Y95/95YNF

[heinrich]

I always thought Y95 had the calls WYNF-FM but when I checked FCC's database it showed that WYNF-FM was assigned on 9/29/81. Isn't that time that 95YNF signed on? If that's the case then Y95 had the calls WLCY-FM right?

Another interesting note, FCC shows WCOF being assigned on 9/30/93 and WWRM assigned on 9/9/93. I searched the history of WWRM and 94.9 on their database.

Anyone out there with a better memory than mine?

Thanks,
Chris<P ID="signature">______________
Chris Heinrich
Owner/Webmaster
TampaBayRadioHistory.com</P>

 

[WDAE-FM101]

> I always thought Y95 had the calls WYNF-FM but when I
> checked FCC's database it showed that WYNF-FM was assigned
> on 9/29/81. Isn't that time that 95YNF signed on? If that's
> the case then Y95 had the calls WLCY-FM right?
>
> Another interesting note, FCC shows WCOF being assigned on
> 9/30/93 and WWRM assigned on 9/9/93. I searched the history
> of WWRM and 94.9 on their database.
>
> Anyone out there with a better memory than mine?
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
> Yes the Y-95 moniker (as WLCY FM) began with Top 40 & live jocks in June of 1976. (From 1973-1976 they played automated T-M Stereo Hits and (the formatfor each set was two currents, an oldie and an album trac. The voice-over always annnonced two songs at once -- "that was . . . and before that") The audio was completely -out-of-phase -- and it was difficult to hear the station clearly on on a portable or clock radio.

From 1970 -1973 they played Drake Chenault's Hit Parade.

In 1980 or 81; they began with the adult album format.

Tom S
<P ID="signature">______________
Tom S</P>

 

[RMarino]

> > I always thought Y95 had the calls WYNF-FM but when I
> > checked FCC's database it showed that WYNF-FM was assigned
>
> > on 9/29/81.

That can't be right. I have an aircheck of Y95 from 1979 and they are WYNF.

 

[Ivan]

> > > I always thought Y95 had the calls WYNF-FM but when I
> > > checked FCC's database it showed that WYNF-FM was
> assigned
> >
> > > on 9/29/81.
>
> That can't be right. I have an aircheck of Y95 from 1979
> and they are WYNF.
>
I think they you are right. They may have changed the calls a few months befpre they changed the format. I always preferred Y95 as a top 40 versus Q105 (or as we used to call it ((BLEEP) 105). Also, it was right next to the popular 96 Fever and 98 right next to it. Remember we only had knobs in those days. Presets?

Didn't 95 change format because Ron Diaz (I may be wrong) switched from 98 to 95? Something similar to what happened with and 103.5? They changed format because of the availability of established talent? I know that when 95YNF came on the air we all (Jr. High and High Schoolers) migrated to it. I know I never listened to Baxter in the morning after that.

Memories: I thought it was a great step forward when I bought a Fisher tuner that the frequency knob could go from one end of the frequency spectrum to the other with one pull. Ha Ha.

 

[Part-timer]

> > I know I never listened to Baxter in the
> morning after that.
>

Is that the Baxter who became part of Baxter & Mark in Orlando (WDIZ)?<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P>

 

[Shell]

When WWRM moved to 94.9 (Warm 94.9 FM) the WYNF call sign was temporarily parked on 107.3 as an audio message on 107.3 (voiced by Cox Broadcasting's long time receptionist Barbara) notified listeners that "the new address was 94.9 FM, please make a note of it".

When all 70's Coast 107.3 debuted, the station originally broadcast from the old 95YNF studio with the new calls, WCOF then later joined sister Warm 94.9 over in the Glades Building at Koger Center.

I wasn't there then, but this is the story I recall being told to me, as I found it interesting too.

Is this accurate?



