History
MOR and talk
The station signed on the air on November 7, 1960, as WINQ. [4] It was founded by Rex Rand, the owner of WINZ in Miami.
In its early days, WINQ was a network affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System and carried a middle-of-the-road (MOR) music format. In 1967, WINQ became the first station in Tampa Bay to offer an all-talk format, with network news and other programming from CBS Radio (which would later own this station). WINQ switched to a country music format in 1971, after the station was losing money on the talk programming. [5]
Christian programming
By 1974, WINQ had changed to a Christian radio station, featuring pre-recorded religious programing, with southern gospel music filling the breaks. In 1975, after an influx of call-in requests to Kevin MacKenzie's "LoveTree" Jesus Music Show, he and station manager Phil Scott agreed to continue in the direction of Christian Rock. With the assistance of program director Bill Brown, WINQ became a full-time Christian contemporary station with live announcers, and launched what became the first commercially licensed Christian rock radio station in the country.
In late 1978, following Rand's death in a helicopter crash, the station was sold to different owners, who switched the format back to traditional religious programming, as WCBF ("We're Christians By Faith"), dropping the CCM format and again featuring Christian talk and teaching programs produced by area churches.
CBS ownership and Howard Stern
In 1987, Infinity Broadcasting, which owned WQYK-FM 99.5, acquired WCBF. It was relaunched a year later as WQYK, returning it to a country format. Most hours, it simulcast its FM sister station WQYK-FM. [6] The simulcast did not last long.
The station has undergone many format changes since then, alternating between country, talk and sports radio. In July 2004, the station switched to a hot talk format, as WBZZ, 1010 The Buzz, after acquiring the rights to the syndicated Howard Stern Show . [7] [8] However, soon after Howard left for satellite radio in January 2006, the station switched from a hot talk format to a classic country sound. Then it changed back to all-sports as WQYK on August 10, 2007. Nanci "The Fabulous Sports Babe" Donnellan is one of WQYK's most notable alumni. The station served as Donnellan's flagship during her show's run on the now-defunct Sports Fan Radio Network, from 1997 to 2001.
WQYK's sports format moved to WHFS-FM (98.7 FM, formerly WSJT) on August 2, 2012, under the branding SportsRadio 98.7 The Fan. [9] The WHFS call sign had previously been used on co-owned stations in Washington, D. C. and Baltimore and was "parked" or "warehoused" on a co-owned station in West Palm Beach. Concurrent with the move, WQYK changed its call sign to WHFS to match the FM station. The two stations simulcast until January 2, 2013, when the AM station became a full-time affiliate of CBS Sports Radio. [10] Among the new hosts was Donnellan, who was heard overnight.
Moneytalk Radio
On October 2, 2014, CBS Radio announced that it would trade all of the company's radio stations in Charlotte and Tampa (including WHFS), as well as WIP in Philadelphia, to the Beasley Broadcast Group in exchange for five stations in Miami and Philadelphia. [11] The swap was completed on December 1, 2014. [12]
On December 31, 2014, under Beasley ownership, the station made a change. At 10 a.m., WHFS dropped CBS Sports Radio and switched to a simulcast of WSBR's Moneytalk Radio programming. [13]
WHFS aired financial and business shows under this format, some of which was paid brokered programming. Nationally syndicated shows included The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, The Mark Levin Show and The Ken Colman Show. WHFS carried The Schnitt Show with Todd Schnitt until its end in July 2023. Weekends included programs on pets, gardening, religion, health, travel, food and wine. Most hours began with an update from ABC News Radio.
Podcast Radio US
On September 19, 2023, WHFS changed its call sign to WJBR, which was warehoused from sister station WJBR-FM in Wilmington, Delaware, which Beasley was in the process of selling to VCY America. Three days later, on September 22, WJBR flipped to an all-podcast format as "Podcast Radio US". WJBR was one of four Beasley stations to debut the format that day under an agreement between Beasley and the podcast originating company, the United Kingdom-based Podcast Radio Network. [14]
