WAER

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Radio station in Syracuse, New York, United States

title: "WAER" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1947-establishments-in-new-york-(state)", "college-radio-stations-in-new-york-(state)", "jazz-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "npr-member-stations", "radio-stations-established-in-1947", "radio-stations-in-syracuse,-new-york", "sports-in-syracuse,-new-york", "syracuse-university"] description: "Radio station in Syracuse, New York, United States" topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAER" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Radio station in Syracuse, New York, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]

FieldValue
nameWAER
logoWaerlogo1.png
logo_size225px
citySyracuse, New York
areaCentral New York
brandingWAER 88.3 FM
frequency
airdate
formatJazz/News/Sports
subchannelsHD2: Jazz 88
languageEnglish
erp50,000 watts
haat84 meters
classB
facility_id64354
coordinates
<!--{{coord43.034
callsign_meaningW Alpha Epsilon Rho
(informally, Always Excellent Radio)
licensing_authorityFCC
affiliationsNPR
ownerSyracuse University
sister_stationsWERW WJPZ-FM
webcastListen Live

| | website | | ::

| name = WAER | logo = Waerlogo1.png | logo_size = 225px | city = Syracuse, New York | area = Central New York | branding = WAER 88.3 FM | frequency =
| translator = | repeater = | airdate = | format = Jazz/News/Sports | subchannels = HD2: Jazz 88 | language = English | power = | erp = 50,000 watts | haat = 84 meters | class = B | facility_id = 64354 | coordinates = | callsign_meaning = W Alpha Epsilon Rho (informally, Always Excellent Radio) | former_callsigns = | former_frequencies = | licensing_authority = FCC | operator = | affiliations = NPR | owner = Syracuse University | licensee = | sister_stations = WERW WJPZ-FM | webcast = Listen Live

| website =

WAER (88.3 FM) is a radio station in Syracuse, New York. It is located on the campus of Syracuse University, and is a part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The station features a jazz music and National Public Radio format, with a news, Syracuse Orange play-by-play, and music staff providing programming around the clock.

It is best known for its sports staff, which has produced the likes of Bob Costas, Mike Tirico, Nick Wright, and many others. Lou Reed also hosted a free-format show on WAER during his time at Syracuse University; this free-format radio tradition at Syracuse is carried on by WERW. Other alums include Ted Koppel, Jerry Stiller and Dick Clark. The station is managed by full-time professional staff and employs as many as 50 students each semester.

History

Radio programming began on the university campus as early as 1931, the year when AM station WSYR-WMAC in Syracuse built its new transmitter site on the university campus. This station employed the WMAC call sign only when it carried Syracuse University programming originating from Crouse College. In late 1933 the call sign was changed to WSYR-WSYU, with WSYU, being used when broadcasting the university programs. In 1940, the use of dual callsigns was ended, and this station became just WSYR.

On April 1, 1947, an experimental low-powered educational FM station began broadcast on 88.1 MHz as WJIV-FM, primarily as a practical workshop for SU radio students, becoming first class D educational station in the nation. After three months, a license renewal from the FCC allowed the students to change the call sign letters to WAER (W Alpha Epsilon Rho), referring to the radio honorary society). The call sign was also interpreted as Always Excellent Radio. The studios, financial supported by General Electric, were located at Radio House, a set of prefabricated houses near the steps to Mount Olympus, immediately south of Carnegie Library. GE provided the setup, valued at $150,000 in 1948, and asked Syracuse university to experiment with this type of transmitter, in hopes of pioneering educational broadcasting by using the low-powered FM transmitters.

The enterprise was overseen by the dean of Radio department Kenneth G. Bartlett and professor Lawrence Myers Jr. served as the faculty manager. Student staff was soon appointed to create schedule of broadcast. The broadcasts included classical music, sports, news, religious programs from the Hendricks Chapel, immediate university news, student activities, as well as official university events. The station operated from 4 to 10 p.m. to avoid lecture hours.

When it began in 1947, WAER was authorized an effective radiated power of only 2.5 watts, but in 1951 the FCC granted an increase in power to 1,000 watts. The station began broadcasting seven hours a day, seven days a week, and became Syracuse University's permanent radio station. By 1984, the station’s effective radiated power was 6,000 watts. The station had moved to the then newly-built Newhouse II building by the seventies.

