Buffalo's N/T WBEN Starts Simulcast

After 81 years of dominating the AM dial, WBEN radio is going to the FM side.

According to a story by James Fink at Buffalo Business First, starting today, Entercom Buffalo — owner of WBEN — is now simulcasting the news and talk station on both its longtime AM home (930) and on the FM dial (107.7) . WBEN-FM is replacing the eclectic classic rock format of WLKK-FM, the Lake, although the Lake is not going away entirely. The station will be aired on streamed format on its web site, 107.7thelake.com and 107.7 HD2.

“Clearly, this will be a loss for fans of the Lake, but the end game is that it makes WBEN a little louder and stronger,” said Tim Wenger, Entercom operations manager.

The move will see WBEN picking up new listeners, officials say, primarily those who only listen to FM stations. It will also increase its reach to the listening public.

“We want to expose WBEN to a whole new audience,” Wenger said. “While Buffalo is a strong AM market and WBEN is a ratings leader, the addition of the FM simulcast will make the WBEN brand more readily available to a vast majority of the listening public who spend time on the FM band.”

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TomzTake:  107.7 transmitter site in in a neighboring county in Wethersfeld, NY. some 40-miles SE of metro Buffalo. It will be interesting to see how much the FMer actually adds to WBEN's numbers.