WEPN-FM

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Coordinates: 40°44′53″N 73°59′10″W / 40.748°N 73.986°W / 40.748; -73.986
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WEPN-FM
FCC
Facility ID63781
ClassB
ERP6,000 watts
HAAT415 meters (1,362 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°44′53″N 73°59′10″W / 40.748°N 73.986°W / 40.748; -73.986
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitegoodkarmabrands.com/espn-new-york/

WEPN-FM (98.7 

Emmis Communications and its operations are controlled by Good Karma Brands, under a local marketing agreement. The station's transmitter is located at the Empire State Building
.

Programming

WEPN-FM broadcast a mix of local and ESPN Radio national programming.

The station's locally based hosts include

NHL's New York Rangers. Peter Rosenberg, a veteran personality associated with Hip-Hop radio (and co-host of the morning show on WQHT) joined the afternoon drive program as co-host in the summer of 2015. Other local personalities on WEPN-FM include Rick DiPietro, Dave Rothenberg, Chris Carlin, Larry Hardesty, Gordon Damer, Anita Marks, Mike Quick, Matt Simms, Mike Tannenbaum and Mathias Kiwanuka
.

Network programming heard on the station includes Keyshawn, JWill & Max, #GREENY, Bart and Hahn and SportsCenter AllNight. WEPN has not aired any of ESPN Radio's regularly scheduled weeknight programming either, choosing instead to feature games from the Rangers and

NBA's New York Knicks during their respective seasons, local programming hosted in the past by Stephen A. Smith and Bill Daughtry (Dave Rothenberg starting in September 2012), and various other games that ESPN Radio might not have necessarily carried including coverage of college basketball games provided by Learfield and Westwood One and college football games provided by Compass Media Networks. Since 2006 WEPN had been the New York home of Westwood One's NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship coverage; although the station still shared coverage of some games with Westwood One's flagship WFAN, WEPN was home to most of the tournament's action including the Final Four and the National Championship. WEPN-FM also carries the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
.

WEPN-FM has had overflow agreements with WNYM and WWRL, the former airing Knicks or Rangers games that overlap with each other or with the Jets and the latter airing when there are two overlapping games. WNYM has also aired national ESPN game broadcasts of Major League Baseball and the NFL when conflicts have arisen with WEPN-FM. WBLS had been added as a sports overflow station in November 2012 when it began airing Knicks games that conflicted with Jets games on Sunday afternoons.

Bidding for baseball

WEPN-FM was expected to bid for the radio rights for either the New York Yankees or the New York Mets, both of which expired at the end of the 2013 season. It had been reported that WEPN (AM) had been looking to move to a stronger frequency to accommodate having a Major League Baseball team full-time.[2] ESPN Radio New York hoped their chances have been enhanced by acquiring the 98.7 FM frequency and moving the English-language sports format there.

WEPN-FM was unable to secure either team; the Yankees signed with WFAN while the Mets signed with WOR.

History

Experimental operations (1939–1941)

In the late 1930s WOR (710 AM), then licensed to Newark, New Jersey and owned by the Bamberger Broadcasting Service, Inc., a division of R.H. Macy and Company, became interested in the newly developed technology of FM radio. In the summer of 1939, WOR engineers, working with Bell Telephone engineers, set up an experimental 1,000-watt transmitter in Carteret, New Jersey, with the call sign W2XWI. In June 1940 experimental operations were moved to 444 Madison Avenue in New York City, now operating under the call sign W2XOR.[3]

As W71NY (1941–1943)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began permitting commercial operations by FM stations in 1941, and Bamberger's New York station was included among the first authorizations made for the original FM band.[4] The station was given the call sign W71NY, which reflected its operation at 47.1 MHz.

As WBAM (1943–1948)

Effective November 1, 1943, the FCC updated its call letter policy to allow FM stations to have call signs similar to those used on the AM band. The station initially chose WOR-FM, but six weeks later changed it on December 14 to WBAM.[5] In 1945 the FM band was moved to higher frequencies, and WBAM was initially reassigned to 96.5 MHz, before moving to 98.7 MHz in October 1947.[6]

As WOR-FM (1948–1972)

The WOR-FM logo from the late 1960s.

