WPIG

History

The station originally signed on as WHDL-FM in 1949 and in its early years was affiliated, like most upstate New York FMs of the time, with WQXR in New York City. James F. Hastings, later a U.S. Congressman, ran the station from 1952 to 1966. The call sign was changed from WHDL-FM to WEBF-FM in recognition of station owner E. Boyd Fitzpatrick. During the 1980s, the station aired what today's jockeys pejoratively referred to as an "elevator music" (likely something along the lines of middle-of-the-road, beautiful music or easy listening) format. In September 1988, under new ownership, the station was known as WOLN (not to be confused with FM 91.3, the public radio station that uses the call signs) with an adult contemporary format. A year later, on September 29, 1989, the call sign was changed to WPIG. Later, on November 6, mirroring the national trend, the station switched formats to the rapidly burgeoning country music format and became known as "The Big Pig 95.7, Today's Sizzlin' Country," which remains the station's motto.

During the first several years of the country format, WPIG disc jockeys used pseudonyms with pig-based puns, such as: "Smokey' Joe Bacon," "Michael Hamm," "Peggy Banks," "Sue EE Cinamon Frank "Adam Ribbs," and "Christopher Neggs" (the first incarnation of The Morning Pigpen's hosts were thus bacon, ham, 'n'eggs; see also the Froggy brand, which uses similar frog-based pun names). This idea was dropped in the late 1990s as the second generation of disc jockeys would join the station, all of whom used more conventional names. Neggs remains with the station as a weekend personality and fill-in, now using his real name, Nick Purcio.

The second generation of hosts remained in their positions for over a decade; from 1998 to 2006 and 2008 to 2009, the station's lineup featured the same lineup of disc jockeys. Mark Thompson, the program director and co-host of the morning show, is the last remaining on-air personality from this era; the other three hosts from this era (Casey Hill, Mike "Smitty" Smith and Jesse Garon, all three of whom have either retired from radio and/or left Western New York) went on to launch WGWE shortly after leaving The Pig. This cleared the way for the third, and later fourth, generation of hosts that currently air on the station. WPIG added the slogan "Today's Fun Country" in 2009, which rotates with the "Sizzlin' Country" format. Also added around this time was the Big Pig Jackpot, a contest in which the station announces the amount of money in a progressive jackpot over the course of the day cold-calls random people in the listening area to test if they listen to the station; a person who either knows the answer (or, by chance, guesses correctly) wins the jackpot. The jackpot was dropped in 2014.

The station tweaked its image in 2013 with its sale to Community Broadcasters, adding 30-minute blocks of "continuous country," dropping national news, auto racing coverage and its Saturday night classic country block, taking over the local chapter of the national Country Showdown competition (which had previously rested with WQRS), and changing its voiceover announcer for the first time since adopting the country format. The station began streaming its programming on the Internet for the first time in its history beginning in 2014.

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.

The Morning Pigpen

The Morning Pigpen is one of WPIG's oldest programs and currently features Mark Thompson, Katie McLean, weather with Wayne Mahar and newsman Gary Nease. It airs weekdays from 6–9 a.m.

Mark Thompson

Thompson currently hosts a two-hour voicetracked shift immediately after the Morning Pigpen ends.

Katie McLean

Katie McLean hosts middays from 11a-2p. Included in McLean's shift is the Country Call-In Cafe, an all-request lunch hour that airs from noon to 1 p.m. and generally features at least some music not normally aired in the station's regular playlist. Close's Lumber is the current presenting sponsor of the request hour.

Justin Case

Afternoon drive is currently hosted by Justin Case since the departure of Brad Majors in May 2014. It airs weekdays from 2p-6p

Smokin' Joe

Smokin' Joe is the new host of "Sizzlin' Country Nights" from 6 pm−12 mid on the Big Pig! . Joe's show features a "Top 8 at 8" countdown which tabulates the eight most requested songs of the day.

Overnights feature CMT After Midnite with Cody Alan, which was added in 2014 after Blair Garner ended his syndicated overnight show.

News and weather

Weather operations for WPIG are handled by Wayne Mahar, who is also the chief meteorologist for WSTM-TV in Syracuse. A recording of his daily forecast is heard at the top of each hour and he has a live telephone interview segment each weekday morning during the Morning Pigpen. In the event Mahar is unavailable, either Phil Spevak (also based in Syracuse) or another WSTM personality will fill in.

WPIG operates a local news bureau headed by news director Gary Nease and reporter Nick Purcio. ABC News Now is heard hourly during the Morning Pigpen (prior to 2013 it was heard at the top of the hour throughout the day) and all day on weekends.

Weekend programs

Interns, voice-tracked shifts and automated programming fill the remaining weekend slots.

Sports programming

Special programming

Syndicated

First generation

Second generation

Third generation

Audience

WPIG's 43,000 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 Arbitron ratings in the Olean market. Prior to 2009, the station ranked over a 20 share; the most recent ratings, from fall 2014, show the station having dropped to a 17 share due to increased competition.

Other uses