> I always thought Y95 had the calls WYNF-FM but when I
> checked FCC's database it showed that WYNF-FM was assigned
> on 9/29/81. Isn't that time that 95YNF signed on? If that's
> the case then Y95 had the calls WLCY-FM right?
>
> Another interesting note, FCC shows WCOF being assigned on
> 9/30/93 and WWRM assigned on 9/9/93. I searched the history
> of WWRM and 94.9 on their database.
>
> Anyone out there with a better memory than mine?
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Jack Shell
Director of Production & Creative Services
95.5 The WOLF!
650 AM WSM
SuperTalk 99.7 WTN
Cumulus Media/Nashville


Jack Shell Productions
http://www.jackshell.com</P>

 

[RMarino]

95ynf

Oh how I bet Cox wishes they still had the WYNF call letters and had them parked on 94.9 FM. It would have been a lot easier for Cox to drag down the Clear Channel rockers with a heritage call like "95ynf" as opposed to the rather weak "102.5 The Bone"

Actually Cox stunted for a few hours with classic rock on "95ynf" after the midnight takeover. They became "Tampa Bay's Home Of Classic Rock" which is what they should have been leaning toward from mid '91 to the end in 1993.

Then came the WSUN simulcast for a week, followed by Warm 94.9

Now WYNF is stuck on a losing station in Macon, GA where they are only mentioned once an hour, most likely spoken low and rushed, hidden in shame.

 

[heinrich]

> > > I always thought Y95 had the calls WYNF-FM but when I
> > > checked FCC's database it showed that WYNF-FM was
> assigned
> >
> > > on 9/29/81.
>
> That can't be right. I have an aircheck of Y95 from 1979
> and they are WYNF.
>

I also thought Y95 was WYNF (Y-Ninety-Five), guess the FCC is wrong.

Do you have this in MP3 format? If so, can you email me a copy for the site?

Thanks.<P ID="signature">______________
Chris Heinrich
Owner/Webmaster
TampaBayRadioHistory.com</P>

 

[rugrats1]

Re: 95ynf

> Actually Cox stunted for a few hours with classic rock on
> "95ynf" after the midnight takeover.

> Then came the WSUN simulcast for a week, followed by Warm
> 94.9
>
This was at the time when WSUN (still at 620AM) had their short-lived "Entertaining Talk Radio" format. Shortly after Coast 107.3 was launched, Cox acquired WFNS 910 AM, moved the WSUN calls to 910 and switched that station to a simulcast of 107.3. (620 was sold to another company, which would become BN9 simulcast WSAA by 1998.)

> Now WYNF is stuck on a losing station in Macon, GA where
> they are only mentioned once an hour, most likely spoken low
> and rushed, hidden in shame.
>

Also, that station (an alternative rocker for Macon) is owned by Clear Channel, who acquired the calls soon after Cox discarded them -- before Macon, CC used them for, appropriately, a rock station in Sarasota.

 

[rugrats1]

> > That can't be right. I have an aircheck of Y95 from 1979
> > and they are WYNF.
> >
>
> I also thought Y95 was WYNF (Y-Ninety-Five), guess the FCC
> is wrong.
>

I concur with RMarino -- Y95 was already WYNF by 1979, as I first heard them when I moved to Tampa Bay that year. Don't know if they had the calls since Y95's get-go in 1976, or if they were WLCY-FM for the first year or so. Since both calls have the "Y", it can go either way.

 

[RMarino]

Re: 95ynf

> > Now WYNF is stuck on a losing station in Macon, GA where
> > they are only mentioned once an hour, most likely spoken
> low
> > and rushed, hidden in shame.
>
> Also, that station (an alternative rocker for Macon) is
> owned by Clear Channel, who acquired the calls soon after
> Cox discarded them -- before Macon, CC used them for,
> appropriately, a rock station in Sarasota.

Actually New Wave Communications acquired them for 107.9 in Sarasota. Jacor, and later Clear Channel, inherited them when they bought the station.

But from late 1993 until early 1995, the WYNF calls were up for grabs.