Up until 1983, WAER was student-run, but in a controversial decision in 1983, SU took over WAER and hired full-time professionals to run operations and train students.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Waer.JPG" caption="Former logo"] ::

In 2017, a full-length documentary titled "The Miracle Microphone: The Impossible History and History Makers of WAER Radio" chronicled the 70-year history of WAER. The documentary was researched and produced by Scott MacFarlane and Keith Kobland and won New York state AP Press Association award in 2019.

Formerly a component of the auxiliary services department, the station became part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in July 2021. The station continues to be housed at Haft Hall, 795 Ostrom Ave, where it has been located since 2003.

Programming

The station programming includes jazz music, NPR programming, news, Syracuse Orange play-by-play, and special reporting projects.

Sports

The WAER sports staff is made up entirely of students, who report on home and away games. It provides daily sports updates as well as play-by-play for Syracuse University football, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse. A pregame show begins 30 minutes before each broadcast (Countdown to Kickoff, Tipoff, or Faceoff) with a halftime segment (Orange at the Half) and a postgame wrap-up (Orange Overtime). The Double Overtime, a full-length postgame talk show, airs after every football, basketball, and lacrosse game. Sports Nite airs weekly on Friday nights.

Music

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/2019_07_27_syracuse-waer-wjpz_01_(49194942473).jpg" caption="The WAER/88.3 transmitter, atop Day Hall."] ::

The music department is organized by Eric Cohen, multiple-time winner of National Jazz Programmer of the Year. Larry Hoyt is the longtime voice of Common Threads on WAER. Cora Thomas is the office supervisor and runs gospel music programming.

Partnership with WERW

Since February 2010, WAER has partnered with Syracuse University's WERW 1570 (later 1670). WERW is a student-run, free-format station, which returned to the air in 2017 after six years of only being available through iTunes radio. The partnership has resulted in a weekly, 3-hour show, called Real College Radio on WAER, which is hosted by alternating reps of a select cohort of WERW DJs. The genre is adult album alternative (AAA), and each DJ brings their own new flavor to the WAER offerings.