WBAM changed its call letters to WOR-FM on June 13, 1948.

full service
Talk/MOR format.

In 1965, the

freeform-based progressive rock format for most of its broadcast day, though the station continued to simulcast WOR radio's morning program Rambling with Gambling for a time afterwards. Under the leadership of legendary disc jockey Murray "the K" Kaufman, and featuring other notable disc jockeys such as Scott Muni and Rosko, the freeform format was the first of its kind in New York City radio. Later, Muni and Rosko departed for WNEW-FM
, where the same progressive format would become a huge success.

Initially, the Drake-Chenault-consulted, Top 40-formatted WOR-FM played new songs but in less of a rotation than WABC, which was then New York's big Top 40 station. Some of the notable early personalities included Bill Brown (who was a holdover from the rock format and would leave for then-rock station WCBS-FM in 1969); Joe McCoy (who would later become general manager of WCBS-FM); Johnny Donovan (who would go to WABC in 1972 and remain there until his 2015 retirement); Tommy Edwards (announcer), later the longtime midday personality on Chicago Top 40 giant WLS (AM); and Al Brady (who would program WABC in 1979), among others.

As WXLO (1972–1981)

Not to be confused with Fitchburg, Massachusetts radio station WXLO.

On October 23, 1972, RKO General changed the station's call letters to WXLO, and starting in April 1974, it became known as 99X, a reference to the WXLO frequency's close proximity on the FM dial to 99 MHz. This was a version of what was known as the "Q" format, so named because it was modeled after station KCBQ in San Diego. The format featured about 15-20 currents, with a heavy emphasis on constant contests and promotions.

In 1976, WXLO held a contest in which listeners had to guess the identity of six

Greatest Hits Vol. 1
album. Another weekend they held a "No Bee Gees" weekend, where they asked their listeners to request Bee Gee songs that they didn't want played. "I'll be sure to not get that on the air for you" a DJ said on that weekend.

WXLO evolved to a younger skewing Top 40 format and the "99X" moniker remained until late 1979, when it became "FM 99 WXLO." This iteration had decent ratings for a while, but by the spring of 1980, the ratings fell dramatically. RKO General phased out the Top 40 format, and brought in new program director Don Kelly from successful sister soft adult contemporary WFYR in Chicago in an attempt to duplicate that format's success on WXLO. The station at first attempted a call letter change back to WOR-FM, but an FCC challenge from competing crosstown WRFM (now

WBLS-FM's urban audience and WKTU's Rhythmic audience by bringing in new music director Barry Mayo. Mayo, shortly before his arrival, suggested a new format for the station to Kelly and then-general manager Lee S. Simonson after he received a surprising lambasting from his idol, WBLS Program Director Frankie Crocker
(who would later become his rival). Mayo would later become WXLO's program director when Kelly left to start his own consultancy.

By December 1980, the station was leaning towards

R&B-type format whether Rap or Soul
).

As WRKS (1981–2012)

Enter "Kiss FM" (1981–1994)

WRKS logo from 1981 to 1994

In June 1981, the station was known on-air as "FM 99 WXLO making its move to 98.7". By the middle of July, the station had changed its call letters to WRKS-FM (the meaning of which originally referred to its being an RKO Station) and adopted the on-air brand 98.7 Kiss FM, as the station's transition to this new

urban contemporary leader WBLS
was caught off-guard by the sudden rise of the new station, which represented its first direct competition in that format.

Around mid-1983, the station approached

rap music in regular rotation. Also that year, non-R&B dance music and disco were phased out, as the station played strictly music catering mainly to an African-American audience. WBLS responded by hiring Mr. Magic
to conduct a weekend rap show, which helped WBLS reach number-three in the ratings that year, beating out WRKS. Nevertheless, the station had made such strides in its first two-and-a-half years that it resulted in Barry Mayo being promoted as general manager, the first African-American to hold such a position in the RKO radio chain.

