WYAB

Last updated • 6 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
WYAB
WYAB logo (2009).jpg
Broadcast area Jackson, Mississippi
Frequency 103.9 MHz
Branding103.9 WYAB
Programming
Format News/Talk
Affiliations CBS News Radio
Salem Radio Network
Atlanta Falcons
Memphis Grizzlies
Ownership
OwnerSSR Communications, Inc.
History
First air date
1997 (as WMGO-FM at 93.1)
August 2008 (as WYAB at 103.9)
Former call signs
WMGO-FM (1997–2003)
Former frequencies
93.1 MHz (1997–2008)
Technical information
Facility ID 77646
Class C3
ERP 8,000 watts
HAAT 102 meters
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website wyab.com

WYAB 103.9 FM (formerly 93.1 FM) is a radio station serving the city of Jackson, Mississippi, including Madison County, Yazoo County, Rankin County, and Hinds County. The studios of WYAB are located within the Cotton Exchange Plaza in Flora, Mississippi.

Contents

History

WYAB originally began as WAZF-FM in 1984 as a vacant allotment in the FCC's Table of Allotments, which is essentially a community-by-community listing of all radio station channels and classes within the United States and its territories. The initial allotment was for a 3,000-watt station to broadcast on 93.7 FM to serve Yazoo City. The allotment was created by a company known as Dri-Two, Inc. to serve as a "sister" FM station to the now-silent WAZF 1230 AM, also licensed to Yazoo City. The vacant allotment sat without an actual broadcast station occupying its place from 1984 until 1995, when Mississippi College, license holder of WHJT 93.5 FM, petitioned the FCC to have the allotment removed from the Table. The college intended to upgrade the facilities of WHJT in nearby Clinton from 3,000 watts to 6,000 watts, something that could not have been accomplished with interference from a potential station on 93.7 FM in Yazoo City. After some public interest in the retaining the allotment at Yazoo City, the FCC developed an alternate solution that could accommodate all parties. The FCC moved the vacant allotment from 93.7 FM to 93.1 FM and granted the WHJT upgrade.

After making the frequency change in 1995, the FCC solicited interest from parties intent on building a radio station on 93.1 FM in Yazoo City. Although two parties expressed interest in the station during the frequency change stage (individual Clifton Thomas of Jackson and Dain Schult Radioactivity, Inc. of East Point, Georgia), a local third contender, Gordon ("Jerry") J. Lousteau, Jr., of WMGO 1370 AM in Canton was the only person that responded to the FCC's public notice, and therefore his WMGO Broadcasting Corporation was granted the license. He placed the station on the air in 1997 and it was known as WMGO-FM. The original studio was located at 1307 East Broadway Street in Yazoo City.

In April 2003, the WMGO Broadcasting Corporation sold the station to SSR Communications, Inc., and to avoid confusion of the still operating WMGO 1370 AM in Canton, SSR changed the WMGO-FM call letters to WYAB, branding it "B93: Central Mississippi's Oldies Leader". Approximately one year later, SSR moved the WYAB air studio to the Cotton Exchange Plaza in Flora, a town approximately 22 miles (35 km) south of Yazoo City.

In January 2005, WYAB's city of license was changed from Yazoo City to the town of Benton, a community approximately six miles east of Yazoo City. This change in city of license was necessary for WYAB to move its tower approximately ten miles south of its original location. Then, in December 2005, WYAB began broadcast operations from its new tower site ten miles (16 km) south of Benton.

In February 2008, WYAB received approval from the FCC to change its broadcast frequency from 93.1 MHz to 103.9 MHz and (once again) relocate its tower closer to Flora, which is where the air studio is located. Concurrent with that action, the FCC allowed WYAB to change its community of license from Benton to Flora, marking the third different community of license that the station has had in its relative short history.

On August 28, 2008, WYAB began broadcasting from a tower site approximately five miles northeast of Flora. Concurrent with this latest tower move, WYAB migrated formats from oldies to talk radio. For a short time thereafter, WYAB had still retained some ties to its oldies music origins, as it aired a weekly three-hour-long oldies show on an irregular schedule every weekend (most often dictated by its weekend sports schedule).

Just five months later, on January 24, 2009, WYAB moved to a tower three miles (4.8 km) southeast of Flora, the fourth different broadcast facility for the station. At the same time, WYAB announced that it would become the new flagship radio station of the Mississippi Braves minor league baseball team.

