WPIG
Encyclopedia
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 and operates a broad-based country music
format. It is owned by Backyard Broadcasting
.
, later a U.S. Congressman, ran the station from 1952 to 1966. 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. On November 6, 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 remains the station's motto. WPIG added the slogan "Today's Fun Country" in 2009, which rotates with the "Sizzlin' Country" format.
WPIG's program director is Mark Thompson.
Brad Majors
Michael Hamm
Michael Hamm is the new host of "Sizzlin' Country Nights" from 6p-12m on the Big Pig! He is a former afternoon drive host on the Big Pig and also previously worked at WMXO as Program Director and morning show host as well as spending time with Q Rock in Salamanca and 96 KIX in Dunkirk. Hamm's show features a "Top 8 at 8" countdown which tabulates the eight most requested songs of the day to the station itself (as such, classic country
songs make frequent appearances on the countdown).
Miscellaneous
makes up a noticeable portion of the station's playlist, with a greater emphasis on classic country during evenings and weekends.
The station regularly registers by far the top Arbitron
ratings in the Olean market.
Olean, New York
Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern Tier region of New York.The city is...
. 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 and operates a broad-based country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format. It is owned by Backyard Broadcasting
Backyard Broadcasting
Backyard Broadcasting is a radio broadcasting company, primarily owning radio stations in medium-sized, small and rural markets in the United States. The company is owned by the private equity firms Boston Ventures Management and Pacific Corporate Group and is headed by Barry Drake, the former head...
.
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. James F. HastingsJames F. Hastings
James Fred Hastings is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.Hastings was born in Olean, New York. He served in the United States Navy from 1943 until 1946. He was manager and vice president of radio station WHDL from 1952 until 1966...
, later a U.S. Congressman, ran the station from 1952 to 1966. During the 1980s, the station aired what today's jockeys pejoratively referred to as an "elevator music
Elevator music
Elevator music refers to instrumental arrangements of popular music designed for playing in shopping malls, grocery stores, department stores, telephone systems , cruise ships, airports, doctors' and dentists' offices, and elevators...
" (likely something along the lines of middle-of-the-road, beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
or easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
) format. On November 6, 1989, the station switched formats to the rapidly burgeoning country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format and became "WPIG-- The Big Pig 95.7, Today's Sizzlin' Country," which remains the station's motto. WPIG added the slogan "Today's Fun Country" in 2009, which rotates with the "Sizzlin' Country" format.
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.
The Morning Pigpen
The Morning Pigpen is one of WPIG's oldest programs and currently features Mark Thompson and Bethany, weather with Wayne Mahar and newsman Gary Nease. It airs weekdays from 6-9 a.m.Bethany
Bethany, in addition to co-hosting the Morning Pigpen, is also the host of the Midday show. She also serves as the production director for 95.7 WPIG and its sister station 1450 WHDL.Potter County Outfitters Country Call-in Café
This all-request lunch hour airs from noon to 1 p.m. and generally features at least some music not normally aired in the station's regular playlist. Brad Majors is the host Brad Majors
Brad is the newest addition to the WPIG family! In addition to hosting the Potter County Outfitters Country Call In Cafe, Brad is also the host of afternoons from 1p-6p.
Michael HammMichael Hamm is the new host of "Sizzlin' Country Nights" from 6p-12m on the Big Pig! He is a former afternoon drive host on the Big Pig and also previously worked at WMXO as Program Director and morning show host as well as spending time with Q Rock in Salamanca and 96 KIX in Dunkirk. Hamm's show features a "Top 8 at 8" countdown which tabulates the eight most requested songs of the day to the station itself (as such, classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
songs make frequent appearances on the countdown).
Miscellaneous
- 12 M-6 AM After Midnite with Blair GarnerBlair GarnerBlair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
- National news is provided by ABC News RadioABC News RadioABC News Radio is the radio service of ABC News, a division of the ABC Television Network. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Cumulus Media Networks, newscasts on the hour to its more than 2,000 affiliates...
, with updates heard at the top of each hour (except for during syndicated programs). - Weather: Weather operations for WPIG are handled by their chief meterologist Wayne Mahar, who is also the chief meteorologist for WSTM-TVWSTM-TVWSTM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central New York State licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter on Sentinel Heights Road in LaFayette. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS channel 3 and Time Warner channel 4...
in Syracuse. He is heard daily for the "Pig Porkcast" weekdays during the Morning Pigpen.
Weekend Programs
- Saturdays, 8-10 AM: Z-Max Racing Country from the Performance Racing NetworkPerformance Racing NetworkThe Performance Racing Network is a radio network controlled by Speedway Motorsports, Inc..Performance Racing Network broadcasts all NASCAR-sanctioned Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events held at Speedway Motorsports-controlled tracks which include Atlanta, Bristol, Infineon, Las Vegas,...
