September 2021, the Seneca Nation sold the WGWE license to Paul Izard for $25,000. Izard operated Energy Radio Buffalo, an electronic dance music webcaster.[12] Izard's efforts targeted the Buffalo market 40 miles away; WGWE's signal in theory covered much of the southern portion of the area but faced adjacent-channel interference from a Family Life Network translator in Buffalo on 106.1 and cross-border interference from CHRE-FM in St. Catharines, Ontario on 105.7, limiting the northern reach of the signal. The sale was consummated on December 23, 2021; WGWE began simulcasting Energy Radio Buffalo on March 2. The format lasted only six weeks on-air; on April 14, Izard surrendered the WGWE license to the FCC and shut down both the station and the webcast.[13] The FCC cancelled WGWE's license on April 18.

References
  1. "WSWE-FM 92.7 MHz - Sweet Briar, VA". Radio-locator.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  2. Jacobson, Adam (March 24, 2021). "A Western NY FM Calls It Quits". Radio+Television Business Report. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  3. ReporterJan. 21, 2010, Rich Place City. "Don't touch that dial …". Salamancapress.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  4. "WGWE celebrates 10 years! • SNI Official Newsletter". Sninews.org. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  5. "NERW Extra: Family Life, Seven Mountains, Sound Strike Twin Tiers Deal". 5 February 2021.
  6. "WGWE 105.9 FM Closing". Thevillagerny.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  7. "WGWE To Suspend Operations". Radioinsight.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  8. "Gaënö'". Gaenomusic.fm. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  9. https://www.cloudcastradio.com/
  10. "Air Staff". Mountain1063radio.com. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  11. Deb Everts. "Salamanca businessman expands food service with new diner". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  12. Station sales: week of 9/24. Radio Insight. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  13. From acquisition to license surrender in 102 days. Radio Insight. Retrieved April 19, 2022.

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