Brother Wease

Last updated
Brother Wease
Born
Alan Levin

Rochester, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationRadio personality
Years active1985—2025

Brother Wease is the on-air name of Alan Levin, a retired radio personality from Rochester, New York.

Contents

Radio career

Levin began his on-air career as a late evening host on 96.5 WCMF-FM in 1985.[ citation needed ] He soon moved to the morning show using the name "Brother Wease."[ citation needed ] His show, called "The Brother Wease Morning Circus," was among the highest rated shows in the Rochester market. He also hosted a Saturday music show entitled "Radio Free Wease."

From March through September 2004, Wease hosted both his WCMF music show and a similar program on WBUF, WCMF's Buffalo sister station in the CBS station group which was using a hot talk radio format.[ citation needed ] He was also heard weekends on New York City's WNEW-FM during its days as a hot-talk station in the middle of the last decade. He hosted a three-hour music show on XM Satellite Radio's Virus channel in December 2006.[ citation needed ]

BJ Shea, Gregg Hughes, and current syndicated liberal talk radio host Stephanie Miller (then known as "Sister Sleaze") have also worked with Brother Wease. [1] [2]

He was forced out of that show and the station in January 2008 when his contract ran out as the station was being sold from the CBS radio group to Entercom Communications. [3] Levin and officials from station owner Entercom Communications tried but failed to negotiate a new contract. [4] His co-hosts remained and took over the show, which was renamed "The Break Room."

Shortly after leaving WCMF, Levin accepted a job as a sales executive at Clear Channel Communications. He could not go on the air due to a non-compete clause in his previous contract. [5] He then returned to the airwaves on November 17, 2008, on WFXF "95.1 THE FOX" [6] with a new supporting cast, including female co-host Lilly Hisenaj (formerly on XM's Ron & Fez Show), Jamie Lissow, a local Rochester stand-up comic and executive morning show producer Anthony Caiazzo. This new incarnation is called "The Wease Show." [7] Over time, WFXF changed formats and call signs to WQBW, then finally WAIO.

In 2021, Levin was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in the Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more) category. [8]

On September 4, 2025, Wease announced his retirement from WAIO; he noted that iHeartMedia was attempting to demote him to weekends on sister station WHAM and that he did not want to end his career in obscurity or be shoehorned as the "sacrificial liberal" onto the conservative talk radio format, so he opted to retire instead, effective immediately, and launch a podcast with his son in 2026. [9] [10]

Lawsuits

Levin was sued twice by former co-workers in the late 1990s over lewd and sexual derogatory comments he made about them on the air. Cindy Pierce, a former co-host, said his lewd remarks about her forced her off the air. Account executive Jodi Strada claimed Wease humiliated her by on-air sexual references. [11] Both suits were settled out of court.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Brother Wease came by his stage name from his school nickname, which was "Weasel".[ citation needed ] Wease is known for his openness with some listeners, including sharing much of his personal life. He is a veteran who completed three tours of duty in Vietnam. [12]

Wease served as an emcee for Woodstock '94 and Woodstock 1999. [13] In 1997, Wease founded the Wease Cares Children's Fund to raise money for children in need. [14]

Cancer

Wease announced on his February 2, 2005, show that he had been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of sinus cancer. [15] Wease underwent seven weeks of radiation treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, during which he intended to broadcast from a makeshift studio in his apartment for as long as he was physically capable. [16]

Wease never missed a show, despite being able to broadcast for only a few minutes on certain days. During his treatment, WCMF established "Kick Cancer's Ass," a campaign which raised nearly $100,000 for children with cancer. Wease returned to Rochester following his treatment. He learned in August 2005 that the treatment for his cancer had been successful. [17]

References

  1. Netsky, Ron - "Left Laughing: Stephanie Miller Moves from Sister Sleaze to Progressive Radio Queen", Rochester City Newspaper, December 27, 2006
  2. Spiegelman, Ian (August 20, 2001). "Gross Prophets". New York Magazine.
  3. Brother Wease out at WCMF. Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine - Radio Insight, February 7, 2008
  4. Brother Wease may not return to WCMF - Messenger Post News, February 7, 2008]
  5. Brother Wease to join WFXF Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine - Radio Insight, February 27, 2008
  6. Brother Wease is Back - RNews, February 27, 2008
  7. Brother Wease.com - official site
  8. Greenwood, Marcia. "'It's really huge to me.' Brother Wease to be inducted into national Radio Hall of Fame". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  9. "Brother Wease Retires From Radio 95.1 Rochester; Station Flips To Rock". RadioInsight. 2025-09-04. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  10. Fybush, Scott (2025-09-08). "A Farewell to Wease". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
  11. Radio News
  12. War Letters: Rochester Writes Home Archived 2005-11-04 at the Wayback Machine - Wease shares some of his own letters.
  13. "About.com Radio Personalities". Archived from the original on 2009-07-26. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  14. Wease Cares Children's Fund
  15. Wease Reveals He Has Cancer on Wease's cancer in the Democrat and Chronicle, 2 February 2005
  16. Wease Continues to Broadcast on Wease's broadcasts from New York, Democrat and Chronicle, 10 March 2005
  17. Wease Returns Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, August 3, 2005