On September 13, 2010, WYAB moved once again to a new 400-foot (120 m) tower in Hinds County, approximately six miles northwest of Jackson. Thus, from December 2005 to September 2010, the station had broadcast from five different antenna locations, moving approximately 26 miles (42 km) closer to Jackson (when compared to the original tower location) in the process.

In November 2022, WYAB relocated to its present tower in the Tougaloo community of north Jackson.

2002 listing on eBay

WYAB (then WMGO-FM) holds a rather unusual distinction in the annals of radio station transaction history. In April 2002, then-owner Jerry Lousteau placed the radio station up for sale on eBay, gaining national attention within the broadcast industry as one of the first owners to attempt to sell a radio station via an Internet auction. The purchase price was listed at $210,000.00, with the listing reading:

Name your own format. Be your own boss. You are bidding on the assets of the station, including tower, antenna, and studios. This is not a toy. Covers over 100,000 people!

Ultimately, the listing for WMGO-FM garnered no qualified bidders. SSR Communications, Inc. purchased the station from Mr. Lousteau after the extensive press coverage within broadcast trade publications regarding the attempted eBay sale.

Format and Programming

When the station was put on the air in 1997 on 93.1 FM, WYAB had broadcast oldies hits from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

In August, 2008, however, the station migrated to a talk radio format on 103.9 FM, featuring personalities such as Steven Utroska, Clay Edwards, Jim Thorn, Mike Madison, Jameson Haygood, Kim Wade, Charlie Kirk, Dennis Prager, Mike Gallagher, and Brandon Tatum.

Programs which formerly were aired by the station include The Mary Weiden Show and The Savage Nation.

WYAB broadcasts Atlanta Braves baseball, Memphis Grizzlies basketball, Louisiana State University football, Atlanta Falcons football, as well as the Tri County Academy football, boys' and girls' basketball and baseball teams.

WYAB airs many local and community-oriented programs as well numerous public affairs programming, and special events and news reporting.

Broadcast Site

WYAB broadcasts on 103.9 FM from a tower site in the Tougaloo neighborhood of north Jackson with 8,000 watts of effective radiated power. The tower is located on Richmond Grove Road in Jackson, Mississippi. The population served within WYAB's 60 dBu (1.0 mV/m) coverage area is approximately 434,000 persons.

Audience demographics

WYAB's primary audience is between the ages of 45 and 64, with men making up a slight majority of the listeners. WYAB also broadcasts numerous sports teams including the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Grizzlies, LSU Tigers, and NFL Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football which attract a large male audience.

32°26′49″N90°18′07″W / 32.447°N 90.302°W / 32.447; -90.302

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAKL (FM)</span> Radio station in Gainesville, Georgia

WAKL is a non-commercial FM Christian contemporary radio station licensed to Gainesville, Georgia. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation, WAKL serves the Atlanta metropolitan area as the local affiliate for the national K-Love network. Besides a standard analog transmission, WAKL broadcasts in the HD Radio hybrid format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRQN</span> Radio station in Bowling Green, Ohio

WRQN is an American radio station licensed to broadcast from Bowling Green, Ohio. Though licensed to Bowling Green, its primary market and its studios are in the nearby city of Toledo. The station broadcasts at 93.5 on the FM dial, and plays classic hits music. Its transmitter is located near Haskins, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZTI</span> Radio station in Wisconsin, United States

WZTI is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Greenfield, Wisconsin, and serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It airs an oldies radio format, featuring hits from the 1960s and 1970s, known as "Fonz-FM". It is owned by the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, a partnership between Times-Shamrock Communications and All-Pro Broadcasting, along with sister stations 102.1 WLUM-FM and 93.3 WLDB. Its studios are on Good Hope Road in Menomonee Falls.

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

WRCR is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Haverstraw, New York, and serving Rockland County. WRCR broadcasts an adult contemporary music format with weekday talk and brokered programming shows. The station is owned by Alexander Broadcasting, Inc. Studios and offices are at 144 Ramapo Road in Garnerville.

KTSO is a commercial radio station licensed to Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and serving the Tulsa metropolitan area. It is part of the Stephens Media Group and it airs a soft oldies radio format, switching to Christmas music for part of November and December. The studios are on the 57th floor in the CityPlex Towers on East 81st Street in South Tulsa.

