WCBF (FM)

Last updated

WCBF
Frequency 96.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding95-96-97 Bigfoot Country
Programming
Format Country
Subchannels
Ownership
Owner
  • Seven Mountains Media
  • (Southern Belle, LLC)
WMTT-FM, WNGZ, WNKI, WPHD, WZHD
History
First air date
 1965 (as WENY-FM at 92.7)
Former call signs
  • WENY-FM (1965–1977)
  • WLEZ (1977–1991)
  • WENY-FM (1991–2017)
  • WPHD (2017–2020)
Former frequencies
92.7 MHz (1965–2017)
Call sign meaning
"Bigfoot"
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 71509
Class A
ERP 1,300 watts
HAAT 216 meters (709 ft)
Translator(s) 93.1 W226BA (Elmira, relays HD4)
93.5 W228DN (Corning, relays HD4)
101.7 W269BK (Horseheads, relays HD3)
103.3 W277DW (Elmira, relays HD2)
107.9 W300DH (Corning, relays HD3)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live
Listen Live (HD3)
Website bigfootcountryradio.com
myradiojamz.com (HD3)

WCBF (96.1 MHz, "95-96-97 Bigfoot Country") is an FM radio station licensed to Elmira, New York. It is owned by Seven Mountains Media and airs a country music format.

Contents

History

The station signed on the air as WENY-FM in 1965 at 92.7 FM as a sister station to WENY. The call letters WENY-FM had previously been assigned to another station in Elmira. It was licensed to the Elmira Star-Gazette, Incorporated, and began broadcasting November 1, 1948, on 106.9 MHz. It was a sister station to WENY, an AM station. [2]

In 1977, the station changed its call letters to WLEZ, and was playing adult contemporary music. Known as EZ-92, the station was automated for most of the broadcast day, but had a popular morning show through the 1980s hosted by Chris Faber.

The station reclaimed its WENY-FM call sign on November 4, 1991. It also switched to a satellite-delivered adult contemporary format as an affiliate of the Northeast Satellite Entertainment network.

Longtime owner Howard Green sold the station to White Broadcasting in 2000. Under a limited marketing agreement, the station was managed by Eolin Broadcasting Inc., which also owned talk radio station WCLI, WCBA-FM (adult contemporary), WCBA (adult standards) and WGMM (oldies). White sold the station to EBI in 2001

EBI moved the station to its headquarters in South Corning and began simulcasting airing WCBA-FM programming on WENY. The stations were known as the Crystal Radio Network. That nomenclature came from WCBA-FM, which had been known as "Crystal 98.7" for a few years.

In 2003, EBI sold all of the stations to Route 81 Radio, based in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Route 81 switched WCBA-FM's frequency to 97.7 (which was WGMM's) and its calls to WENI. The stations still air the same adult contemporary programming, but now are known as Magic 92.7 and 97.7. Route 81 dissolved and the stations ended up in the hands of William and Paige Christian's Sound Communications.

In 2017, Sound Communications filed to swap the license for WENY-FM to Kevin Fitzgerald and George Hawras' Europa Communications in exchange for the license for WPHD, in a move speculated to allow the Christians the opportunity to acquire another station in the Elmira-Corning area (South Waverly, Pennsylvania, the community to which WPHD was licensed, is located just outside the designated market area). [3] The swap was consummated on November 15, 2017, along with the formats. In addition, the stations swapped call signs on November 20, 2017. On December 8, 2017, WPHD moved from 92.7 FM to 96.1 FM. (info taken from stationintel.com) On June 25, 2020, the station changed its call sign to WCBF. On July 3, 2020, the station adopted a country music format branded "Bigfoot Country", and the WPHD call sign and classic hits format moved to 104.9 FM. [4]

HD Radio

On May 24, 2018, WPHD launched two formats on their HD Radio subchannels—WPHD-HD2 was airing a rhythmic contemporary format, branded as "Hot 102.9" (simulcast on translator W275BA 102.9 FM Elmira) and WPHD-HD3 was airing an alternative rock format, branded as "93 The Drive" (simulcast on translator W226BA 93.1 FM Elmira). [5]

On January 6, 2020, WPHD-HD3/W226BA changed their format from alternative rock to a simulcast of mainstream rock-formatted WNGZ 104.9 FM Montour Falls. [6]

Translators

WCBF also broadcasts on the following FM translators:

Broadcast translators for WCBF
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) Class FCC info
W226BA93.1 FM Elmira, New York 156749250D LMS
W228DN93.5 FM Corning, New York 156918110D LMS
W269BK101.7 FM Horseheads, New York 14026980D LMS
W277DW103.3 FM Elmira, New York 8554250D LMS
W300DH107.9 FM Corning, New York 140304200D LMS

W277DW relays WCBF-HD2; W269BK and W300DH relay WCBF-HD3; W226BA and W228DN relay WCBF-HD4.

