After 40 years in the Rochester NY market, Alan ‘Brother Wease’ Levin announced that today is his final show ahead of a format change at Hot Talk “Radio 95.1” WAIO Honeoye Falls/Rochester to Rock “Rock 95.1“.
The 78 year-old Wease has been a staple in the Rochester market since joining 96.5 WCMF in 1985, while at times also syndicated to 92.9 WBUF Buffalo and hosting a weekend show on WNEW New York. After failing to come to terms on a new contract, he exited WCMF at the end of 2007 and would join iHeart’s 95.1 in November 2008 following the end of his non-compete. The station would evolve from Classic Rock “95.1 The Fox” WFXF to “95.1 The Brew” WQBW in 2012 before flipping to Hot Talk in September 2014. Wease would remain in mornings until September 2023 when he slid down to the 9am-12pm timeslot.
As he made the announcement on-air, he said, “What’s happening is, this is my last show. They gave me a couple good opportunities but I can’t go out that way. I can’t be in the National Broadcast Hall of Fame…and have people that know me all over America and see the headline in the trades tomorrow ‘Brother Wease To Host Weekend Morning Music Show’. I can’t go out that way. I was up all night. I was gonna do it, I was prepared.” He later noted that he was also offered a two hour Sunday night Liberal Talk show on 1180 WHAM. Instead, he and his son Jake will launch a podcast in January 2026.
Fybush.com reports that also exiting WAIO is afternoon co-host Deanna King. King joined WAIO in 2015 as a co-host on Wease’s morning show and has been co-hosting afternoons with John DiTullio since the September 2023 schedule revamp. Prior to joining the station, King worked as a reporter and social media producer at multiple Rochester television stations.
Positioning as “Rochester’s Real Rock”, the new “Rock 95.1” brand launched a little after 12pm today with Thirty Seconds To Mars “This Is War”. Core artists are listed as Three Days Grace, Metallica, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Papa Roach and more.
“Rover’s Morning Glory” will continue to be heard from 6-10am. Aly Young will track middays from 10am-2pm. DiTullio and former 12-3pm co-host Jeremy Newman will follow from 2-6pm with Mark Maira hosting nights from 6pm-12am.
Area President Bob Morgan said, “We’re excited to bring a fresh, authentic rock experience to Rochester. Rock 95.1 is built for fans who live and breathe rock, and we’re proud to deliver the music and personalities they crave.”
Newman will also move from afternoons on sister “Country 100.5” WDVI to middays. Wease producer/co-host Dino Kay will take over afternoons on WDVI. DiTullio and Maira will also host a show at “Fox Sports 1280” WHTK from 12-2pm.
