View source for WHAM (AM)

{{Short description|Clear-channel AM radio station in Rochester, New York}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name            = WHAM
| logo            = Wham1180.png
| city            = [[Rochester, New York]]
| country         = US
| area            = {{ubl|[[Rochester metropolitan area, New York|Rochester metropolitan area]]|[[Western New York]]|[[Southern Ontario]]}}
| branding        = NewsRadio WHAM 1180
| airdate         = {{start date and age|1922|7|11}}
| frequency       = 1180 [[kHz]]
| translator      = {{Radio Relay|96.1|W241DG|Rochester}}
| repeater        = {{Radio Relay|95.1|[[WAIO|WAIO-HD2]]|[[Honeoye Falls]]}}
| format          = [[News/talk]]
| power           = 50,000 watts unlimited
| facility_id     = 37545
| affiliations    = {{ubl|[[CBS News Radio]]|[[Fox News Radio]]|[[NBC News Radio]]|[[Compass Media Networks]]|[[Premiere Networks]]|[[Radio America (United States)|Radio America]]|[[Syracuse Sports Network]]|[[Westwood One]]}}
| class           = A
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| callsign_meaning =
| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1080 kHz (1922–1928)|1150 kHz (1928–1941)}}
| coordinates     = {{ubl|{{coord|43|4|55|N|77|43|30|W|type:landmark_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}|{{coord|43|5|51|N|77|35|1|W|type:landmark_region:US-NY|name=WHAM (backup)}} (backup)}}
| owner           = [[iHeartMedia]]
| licensee        = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations = [[WAIO]], [[WDVI]], [[WHTK (AM)|WHTK]], [[WKGS]], [[WNBL (FM)|WNBL]], [[WVOR]]
| webcast         = {{iHeartRadio|news-radio-wham-1180-1505}}
| website         = {{URL|https://wham1180.iheart.com/}}
}}

'''WHAM''' (1180 [[kHz]]) is a commercial [[Clear-channel station|clear channel]] [[AM broadcasting|AM]] radio station in [[Rochester, New York]], United States. It is owned by [[iHeartMedia]] and airs a [[news/talk]] [[radio format]]. The studios and offices are at [[Five Star Bank Plaza]] in downtown Rochester.

Its 50,000-watt [[omnidirectional antenna|non-directional]] [[transmitter]], located in [[Chili, New York]], operates the maximum power for commercial AM stations in the United States and Canada. During the day, it provides at least secondary coverage to all of [[Western New York]], including [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]. It can also be heard in much of [[Southern Ontario]], including [[Toronto]], [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], and [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]. At night, WHAM can be received across much of the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada with a good radio. It is the [[Emergency Alert System]]'s primary entry point station for Western New York.

==Programming==
WHAM carries two local news blocks on weekdays: ''The WHAM Morning News'' and ''The WHAM 5 O'Clock NewsHour''. The local talk show is [[Bob Lonsberry]]. The rest of the weekday schedule is [[nationally syndicated]] talk shows, mostly from co-owned [[Premiere Networks]]: ''[[The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show]]'', [[Sean Hannity]] and ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]'' with [[George Noory]]. In addition, WHAM carries [[Mark Levin]] from [[Westwood One]] and [[Joe Pags]], who is based at co-owned [[WOAI (AM)|WOAI]] in [[San Antonio]]. The station also carries [[Syracuse Orange men's basketball]] from the [[Syracuse Sports Network]]. 

Weekend programming includes shows on money, health, home repair, cars, technology and law. Weekend hosts include [[Bill Cunningham (talk show host)|Bill Cunningham]] and some [[brokered programming]].

==History==
===University of Rochester===
The station first [[Sign-on and sign-off|signed on]] the air on July 11, 1922.<ref>{{cite news|title=Widespread Circle Help To Mark WHAM Birthday|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-07-14-BC.pdf|access-date=October 3, 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=July 14, 1947}}</ref> While not the first station to be licensed to the Rochester market (that distinction belongs to the defunct WHQ), it is the oldest surviving station in the area.