 

[jefflaurence]

WLCY-FM..Y95.."MY Number ONE Music Station" was originally in the (WLCY-TV) Channel 10 building with us at WLCY. They got a gutted closet in the hall between the AM and the Traffic, and Production office. They had a used RCA stereo console and were playing everything on vinyl. BUT by God they were stereo, and some of us on the AM were (sort of) jealous and would constantly do "stuff" to mess with them a little..including and not limited to (slightly) reducing thier modulation or power, and poking the lights out of thier phone deskset so thier calls would go unanswered..to simply locking the doorknob to the studio when the FM jock would use the bathroom. (They had to go through the AM to access it..so we knew when they were in there)

When the Rahalls sold off 10TV to Alan Henry's Gulf Brodcasting, Y95 had to move out of the TV building and actually took up residence in the swampy marsh where the transmitter was (before it moved) and on top of the center stick of the 1380 towers in the channel 10 parking lot. 1380 got sold to Harte-Hankes. When Taft bought Y95, they had to get out too, and later became WRBQ-AM but not before becoming WNSI for a short time as a talk station. WYNF became so because Alan wanted to keep the WLCY calls, when they got kicked out, Y95 got a new Audigram board, and moved the Gates cart machines. (Later the were to move to Reo Street with 1250/WDAE) But when it rained it was a miserable place. 94.9 became 95YNF as a Taft station, they later got sold again and moved to the Koger Center across from U92 before they were finally sold to Cox and they became WARM 94.9. Who owned them then CBS? Neat studio for Ron and Ron complete with bleachers for a live audience! I remember during YNF's last days (when I worked at U92) the sign in the little studio window on Executive Center Dr..that said "HELP" I left WYUU and became Creative Services Director for WCOF and WWRM and WSUN in the very early 90's When they hired Scott Robbins as the first PD of Coast 107.3, he and Party Marti and all of them had to work out of that building..what a nightmare transporting carts, and logs back and forth.

I probably left out several details..

 

[rugrats1]

> When Taft bought Y95, they
> had to get out too, and later became WRBQ-AM but not before
> becoming WNSI for a short time as a talk station.

Actually, WNSI was an attempt to bring news radio to the Tampa Bay area (the "NSI" meant "News One"). Apparently, that flopped, and it later became Q105's AM station, which simulcasted most of the day. It would remain laregely like this until the mid-1990s, when 1380 became urban-oriented "The Touch". (It's Radio Disney (WWMI) today.)

> WYNF became so because Alan wanted to keep the WLCY calls...

But they never resurfaced again in the Tampa Bay area. Today, according to http://www.radio-locator.com/ , WLCY is an AC station in Blairsville, PA.

> 94.9 became 95YNF as a Taft station...

Sometime in the mid-1980s, WYNF would be reunited (sort of) with WTSP ch.10, after Gulf Broadcasting was sold to Taft. Though its AM partner was now country powerhouse WSUN-620, which Taft acquired from Plough around this time.

> they later got sold again and moved to the Koger Center across
> from U92 before they were finally sold to Cox and they
> became WARM 94.9. Who owned them then CBS?

I think they did -- sometime in the 1980s, Taft would sell WYNF and WSUN to CBS, and they would eventually sell both to Cox, especially following WSUN's own attenpt at all-news, which failed.

 

[FloridaBear1776]

WNSI... News One...

WNSI wasn't really a news station. They had newsblocks in am and pm drive, and
ran talk the rest of the time. Early on they had live local shows with John Eastman and the late Lincoln Carle. This was traditional, balanced radio, midly liberal or mildly conservative. Evenings were sports talk and CNN Headline News.
I think WNSI was the first affiliate of Headline News audio (I believe they were still called "CNN2" at this point).

Later on WNSI affiliated with ABC Talkradio 10 am - 4 pm and overnights. They cut back Eastman to one hour and Carle went bye-bye. They brought in Robert Van Amburgh, who did a sort of senior-citizen version of the Herb Jepko show called "Overnight" from 8 - 11 pm. (Imagine someone actually targeting senior citizens on an AM radio station!)