WMJZ-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to the city of Gaylord, Michigan. It broadcasts with a power output of 50,000 watts. The station airs an adult hits format as Eagle 101.5, and is owned by 45 North Media Inc, a company owned by Bryan Hollenbaugh.

WXLA is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Dimondale, a suburb of Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by MacDonald Broadcasting and airs a soft adult contemporary radio format. During the months of November and December, the station switches to an all-Christmas music format. It uses the branding "Easy 93.3". The dial position refers to WXLA's FM translator, W227DO at 93.3 MHz in Lansing.

KTGG is a radio station broadcasting from Okemos, Michigan, with a Christian radio format of talk and classical music. It is owned by West Central Michigan Media Ministries and airs programming from Strong Tower Radio, a network heard on about a dozen radio stations around Michigan and one in Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDVH-FM</span> Radio station in Trenton, Florida

WDVH-FM is an FM radio station licensed to Trenton, Florida and broadcasting to the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida radio market on 101.7 MHz. It is owned by the Radio Training Network and airs a Contemporary Christian radio format known as The Joy FM. The Radio Training Network owns about a dozen FM stations and translators in Florida as part of "The Joy FM" network originating from WJIS in Bradenton. While WDVH-FM is a licensed as a commercial station, The Joy FM Network operates as a non-commercial organization, asking for donations during on-air fundraisers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIBN</span> Radio station in Earl Park, Indiana

WIBN is an FM radio station licensed to the city of Earl Park, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 98.1 MHz, FM channel 251. The studios are located at 130 E. McConnell Street in Oxford, Indiana. The tower is located one mile east of Dunnington, Indiana, a small community in rural western Benton County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCBL (AM)</span> Radio station in Benton, Kentucky

WCBL is an oldies-formatted radio station licensed to Benton. Kentucky, United States, and serving the broader Jackson Purchase region of western Kentucky, including Paducah. The station is owned by Jim Freeland in conjunction with Calvert City, Kentucky–licensed classic country station WCCK The station's studios and transmitter are located on Eggner's Ferry Road in Benton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWFF-FM</span> Radio station in New Market, Alabama

WWFF-FM is an American radio station licensed to New Market, Alabama, and serving the Huntsville, Alabama, market. Owned by Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts a oldies-leaning country music format branded as 93.3 Nash Icon. Studios are located in Athens, Alabama while its transmitter is located in Huntsville.

WSFZ is a radio station licensed to serve Jackson, Mississippi. The station is owned by iHeartMedia. As of December 1, 2020, WSFZ is broadcasting an African-American oriented all-news format.

WCAT was a commercial radio station licensed to Burlington, Vermont, United States, and serving the Burlington-Plattsburgh area. The station was last owned by Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc., part of the Champlain Media Group. It aired a mainstream rock radio format, simulcast from co-owned WWMP in Waterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMJY</span> Radio station in Biloxi, Mississippi

WMJY is a commercial radio station, licensed to Biloxi, Mississippi and serving the Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula radio market. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., and it broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for part of November and December. The studios are on Debuys Road in Biloxi.

WDBR is a commercial radio station licensed to Springfield, Illinois, and serving Central Illinois. It is owned by Saga Communications as part of its Capitol Radio Group, and broadcasts a Top 40 (CHR) radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHJT</span> Radio station in Kearney Park–Jackson, Mississippi

WHJT is an American radio station licensed to serve Kearney Park, Mississippi, United States. The station was owned and operated by Mississippi College until 2017. Its studios and transmitter were based on campus from the Aven Fine Arts Building.

WMGO is a radio station broadcasting a full service format. Licensed to Canton, Mississippi, United States, the station serves the Jackson, Mississippi area. The station is currently owned by WMGO Broadcasting Corp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGRM-FM</span> Radio station in Greenwood, Mississippi

WGRM-FM was an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Greenwood, Mississippi, United States. The station, established in 1989 by Clay Ewing, was last owned and operated by Christian Broadcasters of Greenwood, Inc. WGRM-FM broadcasts to the northwestern central region of Mississippi.

WJNS-FM is a Christian radio station licensed to Bentonia, Mississippi, and serving the Jackson metropolitan area. WJNS-FM is owned and operated by Family Worship Center Church, Inc.