WRKS incorporated artists such as

Emmis Communications
launched WQHT (then at 103.5 FM), which had an early emphasis on dance music, forcing WRKS and WBLS to add more dance music to their playlists again. In 1988, Mayo left to organize a new broadcasting company with Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson, and RKO appointed Charles Warfield (former general manager of WBLS) as the new general manager of WRKS. With Vinny Brown as the station's program director, WRKS became the No. 1 radio station in the largest media market in the world for six years right through the mid 1990s.

By the late 1980s, however, RKO General was forced out of the broadcasting business when the FCC began revoking its licenses to its radio and television stations in New York,

WNAC-TV in Boston, RKO was left with no choice but to break up its broadcasting unit.[10] In New York City, RKO's three stations were sold to different companies during a two-year period beginning in 1987. Two years after WOR-TV went to MCA (and renamed WWOR-TV), on June 26, 1989, RKO sold WRKS to the Summit Communications Group of Atlanta.[11] Around the same time, WOR radio was sold to Buckley Broadcasting
.

That same year, WBLS lured on-air personality Mike Love (formerly of the original Kiss Wake-Up Club) to their morning drive show. WRKS immediately formulated a new morning show featuring Ken "Spider" Webb and Jeff Foxx along with then-unknown Wendy Williams. (Foxx and Webb would continue on for the next several years, while Williams held various shifts on the station.)

For many years, WRKS was number one in the

Wu Tang Clan, and Mobb Deep
. The Bomb Squad introduced its signature "bomb dropping" whistle sound effect as they played exclusive new hip-hop music and produced fresh remixes not heard on other urban stations across the country. Leaning towards a younger demographic, the station formulated a new morning show featuring Wendy Williams, who was replaced by "The Native One" during her former 6 p.m.-10 p.m. weeknights shift.

Based on WRKS's success, several radio stations in other markets began to use the "

Gannett Company in 1986.[12]

"Smooth R&B and Classic Soul" (1994–2012)

In December 1994, WQHT's parent Emmis Communications took advantage of newly relaxed FCC ownership regulations and agreed to purchase WRKS from Summit, forming the market's first FM

Urban Adult Contemporary format using the slogan "Smooth R&B and Classic Soul". The shift in format resulted in notable personalities associated with the previous format, such as Wendy Williams and Red Alert, moving from WRKS to WQHT. The new sound on WRKS was introduced by the station during its annual "Twelve Days of Kiss-mas" promotion during the Christmas holiday, and was fully implemented in January 1995. Soul music legend Barry White
became the station's imaging voice and promotional face, and would remain in this role until his death in 2003.

In September 1995, WRKS hired another deep-voiced

Les Brown
also hosted programs on WRKS around this time.

WRKS's playlist for its first year consisted almost exclusively of songs from the 1960s and 1970s; after 1996, the station began reintroducing current R&B back into rotation. But in 1999, WRKS switched from a classic soul-based Urban AC format to a mostly current R&B format. That same year, Frankie Crocker was hired as an announcer and a weekend DJ. The station slowly began to reintroduce rap in 2000. When WWPR-FM was launched in March 2002, the station shifted back to classic soul. In 2003, Barry Mayo briefly returned as general manager for WRKS, WQHT and jazz-formatted WQCD (now WFAN-FM), and WRKS returned to its full-fledged Urban AC format.

In April 2001, WRKS became the New York home for the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, as Isaac Hayes chose not to renew his contract with the station; he remained for a few months to host the local segments within the program (known on the station as The Tom Joyner Morning Show with Isaac Hayes). Joyner's first stint on WRKS lasted only two years; the station picked up his program again in the spring of 2011. In 2003, author and "relationship expert" Michael Baisden became host of the afternoon show, which later became syndicated nationally in January 2005.[13]

In early September 2010, the slogan for the station, "Old School & Today's R&B," changed to "'80s, '90s & Today's R&B," which included dropping most pre-1979 titles. This would later change to "Classic Soul & Today's R&B," which would last until the station's demise in 2012.