WNSI was the first place locals ever heard Nanci Donnellan, later to become "The Fabulous Sports Babe", paired with Tedd Webb. WNSI was the first place anyone ever heard Gil Whitton do a regularly scheduled garden show. It also was the home to some local radio stalwarts as Roger Schulman, Jeff Brooks, and others.

WNSI died because Harte-Hanks' time horizon was too short, and the plug was pulled after 14 months. Imagine if H-H had held on. WNSI's signal was bigger and its presentation far more professional-sounding than was its competitor, WPLP, then transmitting out of the swamps of Seminole, in Chapter 11 and unable to afford music licensing fees! H-H could have had the #1 music station (Q105) AND the number one talker! Imagine the cross-pollination between the Q Zoo and 1380 talk radio, perhaps later moved in down the hall on Gray Street. It would have been like the WFLA-WFLZ symbiosis a few years later during the early Power Pig days.

>

 

[jefflaurence]

Re: WNSI..the NEW WLCY and more YNF

It would have been like the WFLA-WFLZ symbiosis a
> few years later during the early Power Pig days.
>

GREAT post Bear..I remember that BEFORE it was WNSI (as the NEW WLCY) they had Burt and Kurt doing mornings..pretty good radio, and a BEE-YEW-TIFUL studio near Bennigans off of 4th street. Mike Weber was there as well..as was longtime friend Jim Shafer who did one of his first talk shows on WNSI and later was brought in to hold me up at WSUN in the morning. We were partners, but HE was (and is) one of the cleverest morning guys I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I had migrated to WSUN (Shering-Plough) from WDAE after a terrible AFTRA union vote took place. Most of us kind of got the "hint" to get out as TAFT had "educated" the staff with a team of anti-union corporate "motivators" who literally scared hell out of us, and the union was defeated. But since the company couldn't finger who was the rabble-rouser we all got a cold shoulder and they (WDAE) eventually went Adult Standards..so I opted to go to Sun Country (on 1st and 1st in St. Pete). Jim and I got together after WNSI went sour. Shafer was a voice of reason and biting sarcasm, while being all the while mild mannered and the "good one" THEN..one day I left the studio and there was a "RAFT OF TAFT" people milling the hallway..so I knew I was doomed..I bolted for Scott Robbins' Magic 96 to do afternoons. Jim stayed on as WSUN moved to the YNF complex, and did well there. So WSUN and WYNF were together in the Koger center..and both were promptly sold to CBS..It's all coming back to me now. Where is Sean Portman these days. I liked him!

 

[sbe]

Re: WNSI..the NEW WLCY and more YNF

WSUN country was a great station. I remember one morning when Jim Shafer did his show from the transmitter site on Gandy Blvd. He was listening to the ghost of Salty Sol and others I dont recall.... Was great. And traffic by Al "Sky Patrol" Ford, flying around in his Cessna 150. He would be on the air and talk to air traffic control all at the same time. It was even in stereo. Jim did his show the day they lit up the CQuam. He was panning left to right and back and forth and messing around with it. WSUN for those who remember AM stereo sounded great in stereo.



> It would have been like the WFLA-WFLZ symbiosis a
> > few years later during the early Power Pig days.
> >
>
> GREAT post Bear..I remember that BEFORE it was WNSI (as the
> NEW WLCY) they had Burt and Kurt doing mornings..pretty good
> radio, and a BEE-YEW-TIFUL studio near Bennigans off of 4th
> street. Mike Weber was there as well..as was longtime
> friend Jim Shafer who did one of his first talk shows on
> WNSI and later was brought in to hold me up at WSUN in the
> morning. We were partners, but HE was (and is) one of the
> cleverest morning guys I have ever had the pleasure to work
> with. I had migrated to WSUN (Shering-Plough) from WDAE
> after a terrible AFTRA union vote took place. Most of us
> kind of got the "hint" to get out as TAFT had "educated" the
> staff with a team of anti-union corporate "motivators" who
> literally scared hell out of us, and the union was defeated.
> But since the company couldn't finger who was the
> rabble-rouser we all got a cold shoulder and they (WDAE)
> eventually went Adult Standards..so I opted to go to Sun
> Country (on 1st and 1st in St. Pete). Jim and I got
> together after WNSI went sour. Shafer was a voice of reason
> and biting sarcasm, while being all the while mild mannered
> and the "good one" THEN..one day I left the studio and
> there was a "RAFT OF TAFT" people milling the hallway..so I
> knew I was doomed..I bolted for Scott Robbins' Magic 96 to
> do afternoons. Jim stayed on as WSUN moved to the YNF
> complex, and did well there. So WSUN and WYNF were
> together in the Koger center..and both were promptly sold to
> CBS..It's all coming back to me now. Where is Sean Portman
> these days. I liked him!
>

