History
The station signed on the air on December 1, 1982 and ran as an adult contemporary station as WIBQ (B-93.5) until 1992 when it switched format and callsign to WKDY to become "Hot Country KDY 93.5". KDY Country stayed on 93.5 until a frequency swap took place in 1993 between WKDY and oldies-formatted WUUU. WUUU then became "Oldies 93.5". More than a year later, Norma Eilenberg changed WUUU's format to easy listening and became "Warm 93.5" . In 1996, "Warm 93.5" switched its callsign to WRFM. It adopted the slogan "not lite, just right" posing itself a rival to longtime AC Station WLZW (Lite 98.7). In 1997, Norma Eilenberg sold WRFM along with sister station WSKS to Dame Media and WRFM rebranded as "93.5 Warm FM", but retained the format. A year later, the station began to switch to a Christmas music format between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Easy listening is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs and popular non-rock vocals. It mostly concentrates on music that pre-dates the rock n' roll era, mostly concentrating on music from the 1940s and before. It was differentiated from the mostly instrumental beautiful music format by its variety of styles, including a percentage of vocals, arrangements and tempos to fit various day parts during the broadcast day.
WLZW, branded as Lite 98-7, is an Adult Contemporary radio station in Utica, New York. The station is owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with news-talk station WIBX, country-formatted WFRG, classic hits station WODZ, and classic rock-formatted WOUR.
In 1999, Dame Media was brought by Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia). Clear Channel retained WRFM's format as "93.5 Warm FM" until December 26, 2002 when it flipped to an oldies format as "Kool 93.5". Its slogan, "Superhits Of The 60's and 70's" posed itself as a competitor to Oldiez 96 (WODZ). Shortly afterward, the station changed calls to WUCL. Clear Channel attempted to boost coverage in the Utica area with the addition of translator W231BI which was installed on the same Smith Hill tower as then-sister station WOUR. Despite the signal boost for downtown Utica, "Kool 93.5" was no match for WODZ and in December 2004, WUCL changed format to classic hits/adult contemporary and became "93.5 The River" with the slogan "It's All About The Music". One month after the format change Clear Channel changed the station's callsign to WOKR, the former call letters of Rochester's WHAM-TV which was also owned by Clear Channel Communications. The format served as a compliment to then-sister station WOUR.
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., a company founded by Lowry Mays and B. J. "Red" McCombs in 1972, and later taken private by Bain Capital, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners through a leveraged buyout in 2008. As a result of this buyout, Clear Channel Communications, Inc. began to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of CC Media Holdings, Inc. On September 16, 2014, CC Media Holdings, Inc. was rebranded iHeartMedia, Inc.; and Clear Channel Communications, Inc., became iHeartCommunications, Inc. On March 14, 2018, the company filed to operate under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, dealing with a debt load in excess of $20 billion.
Oldies is a radio format that concentrates on rock and roll and pop music from the latter half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1970s or 1980s.
WOUR is a classic rock radio station that broadcasts from Utica, New York. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with news-talk station WIBX, country-formatted WFRG-FM, hot AC-formatted WLZW and classic hits-formatted WODZ.
In 2007, Clear Channel decided to exit the small markets such as the Utica-Rome market. Galaxy Communications acquired WOKR and spun off the station, along with its own classic rock station WRCK, to Educational Media Foundation. WOKR then joined the God's Country Radio Network while WRCK joined the Air 1 satellite feed.
God's Country Radio Network was a Religious broadcasting radio network in the United States which launched in 2008. The majority of stations that the network aired on were owned by the non-profit organization Educational Media Foundation, though it also aired on some independent stations. God's Country Radio Network played a blend of Southern Gospel and Positive Country music.
WOKR's affiliation with God's Country was made possible by a Local marketing agreement between EMF and God's Country Radio Network formed in June 2008. Under the agreement, both parties agreed that if God's Country Network could satisfy the terms of the LMA (the length of the LMA contract term was not made public), it would eventually assume ownership of both stations.
In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is a contract in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it is a sort of lease or time-buy.
The following month, EMF requested permission to move WOKR's primary translator to a new site in East Floyd, New York. EMF contended that it would allow WOKR to provide a city-grade signal covering Utica without the need for a translator.
God's Country dissolved in November 2010. EMF changed the affiliations of most of the God's Country affiliates it owned to Radio Nueva Vida, while WOKR took over the Air 1 affiliation from WRCK. In March 2012, WRCK was spun off to Ken Roser, owner of WUTQ and WADR and began simulcasting their programs as WUTQ-FM. The station changed its callsign to WARW on January 7, 2015.
