It’s easy to overthink radio. It’s not like making widgets, where there is a quota, or accounting, where numbers have to balance. Even with the ratings as a measuring stick, success and survival in the industry can be subjective, which leads to a lot of overthinking. That’s why Tom Ragan’s straightforward take on what has made his show in Buffalo with partner Ted Shredd so successful for more than thirty years is so refreshing.
“We’ve always thought that if you do a funny, engaging morning show, regardless of the format, and included elements of the radio station so you sound like you fit in, you’re going to win.”
A Long History
Shredd and Ragan came together on Classic Rock WUFX, a little over a year before the station changed to Alternative as WEDG. They were the only air-staff members to survive the switch and would anchor the station for twenty-six years. Then they moved back to Classic Rock at sister station WGRF in 2021.
While they try to be format agnostic, the move back to Classic Rock did make things easier. “At The Edge we almost had to try and hide our age, as we were trying to appeal to a younger audience,” says Shredd. “We don’t focus on old stuff, but this lets us be ourselves and talk freely.”
For example, they mention the reality show Love Island, which has a huge, primarily younger, following. It’s not exactly their thing, but cluster Production Director Stella Bianco — a regular part of the show — is a fan. Her descriptions allow them to be authentic in their thoughts about the show. “Stella, who is a little younger, is watching the show obsessively,” explains Ragan. “She gives us updates, which gives us the chance to make fun of it.”
All About Buffalo
While their formula for success is simple, there are several important elements of the show. The most important of those is being very local. “The hope is that if you tune in, you’re hearing about whatever is going on in Buffalo that morning,” Ragan says.
The show is very engaged with Buffalo’s sports scene, which makes it especially exciting that WGRF will be the flagship station for Buffalo Bills broadcasts starting this fall. Ragan says, “with the broadcasts coming back to 97 Rock we’ve already had the General Manager on and were bringing on players and coaches.”
Their coverage isn’t always at the team level. Sometimes it’s about the fans. “The Sabres had a group of guys — known as The Blade Gang — rollerblading into arenas and screwing with the other team,” Ragan says. “We, of course, had those guys on the air because we try to reflect what’s going on here locally.”
Their local content isn’t limited to sports. They are heavily involved in several charitable efforts, including the Buffalo Children’s Hospital and Make-A-Wish chapters. They also produce a regular segment called The Niagara Falls Police Blotter, which Ragan explains is due to unique circumstances. “The crime’s a little strange there because they dumped a bunch of chemicals in the ground up in the falls.”
Don’t Forget About Canada
Another part of living in Buffalo is the fact that it’s a border town. The Peace Bridge connects the city directly to Fort Erie, Ontario. You can literally see into another country from Buffalo, which has a meaningful impact on local culture.
Shredd explains that many bands — like The Tragically Hip, The Tea Party, and The Headstones — have big followings in Buffalo, while they are virtually unknown in many parts of the United States.
“When the band Triumph decided to launch their reunion tour they came on our show first to make the announcement,” Shredd says. “It was cool to have that scoop before the rest of the country.”
The pair also helped raise money to build a tribute to the late Neil Peart, over the border in the city of St. Catharines, where the famous Rush drummer grew up. “We hosted a tribute concert and raised about $25,000 Canadian to help get it built,” Ragan says.
And while Shredd and Ragan believe in staying centrist politically, there have recently been some awkward moments. “With everything being so divided we try and strike a middle ground that we’re all Americans first,” Ragan says. “But at one point, there was this hatred of Canadians that didn’t make sense to us. We think of them as our brothers and sisters. We love Canada.”
The More Things Change
Political division isn’t the only change Shredd and Ragan have seen over the last thirty years. The growth of technology has also impacted the show in many ways, including a downturn in phone interaction.
“It’s wonderful when you get a bunch of texts, but it doesn’t duplicate the sound of a human voice telling you that story then interacting with us afterwards,” Ragan says. “We still do phone topics, and it works, but it’s nowhere near what it used to be.”
What hasn’t changed is how Shredd and Ragan use audio clips throughout the morning. That approach has led to certain bits of audio becoming enduring parts of the show. “Some of the news stories we play sound from have funny lines that we’ll keep in the computer,” Shredd explains. “Some of them go on forever.”
Turkey Legs and Timeless Bits
For example, there was a story about a woman who thought turkey legs were actually made of ham. “She kept saying it and we were making fun of it the whole time. But that line — turkey legs is ham — became a thing,” says Shredd. “And now people will call and try to prompt us to play it.”
In fact, that particular line is so well known that when the Bills’ public relations team released their schedule video for this year, the photo representation for the Thanksgiving game included a sign with the iconic phrase. “We thought it was hilarious because we’re like, damn, maybe we had an influence, who knows?” says Ragan.
Similarly, the show still leans heavily on benchmark features like Ohio, Texas, Florida, Missed Connections and The Want Ads. “A lot of times when you talk to people they say, ‘you guys had me laughing this morning’ but they can’t remember what was so funny,” Shredd says. “But they remember the benchmarks because they love them.”
While the benchmarks are assembled by longtime producer Jim Jacka — who the guys describe as indispensable — they require a steady stream of outrageous human stories to be effective. And while some shows feel that extensive political coverage has reduced the flow of available lifestyle stories, Shredd disagrees. “I think there’s more stupid people doing stupid things than ever because everyone wants to be a star. We thought everyone having a camera at all times would bring shame, but it hasn’t.”
And for Shredd and Ragan, that’s perfect, because they need that fuel to keep the train running. “It’s like a steam engine, you’re continually shoveling coal into,” says Ragan. “It’s constant. You wake up, you make people laugh, and that’s how you win. Humor always cuts through.”
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.