 

[rugrats1]

Re: (The end of) WNSI... News One...

> WNSI died because Harte-Hanks' time horizon was too short,
> and the plug was pulled after 14 months.

I remebered when the news-talk format ended and Q105's simulcast began, around 1983, I think -- during the last day, WNSI ran some canned feature reports from CBS. Then, shortly before 6PM, WNSI played its ID jingle one last time, followed by the Star-Spangled Banner, then ending with the sound of a firing squad. At that point, they joined Mason Dixon's Q105 show in progress, in the middle of Neil Diamond's "Hello". The first ID at 6PM had WRBQ and WNSI calls -- this remained so for a few weeks or so until they got "WRBQ-AM" for 1380.

During the days leading to the switch, Q105 played promos mentioning that the Q Zoo will be heard on 1380, in addition to Q105. The promos mentioned that the switch would take place on a Monday, but it happened on the Friday before, instead, to the alleged ire of Mason.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by rugrats1 on 11/15/05 03:37 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[rugrats1]

Re: WNSI..the NEW WLCY and more YNF

> GREAT post Bear..I remember that BEFORE it was WNSI (as the
> NEW WLCY) they had Burt and Kurt doing mornings..pretty good
> radio, and a BEE-YEW-TIFUL studio near Bennigans off of 4th
> street.

Was that the same place that later became the offices for Diamond P (with the time zone clocks on the front of the building)? It's a financial office today.

 

[M_Serio]

WLCY Studios

Those studios Jeff is referring to isn't the same building that Diamond P later used... WLCY's studios were in the office building is just north of the entire Koger complex, a couple of buildings behind Bennigans, just east of the Apartment Complex.

For the longest time, a insurance/financial company leased the space.

Jeff is right... that place was awsome. Even today, those studios still rate among the best I've worked in.

It was late 1979. I had just left Dunedin High, where I'd interned with Roger Shulman and Bob Clark at WTAN. I had just passed my FCC test, and was looking for anything. I was living with my grandparents and the only radios in their house... AM. That meant listening WDAE and WLCY.

One night, I heard this OUTRAGEOUS jock on the air at WLCY.

Howard Hewes was hootin' and hollerin' and asked if there was anyone listening who wanted to come down to the WLCY studios and help him with the show.

I was calling the request line before he turned off the mic.

I was hooked. Crazy girls on the phone, (including a now nursing supervisor at a local hospital that I still keep in touch with today) beer and pizza runs, and oh yeah...GIRLS !!!

Howard did nights, Jerry Walker did late-nights... also remember Gary Michael Knight as well. And of course, Burt and Kurt did mornings.

Unfortunately, no one in management knew I was coming in at nights, and had no idea who I was. So when I called Bob Burton (the PD) looking for a board op job, I was told not to come back.

Howard was apologetic, and set me up with his friend Dave McKay who was PD at WWBA 68AM/107.3FM (no, not WQYK's Dave McKay) and I got my first paying job on 11/18/80.


Today, nearly all the stations now clustered together in four office buildings around the area. But it wasn't that way back then.