- Saturdays, 10 AM-3 PM: A live remote from one of the weekday hosts, with Brad Majors in studio
- Saturdays, 3-7 PM: Michael Hamm
- Saturdays, 7 PM-12 M: Country Gold Saturday Night from Westwood OneWestwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
- Sundays, 6:45 AM Public affairs
- Sundays, 8-10 AM: The Country Oldies Show with Steve Warren
- Sundays, 10 AM-12 N: NASCAR USA from the Motor Racing NetworkMotor Racing NetworkThe Motor Racing Network is the principal radio broadcasting operation of NASCAR, promoting themselves as "The Voice of NASCAR." It broadcasts coverage of most major NASCAR races at the top three levels of NASCAR at tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation as well as Dover International...
- Sundays, 12 N-7 PM: Live sporting events, interns, or Nick Pircio
- Sundays, 7 PM-12 M: Automation
Sports programming
- WPIG is the flagship station of the St. BonaventureSt. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
men's basketball team. - Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Music
WPIG uses the current popular country music charts for their base playlist, with a slightly greater emphasis on male artists than female ones. In addition to modern country music, classic countryClassic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
makes up a noticeable portion of the station's playlist, with a greater emphasis on classic country during evenings and weekends.
Special Programming
- WPIG airs A WPIG Country Christmas, an automated selection of country-themed Christmas musicChristmas musicChristmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
, throughout Christmas Eve through Christmas Day. Between the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, the station generally plays one Christmas song each hour.
Discontinued programming and hosts
- WPIG has no nationally syndicated weekend countdown show. Their last countdown show, The FoxworthyJeff FoxworthyJeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy is an American comedian, television and radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy...
Countdown, was dropped by the station on June 30, 2004. - Earl Pitts UhmerikunEarl Pitts (radio character)Earl Pitts is a fictional character performed by Gary Burbank, a radio personality from Cincinnati, Ohio.Pitts, who is almost always referred to as "Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun" is a stereotype of a redneck from the Southern United States...
was dropped by WPIG in 1999. - Southern Fried Friday, a local program dedicated to Southern rockSouthern rockSouthern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
, was discontinued sometime after 2000 and replaced by the Foxworthy Countdown. - The 80s at 8, a weekly hourlong feature (usually airing Thursday night) featuring all 80s1980s in musicFor music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
country. Discontinued 2006. - Smokin' Joe Bacon and Peggy Banks - former co-hosts of the Morning Pigpen. Banks also hosted the Classic Country Cafe (forerunner to the current Country Call-In Cafe). Both left circa 1998.
- Kerry Monroe - fill-in and weekend host.
- Mindy Cunningham, former co-host of the Morning Pigpen and later host of Midday Mayhem show. Left station in June 2008. Currently broadcasting under another name.
- Casey Hill, sporadic co-host of the Morning Pigpen. Currently at another station.
- Mike "Smitty" Smith, midday and afternoon drive host (ca. 2000-2009). Currently at another station., evening radio personality (1998–2010). Currently at another station.
- Tim McKeever, afternoon drive host. Currently out of the radio industry
- Marian Carter, fill-in and weekend host. Now doing weekends at WGNA-FM in Albany.
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 Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings in the Olean market.
Other uses
- An entirely fictional "WPIG" radio station made several appearances on the CBS sitcom WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
, where it was the hated cross-town rival of the eponymous station. The punchline was that the air staff at WPIG Cincinnati was "a bunch of swine." This usage predates the current WPIG's usage of the call sign.
- A different fictional "WPIG" - WPIG Aurora - appeared in the 1993 motion picture Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
. The station featured two memorable characters in the form of "Handsome Dan" and "Mr. Scream," portrayed by Harry ShearerHarry ShearerHarry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
and Ted McGinleyTed McGinleyTheodore Martin "Ted" McGinley is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jefferson D'Arcy on the television series Married... with Children and as Charley Shanowski on the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith...
respectively. (Incidentally, the real WPIG, which had begun broadcasting its current format by this time, and the fictional WPIG Aurora both broadcast on 95.7 MHz, a departure from the usual practice of using nonstandard frequencies for fiction.)
- Sister station WPGIWPGIWPGI is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Horseheads, New York, USA, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area...
(100.9) in Elmira is modeled after WPIG.
- See also KPIGKPIGKPIG-FM is a radio station located near the city of Santa Cruz, California, USA. Founded in 1988, the studio is based in Watsonville, California, and broadcasts to the counties of Santa Cruz and Monterey. It also has a radio repeater on 94.9 MHz FM in San Luis Obispo County as KPYG...
.