WTSS-FM (Star 102.5) morning host Rob Lucas announced on-air Thursday that the station will end its run playing pop music at 10 a.m. Friday due to the Audacy-owned station’s sale to a religious radio broadcasting group.
Lucas, who has been on the station for 37 years, praised local management for how well he has been treated as he stayed on for the last few months and added he was offered a job to work at other Audacy stations in the market.
He declined the offer and said he doesn’t know what’s next.
WTSS was sold in combination with a Memphis country station that Audacy owns for $15.5 million to Educational Media Foundation.
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Educational Media Foundation (EMF) reportedly is a noncommercial Christian radio group based in a Nashville, Tenn., suburb that owns and operates 1,000 stations and is best known for airing the Christian music format K-Love.
K-Love is airing on WBKV (89.9) in Buffalo, which has a relatively weak signal and reportedly is primarily available only in the Southtowns.
It is unclear when the religious programming will begin airing on 102.5. One possibility until that is decided is simulcasting WKSE-FM (Kiss 98.5), another Audacy station.
Audacy still owns several stations in the Buffalo market, including WKSE (Kiss 98.5); sports channel WGR-AM; news talk station WBEN-AM; the country station 107.7/104.7, The Wolf on WLKK; “Classic R&B 107.3” and on WWWS 1400; and a sports betting station, “1520 The Bet” on WWKB.
WTSS has gone through several formats, owners and call letter changes in its history. At one time it was WBEN-FM, a companion to the AM station with the same call letters. In the early 1970s, as FM stations began changing their formats, it became known as Rock 102, a station still recalled by generations of Buffalo listeners.
Lucas has been with the station since it was known as Rock 102. He has been the solo host or morning co-host since the early 1990s, except for a two-year break.
He broke down briefly during his morning remarks, notably when he mentioned he met his wife, Linda, at the station.
During his discussion of his career, he estimated that he had played more than 800,000 songs and given away 85,000 concert tickets.
Lucas also gave a little personal history, noting that early in his career he applied to work the overnight shift, but the job was given to Maria Genero, who went on to a successful TV career and is now at WGRZ-TV (Channel 2).
He added it worked out well for both of them.
Lucas didn’t have one answer for his listeners who gravitate to Star 102. 5 during the holiday season.
“I don’t know where you are going to get your Christmas music,” he cracked.