Industrialist [[George Eastman]], the founder of the Rochester-based [[Eastman Kodak Company]], helped the [[University of Rochester]] launch the station and thought the "WHAM" name would prove to be a clever marketing tool. Jim Barney helped the university get the station on the air.

===Stromberg-Carlson===
In 1927, WHAM was acquired by [[Stromberg-Carlson]],<ref name=facility>{{cite news|title=WHAM-WHFM Million Dollar Home Opens|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-02-16-BC.pdf|access-date=September 5, 2024|agency=Broadcasting|date=February 16, 1948}}</ref> a maker of radio and telecommunications equipment then based in Rochester. The company expanded the station's operations and boosted its signal to 5,000 watts shortly after the acquisition.

It was relocated from 1080 to 1150&nbsp;[[kHz]] in the overall national reorganization of the AM radio band by the [[Federal Radio Commission]] in 1928. In 1933, WHAM was allowed to increase power to 25,000 watts. A ceremony marking the event included a three-hour broadcast from the [[Eastman Theatre]] with "a galaxy of stars" participating.<ref>{{cite news|title=WHAM ad|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1933/1933-04-01-BC.pdf|access-date=October 9, 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=April 1, 1933}}</ref> It later got a boost to its current 50,000 watt level.

In the [[North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement]] (NARBA), the AM band was shuffled in March 1941. WHAM changed frequency once more to its current 1180&nbsp;kHz.

===Rochester Radio City===
In February 1948, WHAM and its FM [[sister station]], WHFM (now [[WBZA]]), moved into a new facility, Rochester Radio City. The building included 24 offices and six studios, the largest of which could accommodate 400 people in the audience.<ref name=facility/>

WHAM has ties to two of the city's television stations. It put the city's first station on the air, WHAM-TV, in 1949. That station is now [[WROC-TV]], the area's [[CBS]] [[Network affiliate|affiliate]]. In 2005, the area's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate, WOKR, changed its [[call sign]] to [[WHAM-TV]]. Clear Channel Communications (now known as [[iHeartMedia]]), already the owner of WHAM radio, owned WOKR/WHAM-TV from 2002 until the sale of its entire television group to [[Newport Television]] (controlled by Providence Equity Partners) in 2007; the two stations still have a news partnership.

=== Controversy ===
WHAM radio host [[Bob Lonsberry]] has often been the source of controversy, due to his on-air remarks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/22/1453272/-It-s-way-past-time-for-Bob-Lonsberry-to-go|title=It's (way past) time for Bob Lonsberry to go|website=Daily Kos|access-date=November 5, 2019}}</ref> He was fired from his show in 2003, but was later brought back due to boycotts by aggrieved fans.

News articles were circulated about him comparing a derogatory racial reference to the term "Boomers" - a colloquial reference for people born during the [[Baby boomers|Baby Boom]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/11/radio-host-bob-lonsberry-says-boomer-is-like-n-word-gets-ridiculed-online.html|title=Radio host Bob Lonsberry says 'boomer' is like N-word, gets ridiculed online|last=Herbert|first=Geoff|date=November 4, 2019|website=syracuse.com|language=en|access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref>

Lonsberry also hosts a show earlier in the day on co-owned [[WGY (AM)|WGY]] (810 AM and [[WGY-FM|103.1 FM]]) in [[Albany, New York]] and later in the day on co-owned [[WSYR (AM)|WSYR]] (570 AM and [[WSYR-FM|106.9 FM]]) in [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://wham1180.iheart.com/}}
{{AM station data|37545|WHAM}}
* [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=59379 FCC History Cards for WHAM]
'''FM translator'''
* {{FCC-LMS-Facility|202122|W241DG}}
* {{FXL|W241DG}}

{{Rochester AM}}
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in New York}}
{{ESPN New York}}
{{Clear Channel AM}}
{{IHeartMedia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1922 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Clear-channel radio stations]]
[[Category:IHeartMedia radio stations]]
[[Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1922]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Rochester, New York|HAM]]