Buffalo Toronto Public Media rebranded all of its radio and television stations under the BTPM name earlier this week.
The move saw Public News/Talk 88.7 WBFO Buffalo/91.3 WOLN Olean/88.1 WUBJ Jamestown NY become “BTPM NPR” on-air, Classical 94.5 WNED-FM Buffalo/89.7 WNJA Jamestown becomes “BTPM Classical“, AAA “WBFO The Bridge” WBFO-HD2 become “BTPM The Bridge“, and WNED-TV becomes “BTPM PBS“.
BTPM President/CEO Tom Calderone said, “Bringing all of our stations under the BTPM brand helps streamline our message and makes it easier for audiences to engage with all we offer. This change is about clarity and connection — whether someone is listening to BTPM NPR for in-depth news, watching BTPM PBS for world-class storytelling, or discovering new music on BTPM The Bridge, they’ll know it’s all part of the same trusted organization.”
In explaining the new name, the organization stated, “The inclusion of Toronto in the name reflects the deep and long-standing connection between BTPM and audiences in Southern Ontario. More than half of BTPM’s members reside in Canada, and for decades, the organization has collaborated with Canadian producers, acquired Canadian content, and maintained a presence in Toronto. The BTPM name underscores the binational nature of its service, strengthening ties between Western New York and Southern Ontario. BTPM remains dedicated to its mission of providing educational, informative, and culturally enriching content, supported by the community and free from commercial influence. The rebrand enhances accessibility and awareness, ensuring that more people can discover and enjoy the diverse programming available across BTPM platforms.”
I thought a big part of the reason why they sold the old 970AM border blaster was because NPR listenership (and giving) in Toronto, et al, was pretty low? Why focus the radio branding to include Canada?
TV I understand, because supposedly they get a lot of donations/viewers from Hamilton to St Catherine’s…even if not so much from Toronto proper. But radio? Why shove that square peg into a round hole?