Radio Nueva Vida is a Spanish-language Christian radio network based in Camarillo, California, United States. It is owned and operated by The Association for Community Education, Inc., a California non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1987. The Radio Nueva Vida network of stations broadcasts across the US via a satellite provider as well as over the Internet.
WUSP is an AM radio station that operates at 1550 kHz and located in Utica, New York. The station is owned by the Utica Phoenix, a local alternative newspaper.
WUTQ-FM is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Utica, New York. The station serves the Utica-Rome region of New York State. The station is currently owned by Roser Communications Network and it airs a talk radio format.
WKTV is an NBC/CBS/CW+-affiliated television station licensed to Utica, New York, United States and serving Central Upstate New York's Mohawk Valley. It broadcasts a 720p high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in the Eatonville section of Fairfield. Owned by Heartland Media, it has studios on Smith Hill Road in Deerfield.
WUUU is a country music-formatted radio station with offices in Covington, Louisiana and Hammond, Louisiana. The station, which is owned by Pittman Broadcasting Services, LLC., operates with an ERP of 25 kw.
WCTB is an FM radio broadcast station licensed to Fairfield, Maine, with studios in Skowhegan. It broadcasts on 93.5 MHz with a classic country format.
WFRG-FM, branded as Big Frog 104, is a country music radio station licensed to Utica, New York. Owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with news-talk station WIBX, hot AC-formatted WLZW, classic hits-formatted WODZ and classic rock-formatted WOUR, it bills itself as "Central New York’s Number One For New Country".
WQBJ is the callsign of a stunting radio station licensed to Cobleskill, New York and serving the Mohawk Valley and the western Capital District of New York as well as the Oneonta and Utica-Rome areas. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts on 103.5 MHz at 50,000 watts ERP from a tower west of Cobleskill. It is a simulcast of 103.9 WQBK-FM Rensselaer which it has simulcasted the programming of since 1994 through several variations of rock music.
WDRR also known as "93.9 Bob FM", is a classic hits radio station located in Augusta, Georgia. The station is licensed to the town of Martinez, Georgia by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and broadcasts with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 13 kW. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC. Its studios are located just two blocks from the Augusta-Richmond County border in unincorporated Columbia County, Georgia and the transmitter is in Augusta proper near Fort Gordon.
Galaxy Media is a radio broadcasting company with radio stations entirely in the Central New York area.
WLRX and WAWX are contemporary Christian formatted broadcast radio stations. WLRX is licensed to Vinton, Virginia, serving Metro Roanoke. WAWX is licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, serving Metro Lynchburg. Both WLRX and WAWX are owned and operated by Educational Media Foundation.
WRNY is an American radio station broadcasting at 1350 kHz. The station was owned by Clear Channel Communications until September 2007, when ownership was transferred to Galaxy Utica as a result of Clear Channel's decision to "go private". The station had been acquired by Clear Channel from Dame Media in June, 1999.
WIXT is an AM radio station broadcasting on a frequency of 1230 kHz and licensed to the city of Little Falls, New York. Owned by Galaxy Communications, the station airs a variety hits format under the branding Tony FM 99.1.
WKVU is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Utica, New York, United States, the station serves the Utica-Rome area. The station is currently owned by the Educational Media Foundation, and is an affiliate of the K-Love network.
For the radio station that was run under these call letters under the ownership of Dr. Carl McIntire, see WRNB.
WODZ-FM, branded as "The Eagle", is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Rome, New York, United States, the station serves the Utica-Rome market. The station is owned by Townsquare Media as part of a cluster with news-talk station WIBX, classic rock-formatted WOUR, hot AC-formatted WLZW, and country-formatted WFRG.
WSKS and WSKU are radio stations simulcasting a (CHR) format. Licensed to Whitesboro, New York and Little Falls, New York, the stations serve the Utica-Rome area and are currently owned by Roser Communications Network.
WUMX is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Rome, New York, United States, the station serves the Utica–Rome area. The station is owned by Galaxy Utica Licensee LLC, the Utica division of Galaxy Communications. Syndicated programming on WUMX include Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.
WRFM is an AM broadcasting station at 990 kHz in Muncie, Indiana The station is currently simulcast with WJCF-FM.
WLZV is a contemporary Christian music formatted radio station licensed to Buckland, Virginia and serving the southwestern Washington metropolitan area. The station's programming is a relay of K-Love.