There were radio stations scattered all over the area. Just a couple of stations had moved to Koger... 98 Rock was still located out on Starkey... FSO/PLP was out in the swamps of Seminole... WWBA was located over on 62nd Ave N... WHBO was up on North Florida... 1010 operated from it's transmitter site in Seffner. WTAN AM/FM came from that tiny, cramped building overlooking Clearwater Bay... Bud Paxson's 1470/106.3 was located in what is now the Lowes at US 19 and 580.

As a couple of new Tampa Bay radio related websites are being built, it might be interesting to see more pictures of the old studios/ facilities as well.





> > GREAT post Bear..I remember that BEFORE it was WNSI (as
> the
> > NEW WLCY) they had Burt and Kurt doing mornings..pretty
> good
> > radio, and a BEE-YEW-TIFUL studio near Bennigans off of
> 4th
> > street.
>
> Was that the same place that later became the offices for
> Diamond P (with the time zone clocks on the front of the
> building)? It's a financial office today.
>

 

[heinrich]

Re: WLCY Studios

Great story Mike, I'd would love to put it on the site. If anyone sends me the studio pics, I'll be more than happy to put it up!

Chris

TampaBayRadioHistory.com


> Those studios Jeff is referring to isn't the same building
> that Diamond P later used... WLCY's studios were in the
> office building is just north of the entire Koger complex, a
> couple of buildings behind Bennigans, just east of the
> Apartment Complex.
>
> For the longest time, a insurance/financial company leased
> the space.
>
> Jeff is right... that place was awsome. Even today, those
> studios still rate among the best I've worked in.
>
> It was late 1979. I had just left Dunedin High, where I'd
> interned with Roger Shulman and Bob Clark at WTAN. I had
> just passed my FCC test, and was looking for anything. I
> was living with my grandparents and the only radios in their
> house... AM. That meant listening WDAE and WLCY.
>
> One night, I heard this OUTRAGEOUS jock on the air at WLCY.
>
> Howard Hewes was hootin' and hollerin' and asked if there
> was anyone listening who wanted to come down to the WLCY
> studios and help him with the show.
>
> I was calling the request line before he turned off the mic.
>
>
> I was hooked. Crazy girls on the phone, (including a now
> nursing supervisor at a local hospital that I still keep in
> touch with today) beer and pizza runs, and oh yeah...GIRLS
> !!!
>
> Howard did nights, Jerry Walker did late-nights... also
> remember Gary Michael Knight as well. And of course, Burt
> and Kurt did mornings.
>
> Unfortunately, no one in management knew I was coming in at
> nights, and had no idea who I was. So when I called Bob
> Burton (the PD) looking for a board op job, I was told not
> to come back.
>
> Howard was apologetic, and set me up with his friend Dave
> McKay who was PD at WWBA 68AM/107.3FM (no, not WQYK's Dave
> McKay) and I got my first paying job on 11/18/80.
>
>
> Today, nearly all the stations now clustered together in
> four office buildings around the area. But it wasn't that
> way back then.
>
> There were radio stations scattered all over the area.
> Just a couple of stations had moved to Koger... 98 Rock was
> still located out on Starkey... FSO/PLP was out in the
> swamps of Seminole... WWBA was located over on 62nd Ave N...
> WHBO was up on North Florida... 1010 operated from it's
> transmitter site in Seffner. WTAN AM/FM came from that
> tiny, cramped building overlooking Clearwater Bay... Bud
> Paxson's 1470/106.3 was located in what is now the Lowes at
> US 19 and 580.
>
> As a couple of new Tampa Bay radio related websites are
> being built, it might be interesting to see more pictures of
> the old studios/ facilities as well.
>
>
>
>
>
> > > GREAT post Bear..I remember that BEFORE it was WNSI (as
> > the
> > > NEW WLCY) they had Burt and Kurt doing mornings..pretty
> > good
> > > radio, and a BEE-YEW-TIFUL studio near Bennigans off of
> > 4th
> > > street.
> >
> > Was that the same place that later became the offices for
> > Diamond P (with the time zone clocks on the front of the
> > building)? It's a financial office today.
> >
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Chris Heinrich
Owner/Webmaster
TampaBayRadioHistory.com</P>