Related Research Articles

WENI-FM is an American radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve the community of South Waverly, Pennsylvania. Starting in early 2010, the then-WPHD moved to Comfort Hill in Ashland, New York, just south of Elmira. WENI-FM is located on the same radio tower as Elmira-licensed WCBF. WENI-FM now has one of the strongest signals in Chemung County, New York, and the greater Elmira area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVNO-FM</span> Radio station in Mansfield, Ohio

WVNO-FM is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to Mansfield, Ohio, United States, the station serves the Mid-Ohio area. The station is currently owned by Johnny Appleseed Broadcasting Company and features programming from Premiere Networks and Westwood One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WENI (AM)</span> Radio station in New York, United States

WENI is a radio station in the Elmira-Corning market of New York state. It broadcasts with 1,000 watts day and night on 1450 kHz from studios in South Corning, New York. It airs a classic country format, branded as "Bigfoot Legends".

WCBA was a radio station in the Elmira-Corning market of New York state. It broadcast with 1,000 watts day and 37 watts night on 1350 kHz from studios in South Corning, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMAJ (AM)</span> Radio station in New York, United States

WMAJ is an AM radio station in the Elmira-Corning market of New York state. It broadcasts at 1,000 watts at day and 910 watts at night from studios in Corning, New York. It airs an adult contemporary format branded as "Magic 106.7/106.9".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWEG</span> Radio station in Myersville, Maryland

WWEG is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Myersville, Maryland. The station is owned by Manning Broadcasting, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits format.

WGMM is a radio station licensed to the city of Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania and is part of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre radio market. It broadcasts with 5,000 watts daytime, and 1,000 watts nighttime power with a directional signal. The station simulcasts with WGMF in Olyphant, and WGMF-FM in Dushore. The WGMM-WGMF studio is located on Wilmar Drive in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. As WEMR, it formerly simulcast the adult contemporary format aired by its sister station, WCOZ, now KZ104, in neighboring Sullivan County, but now airs a classic hits format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLVP</span> Radio station in Aloha, Oregon

KLVP is a non-profit radio station licensed to Aloha, Oregon, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. The station is owned, and the broadcast license held, by the Educational Media Foundation. It airs the national contemporary Christian radio format known as "K-Love."

WPHD is an FM radio station licensed to serve Corning, New York, United States. The station is owned by Kristin Cantrell's Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle, LLC.

WMTT-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Tioga, Pennsylvania, and serving New York's Southern Tier, including the Elmira-Corning radio market. WMTT-FM is owned by Seven Mountains Media, with the license held by Southern Belle, LLC. It broadcasts a classic rock radio format, simulcast with co-owned WENI-FM (92.7) in South Waverly. The radio studios and offices are on Chemung Street in Horseheads, New York.

WNKI is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format. Licensed to Corning, New York, United States, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area, and is the Nielsen Audio #1 rated station in the market. The station is currently owned by Seven Mountains Media, which closed on its $3.9 million acquisition of the station April 1, 2019, from Community Broadcasters, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQNY</span> Radio station in Ithaca, New York

WQNY is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Ithaca, New York, United States, the station serves that market and occasionally has appeared in the Elmira-Corning ratings, as the station can be heard well in the eastern and northeastern parts of that market. The station is owned Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Cayuga Radio Group.

WCIG is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Big Flats, New York, United States, the station is owned by Family Life Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNGZ (AM)</span> Radio station in Watkins Glen, New York

WNGZ is an AM radio station licensed to serve Watkins Glen, New York. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media. The AM station first signed on in 1968 and has undergone numerous call letter and format changes since 1990. From 2014 to 2020 the AM station carried a classic country format.

KMIT is a FM radio station licensed to serve Mitchell, South Dakota. The station is owned by Saga Communications of South Dakota, LLC. It airs a country music format.

WZHD is a classic rock-formatted radio station licensed to Canaseraga, New York, United States. It serves the Hornell/Dansville area and simulcasts programming from WQRS, serving the Elmira, New York radio market. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXKB</span> Contemporary hit radio station in Cape Coral, Florida

WXKB is a commercial radio station licensed to Cape Coral, Florida, and serving the Fort Myers-Naples radio market and Southwest Florida. WXKB is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a top 40 (CHR) radio format branded as "B-103.9", sometimes called "The Killer B." In afternoon drive time it carries On Air with Ryan Seacrest, syndicated by Premiere Networks.

WMKR is a radio station broadcasting a country music format, licensed to Pana, Illinois, United States. The station serves the Taylorville, Illinois area. WMKR is owned by Miller Communications, Inc.

KMRR is a radio station airing an adult contemporary format licensed to Spencer, Iowa. The station serves the areas of Spencer, Iowa, and Estherville, Iowa, and is owned by Saga Communications as part of its Spencer Radio Group.

WCIM is a Christian radio station as part of the Family Life Network. Licensed to Montour Falls, New York and broadcasting to the Elmira-Corning area, the station was acquired by Family Life Ministries in 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "WENY-FM Elmira Airs AM Affiliate Programs" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 8, 1948. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  3. ↑ "NERW 7/31/2017: Signal Shuffle in Elmira". July 31, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Seven Mountains Media Flips Five Stations In Elmira", RadioInsight. July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ Equinox Launches Alternative, Rhythmic CHR in Elmira Radioinsight - May 24, 2018
  6. ↑ WNGZ Drives Away Alternative in Elmira Radioinsight - January 7, 2020

42°01′55″N76°47′02″W / 42.032°N 76.784°W / 42.032; -76.784

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