Wiki Wednesday
July 9th, 2008. Filed under: Wednesday's Wonders.I just read about Wiki Wednesday on A Book Blogger’s Diary. You can go there to see the rules which are very simple. My Wiki Wednesday posting is a long one. You can read even more at Wikipedia. Here goes:
WPIG
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WPIG | |
 |
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| City of license | Olean |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Olean/Jamestown, NY |
| Branding | The Big Pig 95.7 |
| Slogan | Today’s Sizzlin’ Country |
| Frequency | 95.7 |
| First air date | 1947 (current format began in 1989) |
| Format | Country music |
| Power | 93,000 Watts |
| Callsign meaning | W PIG |
| Owner | Backyard Broadcasting |
| Website | http://www.wpig.com/ |
WPIG is an FM radio station located in Olean, New York. Branded as the “Big Pig,” “The Pig” or simply by its frequency and callsigns at times, the station operates at 95.7 MHz on the FM dial.
Contents |
History
The station originally signed on as WHDL-FM in 1947 and in its early years was affiliated, like most upstate New York FMs of the time, with WQXR in New York City. In Nov. 1989, the station switched formats to the rapidly burgeoning country music format and became “WPIG– The Big Pig 95.7, Today’s Sizzlin’ Country,” which is its current motto.
Programming
Two programs have been on WPIG ever since its launch: the Morning Pigpen, the station’s morning show, and the Country Call-in Café, an all-request lunch hour (although both have changed hosts since their inception). WPIG relies heavily upon local content.
WPIG’s program director is Mark Thompson and the music director is Jesse Garon.
Weekday Schedule
The Morning Pigpen
The Morning Pigpen is one of WPIG’s oldest programs and currently features Mark Thompson, Casey Hill, weather with Wayne Mahar and newsman Gary Nease. It airs weekdays from 6-9 a.m.
Bethany
Bethany is the brand new host of the Midday Mayhem show. She previously was a part-time weekend jock since 2001 and served as a fill in during the week as needed. The show airs weekdays from 9am-noon.
Country Call In Cafe
This all-request lunch hour, airing from noon to 1 p.m., usually plays a mix of parody songs, classic country, and new or upcoming music. Virtually none of the station’s regular playlist is used in this hour, and the station has been known to play everything from Hank Williams, Sr. to Hank Williams III. Comedy songs by artists such as Rodney Carrington and Cledus T. Judd have been prominently featured during the Cafe.
Smitty
Mike “Smitty” Smith, in addition to hosting the Cafe, also hosts the 1-6 p.m. shift. Requests for more mainstream songs that are requested during the Country Call-in Cafe are usually played during the 1:00 hour as “leftovers,” while classics that they cannot fit into the regular show are postponed and played at the 3:00 hour, also as “leftovers.” In addition, Smith’s son, Ron, frequently makes appearances on the show, and the station is applying to the Guinness Book of World Records to have Ron Smith recognized as the world’s youngest disc jockey.
Jesse Garon
Jesse Garon hosts from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Features heard on Garon’s Sizzlin’ Country Nights:
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- 6:10-6:40 PM “Top 6 at 6” Daily countdown, based upon listener requests to the station.
- 6-9 PM “Spotlight Artist” An artist is featured with several songs throughout the night scattered throughout the playlist. Also during this time period, requests are taken, but in contrast to the Country Call-in Cafe, the songs played during this request period are usually more mainstream hits.
- 7:15 PM “Sizzle or Fizzle” A brand new song (never played before on the station) is played and callers vote on whether or not they like the song. Results announced at 7:50pm.
- Wednesdays, 8-9 PM All new and upcoming music
Miscellaneous
- 12 M-6 AM After Midnitewith Blair Garner
- Weather is provided by Wayne Mahar of WSTM in Syracuse, New York and national news is provided by ABC News Radio.
Weekend Programs
- Saturdays, 8-10 AM: Z-Max Racing Country from the Performance Racing Network
- Saturdays, 10 AM-3 PM: A live remote from one of the weekday hosts
- Saturdays, 7 PM-12 M: Country Gold Saturday Night from Westwood One
- Sundays, 6:45 AM Public affairs
- Sundays, 7-8 AM: Country Gospel Music Hour
- Sundays, 8-10 AM: The Country Oldies Showwith Steve Warren
- Sundays, 10 AM-12 N: NASCAR USA from the Motor Racing Network
- Sundays, 12 N-7 PM: Live sporting events
Interns and part-time weekend jocks (Nick Purcio [formerly known as morning host “Christopher Neggs”]and Chrissy) fill in during any open timeslots. The station only runs on autopilot on Sunday nights.
Sports programming
- WPIG is the flagship station of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team.
- Buffalo Bills of the NFL
- NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
Special Programming
- On every August 16, Jesse Garon, whose name is borrowed from the name of Elvis Presley‘s twin brother, plays a tribute to Elvis to commemorate the anniversary of his death. The tribute can range from a few songs to a six-hour special; the full six hour special airs every five years, and has thus far aired on the 25th and 30th anniversary of Presley’s death.
- WPIG airs A WPIG Country Christmas, an automated selection of country-themed Christmas music, throughout Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.
Audience
WPIG’s 93,000 watts of power allows the station to boom its signal through Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Wyoming Counties in New York, as well as McKean and Potter Counties in Pennsylvania.
The station regularly registers by far the top Arbitronratings in the Olean market.
WPIG does not stream its programming on the Internet at this time.