WDSY-FM

WDSY-FM

City Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Branding Y108
Slogan Pittsburgh's Best Country Variety
Frequency 107.9 MHz (also on HD Radio)
107.9-HD2: WBZZ
107.9-HD3: "KDKA Traffic and Weather Together"
First air date September 1962 (as WEEP-FM)
Format Country
ERP 17,500 watts
HAAT 252 meters
Class B
Facility ID 18525
Transmitter coordinates 40°28′20″N 79°59′40″W / 40.4723°N 79.9945°W / 40.4723; -79.9945Coordinates: 40°28′20″N 79°59′40″W / 40.4723°N 79.9945°W / 40.4723; -79.9945
Callsign meaning "We're fresh as a DAISY!" former on-air moniker
Former callsigns WEEP-FM (1962-1977)
Owner Entercom
(CBS Radio Stations Inc.)
Sister stations KDKA, KDKA-FM, WBZZ
Webcast Listen Live
Website y108.com

WDSY-FM is located in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area and broadcasts at 107.9 FM. It is a country music station commonly known as Y108. It is owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh's Spring Hill district and its studios are located west of downtown.

History

WDSY's HD Radio Channels on a SPARC Radio with PSD and EAS.

First signing on in September 1962, this station was known as WEEP-FM, the sister of former AM station WEEP (now WWNL). Originally as a fully simulcast outlet of its AM sister, WEEP-FM operated primarily as a vehicle to serve listeners after the AM station was mandated to shut down after sunset.

The station continued operations as WEEP-FM until the late 1970s, doing break-aways from its AM sister as part of the 1965 FCC mandate requiring AM/FM combination license holders to originate separate programming on each station for half the broadcast day. During the break-away period, WEEP-FM would carry a softer vocal based country music format, while its AM sister played more contemporary country hits. In 1977, WEEP-FM changed its call letters to WDSY, and adopting the moniker "We're fresh as a Daisy!...The all new WDSY FM 108", making the format full-time.

As FM began to emerge as radio's leading technology, it took on more of a flagship approach between the two stations, with WEEP simulcasting it, rather than the other way around, as the new WDSY began to evolve into a contemporary country station, and eventually was recognized as the exclusive country music outlet serving the Pittsburgh area. The station's ratings flourished in the late 1980s with the addition of two on-air personalities from top rocker WDVE joining the WDSY lineup: morning DJ Jimmy Roach and midday personality Chris DeCarlo.

In 1991, then-owner Entercom decided to change the station's branding and the station became known as "Pittsburgh's Country, Y108", though the music and call letters remained the same. Channel mentions of 107.9 later were incorporated into the branding as more and more vehicles came equipped with digitally tuned radios.

WDSY-FM was sold by Entercom to CBS in the late 1990s. In 1993, it moved from its longtime home in the Fulton Theatre (now known as the Byham Theatre) building in downtown Pittsburgh to Gateway Towers, occupying space formerly used by WPIT, which had moved to Greentree. WDSY then moved its current location at Foster Plaza in Greentree, about three miles south of downtown Pittsburgh, at the turn of the century.

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom, bringing WDSY back to its former owners for the first time in nearly 20 years.[1] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on the 17th.[2][3]

WDSY-FM HD2

WDSY-HD2 initially aired a classic country format, branded as "The Wolf." This lasted until June 2017, when it switched to a rebroadcast of sister WBZZ.

WDSY-FM HD3

WDSY-HD3 initially aired an all-new country format, branded as "The Bull." On July 19, 2017, WDSY-HD3 flipped to a 24/7 traffic and weather format powered by sister station 1020 KDKA called "KDKA Traffic and Weather Together." Live reports air weekdays from 5 a.m.-7 p.m., with road closures, construction updates and updated weather forecasts during nights and weekends. [4]

References

  1. ↑ CBS Radio to Merge with Entercom
  2. ↑ "Entercom Receives FCC Approval for Merger with CBS Radio". Entercom. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ Venta, Lance (November 17, 2017). "Entercom Completes CBS Radio Merger". Radio Insight. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  4. ↑ CBS Radio Debuts KDKA Traffic and Weather Together
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.