Following the April firings of Program Director John Hager and “The Morning Bull” hosts Rob Lederman, Rich Gaenzler and Chris Klein over racist comments made by Lederman in March comparing how he likes toast to the skin tones of black women, Cumulus Media Classic Rock “97 Rock” 96.9 WGRF Buffalo has found its new morning show.
“Shredd & Ragan”, hosted by Ted Shredd and Tom Ragan, will move across the hall from its longtime perch on Alternative “103.3 The Edge” WEDG to WGRF starting Monday, August 16. The duo have been heard on 103.3 since 1993 first on Classic Rock “103.3 The Fox” WUFX and since 1995 on “The Edge”, mostly in mornings but from 2006 to 2012 in afternoons.
Cumulus has yet to announce its new morning plans for WEDG.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it will bring The Shredd & Ragan Show, one of the most successful morning radio shows in Buffalo radio history, to mornings on Cumulus Buffalo Classic Rock station, 97 Rock/WGRF-FM. The locally produced, Buffalo-focused program featuring longtime co-hosts Ted Shredd and Tom Ragan will debut on 97 Rock on Monday, August 16, 2021, and will air weekdays from 6:00am-10:00am.
Shredd & Ragan join 97 Rock from Cumulus Buffalo sister station 103.3 The Edge/WEDG-FM, where they have hosted one of Buffalo’s highest-rated morning shows for nearly three decades, attracting legions of passionate local listeners and winning them national recognition. The show debuted on WUFX-FM in 1993 and was the original morning show for the launch of 103.3 The Edge in 1995. The popular on-air team’s unique style and love of Western New York has created legions of passionate listeners locally and won them national recognition. In addition to being an essential ingredient in the daily routine of thousands of listeners, Shredd & Ragan have helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for people in need through fundraisers for the Variety Club, The Ride For Roswell, and many other local charities.
Shredd – an avid skier, car enthusiast, and softball coach – has also been heard on-air at WPHD-FM/Buffalo and 14X/Buffalo, as well as on stations in Reno, NV, and Manchester, NH. Ragan started his broadcasting career as a spotter and statistician for his father’s high school football and basketball play-by-play duties. He worked at radio stations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia before hosting afternoons on WGR/Buffalo and eventually teaming with Shredd on WUFX-FM and WEDG-FM.
Jim Riley, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Buffalo, said: “After considering many options, we found that the best choice for 97 Rock mornings was already in our building. We’re so excited to add Shredd & Ragan to 97 Rock’s lineup and believe they will supercharge our existing slate of Buffalo’s favorite radio personalities.”
Joe Russo, Program Director, 97 Rock/WGRF-FM, noted: “When I thought about what type of show was big enough for 97 Rock, it kept coming back to Shredd & Ragan. This is the show everyone talks about, it’s highly addictive, and you never want to miss a day. They are the perfect fit for where we are going with 97 Rock and the perfect addition to our already legendary lineup.”
Tom Ragan, Co-Host, Shredd & Ragan, commented: “We’re thrilled this radio show experiment somehow continues to work. A big thanks to the Cumulus Buffalo group including Joe Russo, Joe Siragusa and Jim Riley, along with the team we go to work with every day, Jim Jacka and Evan James, for helping to make this a success. Finally, and most importantly, a huge thanks for the friendship and support of the great people of Buffalo and Western New York who embraced us many years ago and made this area our home. We’re grateful beyond measure.”
Ted Shredd, Co-Host, Shredd & Ragan, remarked: “We’re really excited about making the move! 97 Rock has been a powerhouse in Buffalo forever and to be able to bring our show to that platform is a great opportunity for us to grow our audience. For years we’ve battled against them and now we are joining forces. I see that as a win-win.”
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com