Happy Trails, WHFS

[DToTheJ]

With the sale of CBS Radio's West Palm Beach cluster comes the imminent departure of the WHFS callsign, which had been in the Washington market for forty years. It was recently whisked off to WPB in exchange for the previously parked WNEW, which is now the callsign for DC's all-news 99.1.

 

[puddingpop]

With the sale of CBS Radio's West Palm Beach cluster comes the imminent departure of the WHFS callsign, which had been in the Washington market for forty years. It was recently whisked off to WPB in exchange for the previously parked WNEW, which is now the callsign for DC's all-news 99.1.

If CBS intends to hang onto the HFS brand--which I imagine they do, since they have an HFS-branded station back on the air in Baltimore--I'm sure that radio station will be getting a new set of call letters by the time the deal is done.

 

[evolve991]

It seems brands can live on without the original calls these days. Internet stations and LPFMs keep all the heritage stations on the back burner and maybe,just maybe,they'll be resurrected on strong FMs with the old call letters when the suits are finished grinding all other formats deep into the landfill.

 

[nd2023]

The translator can't get the WHFS call letters. Perhaps it can find its way to 106.5 or 94.7.

The average person thinks the call letters of 97.5 is WHFS.

 

[evolve991]

"The average person thinks the call letters of 97.5 is WHFS."

Yeah but the real freaks cringe during the TOH calls...it reminds us of how many lobotomys HFS has suffered....I still brace myself a little when I turn on the radio. CBS needs to bring back WHFS FM....AS HFS!!!!

 

[nd2023]

They can bury "WWMX-HD2 Baltimore W248AO Baltimore" in a stopset, and make another ID that proclaims "WHFS 97.5 Baltimore, a CBS Radio station"

 

[DToTheJ]

Well, if a low-power TV station in Cincinnati can call themselves WKRP, anything is possible at this point...

 

[evolve991]

Well, if a low-power TV station in Cincinnati can call themselves WKRP, anything is possible at this point...

Very true. And if it's something unorthodox you can bet HFS will be involved somehow. Not much about the station has ever been "normal". I've read on other posts and forum that advertisers don't want to take a chance on HD but HFS has ads just like they did on traditional FM....seems they're pulling thier weight to me.....

 

[ksradiogeek]

Wouldn't they put the calls on 1580 AM? After all, they put WNEW on 1580 while moving them to 99.1 with the intention of changing them back.

 

[puddingpop]

Wouldn't they put the calls on 1580 AM? After all, they put WNEW on 1580 while moving them to 99.1 with the intention of changing them back.

My understanding is that they had no intentions of putting the WHFS calls back on 1580, and that CBS wants the station to be co-branded with WNEW-FM.

 

[evolve991]

I read that CBS retained the WHFS calls after all ;D

 

[FLjack2]

so where will the call letters end up? (It doesnt have to be in the market, obviously). But since they are selling the current WHFS in the West Palm Beach market, they have to move them to keep them

 

[inorm99]

Where Did You READ this?

I read that CBS retained the WHFS calls after all ;D

 

[DToTheJ]

Something tells me by the ;D that punctuated the poster's claim that he/she may have been being facetious... yet, with the HFS brand being resurrected in the D.C. area several times, I wouldn't be surprised if that ended up being the case. Personally, I'd like to see Hearst grab the WHFS callsign and apply it to 98 Rock.

 

[musichead1029]

Personally, I'd like to see Hearst grab the WHFS callsign and apply it to 98 Rock.

The indie HD-3 maybe. With the exception of the first nine months of its existence in 1977, 98 Rock has been a mainstream AOR/Active Rocker. HFS has been known for progressive rock, freeform rock and the 'alternative' format. No match. And WHFS has as much to do with the 98 Rock slogan as WIYY.