Southern Tier - Media and Entertainment

Media and Entertainment

Most of the Southern Tier is either served by the Elmira-Corning television market or the Binghamton television market. Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties are out of these stations' ranges, however, and are instead served by the Buffalo and Erie television markets. Lilly Broadcasting owns three stations (two in Erie and one in Elmira) that primarily serve the Southern Tier regions. One independent station (WVTT-CA) serves the Olean area.

The Olean, Elmira-Corning, and Binghamton radio markets directly serve the Southern Tier, and the Ithaca market indirectly serves some of the area. Companies that own multiple Southern Tier stations include Backyard Broadcasting, Olean-based Colonial Radio Group, Pembrook Pines, Sound Communications and Equinox Broadcasting. Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media own station clusters only in Binghamton.

Notable newspapers include The Leader of Corning, the Elmira Star-Gazette, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, Hornell Evening Tribune, the Wellsville Daily Reporter, the Olean Times Herald and the Salamanca Press.

There is very little professional sport in the Southern Tier, although Binghamton has a AA baseball team (the Binghamton Mets) and American Hockey League franchise (Binghamton Senators) while Elmira hosts an ECHL team (the Elmira Jackals). Depending on the boundary definition, Watkins Glen International Speedway, a NASCAR and Indy Racing League sanctioned road racing track, is located in the Southern Tier region. Other lesser teams include the Elmira Pioneers and Jamestown Jammers (baseball), Southern Tier Diesel, Crystal City Dragons, Broome County Green Machine and Binghamton Tiger Cats (amateur football), and several teams in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Only one major league franchise has ever resided in the Southern Tier: the professional basketball team Elmira Colonels, which played from 1952 to 1953.