UB's radio station is now spreading its signal to radios as far away as the Southern Tier and Southern Ontario after 50 years of service to the local community.
A new $40,000 donation from the Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation is helping WBFO 88.7 FM pay for a recent expansion that enabled the station to install a new tower and antenna.
The contribution follows the foundation's $20,000 gift in 2008 to WBFO, which was also put towards the cost of the already-broadcasting tower.
"The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation are steady and generous supporters of WBFO and have been for many years," said Carole Petro, associate vice president and general manager of WBFO. "They believe public radio is a true asset to the whole community, and they love and believe in public radio and want the community to be enriched with it."
The new tower is designed to advance the quality of the station's signal to reach an additional 50,000 people to the northeast, east and southeast of the station's current broadcast area, as well as downtown Buffalo.
WBFO's listeners have consistently helped to maintain its wide broadcasting range. Most of the station's funding in the past has come from donations made by spectators and underwriters such as the Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation.
Cameron Baird, a former professor of music and chairman of the department, and his wife Jane, for whom the foundation is named, were both superb musicians who regularly donated time and money to the institute, according to Petro.
"Cameron Baird volunteered one hour of his music each night to WBFO in hopes to contribute to the station's high quality service," Petro said.
Despite the additional coverage area, opinions on what the station plays still vary.
Danielle Pellegrino, a senior occupational therapy major, admitted that she has never heard of the station and since she normally listens to R&B music, she would probably not tune in.
"Maybe if they would promote student events and had contests or even if they just added more music that young students listen to now, I and other UB students might be more likely to listen to the station," Pellegrino said.
But based on the 1.2 million people within WBFO's broadcast area, the station has accumulated a large audience that appreciates the not-so-modern station style, according to Petro.
The station prides itself on providing a balance of news, information and music, such as jazz and blues, in the most classic way they can, in hopes of setting itself apart form the typical commercial radio stations.
"I don't necessarily listen to that station [WBFO 88.7], but I've heard of it and I really like jazz and blues... anything along those lines," said Guy Hananya, a junior business major. "I would much rather listen to that kind of stuff or alternative rock than some of today's junk."
WBFO 88.7 FM is a major public service of UB and the region's most listened-to National Public Radio (NPR) station. The station was licensed to SUNY 50 years ago and operated by engineering students to learn the ins and outs of radio broadcasting.
"The station's mission is to help people become lifelong learners and to help them become more active and engaged citizens," Petro said. "Our station caters to the kind of people who are curious and interested in hearing our topics of the day and local news stories."
The station has been called "the best radio station in Buffalo" by several reader polls conducted by Artvoice. Since 2001, the station has also received seven Associated Press Awards.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