Notable station radio personalities during the KISS-FM years included:

While WRKS had a long-standing repertoire among listeners in the African-American community alongside WBLS, it suffered an advertising revenue setback in later years. This was due in part to Arbitron switching to the

portable people meter
system to monitor ratings around 2010, which caused controversy among urban radio advertisers in major markets. In addition, an increasing debt load at Emmis's corporate level which forced the company to sell 80 percent of WRXP to Merlin Media in 2011 was also a major factor.

Transition to ESPN Radio (2012)

On April 26, 2012, the Walt Disney Company and Emmis Communications agreed to a 12-year-lease of the 98.7 FM frequency for an undisclosed price. YMF Media (which acquired WBLS' parent Inner City Broadcasting Corporation) acquired the intellectual property and trademarks of WRKS, primarily the New York City market rights to "Kiss-FM." As a result, Kiss signed off on the 30th with a goodbye show featuring all of the remaining airstaff, and went off the air at Midnight, with "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch being the last song on Kiss. Immediately after, ESPN Radio began broadcasting on 98.7 FM under a local marketing agreement with the Walt Disney Company. Inner City/YMF also moved WBLS and its AM sister station WLIB into WRKS's former office/studio space at Emmis' New York broadcast facility.

The 98.7 frequency simulcast WEPN, the ESPN owned-and-operated AM station until September 7, 2012, when the AM station switched over to ESPN Deportes Radio full-time.[14][15] Simulcasts of New York Red Bulls games on MSG Network were switched to WEPN-FM at that time.

The station's call sign changed to WEPN-FM on May 14, 2012, to match the AM call letters. YMF Media then transferred the WRKS call letters to the ESPN Radio affiliate in the Jackson, Mississippi area.

In December 2021, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin-based Good Karma Brands announced that it would acquire operational control of WEPN-FM from Disney/ESPN, with Good Karma assuming the remainder of Disney's lease agreement with Emmis Communications; Emmis maintains ownership of the station's license. In the same transaction, Good Karma purchased full ownership of WEPN (AM) and ESPN Radio-owned stations in Chicago and Los Angeles from Disney.[16]

On September 19, 2023, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that Good Karma Brands announced plans to relinquish the 98.7 FM frequency on August 31, 2024, after which time WEPN would focus on its 1050 AM signal and digital distribution.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WEPN-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Yanks re-up with WCBS, Sterling, Waldman for 2012". October 28, 2011.
  3. ^ "W71NY New York, N. Y.", Pick-ups, pages 18, 92 (durenberger.com)
  4. ^ "New FM Grants Bring Total to 29", Broadcasting, January 20, 1941, page 55.
  5. ^ "Decisions of the Federal Communications Commission", Broadcasting, December 20, 1943, page 68.
  6. ^ "Station Information for WEPN-FM" (nyradioguide.com)
  7. ^ "WBAM Now WOR-FM" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 14, 1948. p. 29. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  8. ^ "WXLO 98.7 New York – Launch of 98.7 Kiss FM – Charlie Burger / Mary Thomas – July 31 1981". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ RKO General, Inc. v. FCC (1981)-II. Invalid Bases of the FCC Decision; III. RKO's Lack of Candor Archived August 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11/27/06.
  10. ^ RKO General, Inc. v. FCC (1981)-(Intro) Opinion Archived August 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12/09/06.
  11. ^ "Summit gets WRKS-FM for $50 million." Broadcasting, December 12, 1988, pg. 66.
  12. ^ "Trademark registration 1540895". U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  13. ^ "Michael Baisden Says 'FAREWELL TO KISS' FM in New York".
  14. ^ Terranova, Justin (April 26, 2012). "ESPN Radio confirms move to FM". New York Post. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  15. ^ Hajela, Deepti (April 26, 2012). "Format Changes Bring End to NYC Radio Rivalry". WNBC. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  16. ^ Hauer, Sarah. "Good Karma Brands is acquiring ESPN radio stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  17. ^ Marchand, Andrew (September 19, 2023). "ESPN New York ditching 98.7 FM signal in 2024". New York Post. Retrieved September 19, 2023.

External links

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