Alumni

References

References

  1. "FM Broadcast Station License Facility ID: 64354". Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "About Us".
  3. (January 15, 2019). "Engaging the Public Media Audience, Serving the Community While Preparing Students for Careers in News and Sports Journalism". SU News.
  4. (February 23, 2022). "Bolt, Craig Appointed to GM Roles at The Newhouse School". Barrett Sports Media.
  5. "Student Opportunities". WAER 88.3 FM.
  6. (April 28, 1932). "Hill Singers Radio Concert by "Air Caster"". [[Syracuse Herald-Journal.
  7. (December 1, 1933). "Additions, Changes and Deletions to List". Radio Service Bulletin.
  8. (December 7, 1947). "Syracuse's Infant FM Radio Industry Rapidly Growing into Lusty Giant". The Post-Standard.
  9. (August 29, 2023). "Charles Reichblum '48: Original Voice of the Orange and Co-Founder of WAER". [[Syracuse University News]].
  10. (May 31, 1974). "It began in 1932 for TV-Radio at SU". The Post-Standard.
  11. (March 4, 1949). "A Secret Station Comes Out of Hiding". [[The Daily Orange]].
  12. (2005). "Hendricks Chapel: Seventy-five Years of Service to Syracuse University". [[Syracuse University Press]].
  13. (April 9, 1955). "Radio Station Offering Good Music Listed". The Post-Standard.
  14. (July 12, 1947). "Selection of 'Sauciest' Co-ed Settles SU Saucer Question". The Post-Standard.
  15. (September 6, 1947). "400 SU Graduates will Get Degrees at the Chapel Today". The Post-Standard.
  16. (April 10, 1951). "WAER Officially Increases to 1,000 Watts Today & 400 TIMES STRONGER". [[The Daily Orange]].
  17. (February 1951). "News and notes". Quarterly Journal of Speech.
  18. (June 2001). "Threads: WAER in Syracuse". [[Yahoo! GeoCities#Archiving efforts.
  19. "WAER Collection An inventory of the collection at the Syracuse University Archives". SU Libraries.
  20. (Fall 2017). "The WAER Connection". [[Syracuse University]].
  21. (2017). "The Miracle Microphone". Syracuse University.
  22. (March 4, 2018). "Syracuse University alum produces documentary on 70-year history of WAER". [[The Daily Orange]].
  23. (June 2, 2019). "NYSAPA broadcast, newspaper award winners announced". AP NEWS.
  24. (January 25, 2021). "WAER Will Transition to the Newhouse School This Summer". SU News.
  25. (September 26, 2008). "A selection from a decade of visits to tower and studio sites in the Northeast and beyond: WAER, Syracuse, NY". Northeast Radio Watch.
  26. (November 18, 2020). "Student Reporters Played Critical Role in WAER 88.3 FM's Election Coverage". SU News.
  27. (May 9, 2018). "WAER News, Sports & Online Efforts Draw 10 Syracuse Press Awards". SU News.
  28. (October 23, 2020). "WAER 88.3 FM Launches 'City Limits: Winds of Change'". SU News.
  29. (September 23, 2019). "About". WAER.
  30. (January 26, 2021). "WAER 88.3 FM Welcomes New Sports Director". SU News.
  31. (April 7, 2021). "Alumni Provide Support to WAER Students at the NCAA Tournament". SU News.
  32. (November 9, 2008). "Double Overtime Recap - Rutgers 35 Syracuse 17". [[The Post-Standard]].
  33. Baker, Chris. (June 18, 2014). "Changes coming at WAER: More news, less jazz". [[The Post-Standard]].
  34. (June 18, 2014). "WAER Changes Format to News All Day, Jazz All Night". SU News.
  35. Herbert, Geoff. (February 10, 2017). "Syracuse radio station returning to airwaves for first time in 6 years". [[The Post-Standard]].
  36. (September 13, 2017). "Marv Albert returns to Syracuse for WAER Hall of Fame, new radio doc". The Post-Standard.
  37. (April 19, 2012). "Dick Clark, who died Wednesday, had solid connections to SU, Central New York radio and television".
  38. (June 5, 2013). "Newhouse School to name new studio after America's DJ, Dick Clark". The Post-Standard.
  39. (September 16, 2015). "Bob Costas '74 to Be Enshrined in WAER Hall of Fame". SU News.
  40. (September 21, 2015). "Syracuse Radio Station WAER To Induct NBC's Bob Costas Into HOF".
  41. (August 19, 2013). "Ian Eagle Inducted into WAER Hall of Fame". American Sportscasters Association.
  42. "Anatomy of a Broadcaster: Ian Eagle". Barrett Sports Media.
  43. (September 27, 2018). "WAER Inducts Len Berman '68, G'70 and Steve Kroft '71 into Hall of Fame". SU News.
  44. (May 13, 1996). "'60 Minutes' journalist speaks at SU graduation". [[The Ithaca Journal]].
  45. (June 10, 2011). "Syracuse University to receive Ted Koppel Collection".
  46. (May 25, 2012). "Syracuse University alumnus Ted Koppel is WAER Hall of Fame's first inductee". The Post-Standard.
  47. (September 14, 2017). "Ed Levine, Marv Albert Among New WAER Hall of Famers.". Insideradio.com.
  48. "Andrew Musser - Obituary".
  49. (March 12, 1984). "The voices from Syracuse".
  50. (June 8, 2020). "Greg Papa Is Still Trying To Impress His Big Brother". Barrett Sports Media.
  51. (September 19, 2019). "Ron Santo Prepared Cory Provus For Bob Uecker". Barrett Sports Media.
  52. (November 4, 2013). "Excursions on a Wobbly Rail: Alumna remembers Lou Reed's time at WAER". [[The Daily Orange]].
  53. (August 26, 2014). "McDonough '84 Roth '87 Newest Hall of Fame Inductees". www.waer.org.
  54. (October 8, 2021). "Bob Costas: I Am Not As Good As I Used To Be". Barrett Sports Media.
  55. (October 21, 2016). "Dick Stockton '60 Recognizes WAER and Newhouse School During NFL Broadcast". SU News.
  56. (March 28, 2019). "What is the Greatest Enemy for a Sports Broadcaster?".
  57. (February 24, 2014). "Mike Tirico '88 Enshrined on WAER-FM Wall of Fame". SU News.
  58. (March 3, 2014). "Mike Tirico WAER Hall of Fame Induction". www.waer.org.
  59. (February 28, 2014). "ESPN's Mike Tirico to be inducted into Syracuse University's WAER Radio Hall of Fame".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1947-establishments-in-new-york-(state)college-radio-stations-in-new-york-(state)jazz-radio-stations-in-the-united-statesnpr-member-stationsradio-stations-established-in-1947radio-stations-in-syracuse,-new-yorksports-in-syracuse,-new-yorksyracuse-university