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WWPR-FM

Coordinates: 40°44′53″N 73°59′10″W / 40.748°N 73.986°W / 40.748; -73.986
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2604:2000:a016:3f00:f4a8:b87c:74e3:a21e (talk) at 17:14, 14 June 2020 (→DJ Carl Blaze's Death). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

WWPR-FM
Broadcast areaNew York metropolitan area
Frequency105.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingPower 105.1
Programming
FormatFM/HD1: Urban contemporary
HD2: Russian programming (DaNu Radio)
Ownership
Owner
WAXQ, WHTZ, WKTU, WLTW, WOR
History
First air date
December 14, 1953; 70 years ago (1953-12-14) (as WWRL-FM)
Former call signs
WWRL-FM (1953-1957)
WRFM (1957-1986)
WNSR (1986-1992 and 1997-1998)
WMXV (1992-1996)
WDBZ (1996-1997)
WBIX (1998-1999)
WTJM (1999-2002)
Call sign meaning
World Wide Power Radio
Technical information
Facility ID6373
ClassB
ERP6,000 watts (analog)
239 watts (digital)
HAAT415 meters (1362 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°44′53″N 73°59′10″W / 40.748°N 73.986°W / 40.748; -73.986
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitepower1051.iheart.com

WWPR-FM (105.1 FM), better known as Power 105.1, is an Urban contemporary radio station licensed to New York City. WWPR-FM is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios in the former AT&T Building in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan; its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building. The station is the flagship station of the nationally syndicated morning show, The Breakfast Club.

History

WWRL-FM and WRFM (1953–1985)

The station first signed-on the air on December 14, 1953 as WWRL-FM.[1] The station was co-owned with WWRL (1600 AM) by radio enthusiast William Reuman, studios were in Woodside, Queens. The call sign was changed to WRFM in October 1957, breaking away from the AM simulcast with a diversified and classical music format.

Bonneville International, the broadcast arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, purchased WRFM in 1967. The following year, WRFM, billing itself as "Stereo 105," adopted a beautiful music format. WRFM played mostly instrumental music with about one vocal every 15 minutes. It featured the works of such artists as Mantovani, Henry Mancini, Ferrante & Teicher, Percy Faith, Hollyridge Strings, Leroy Anderson, Frank Mills and Richard Clayderman. Mixed in were vocals by such artists as Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Peggy Lee, The Lettermen, Nat King Cole and Barbra Streisand.

Ratings for the station were good, and for a couple of times, WRFM was the top-rated FM station in New York. WRFM competed for Beautiful Music listeners with simulcasters WPAT AM/FM, with two other easy listening stations, WTFM and WVNJ-FM usually trailing. As the 1980s began, WRFM started mixing in some soft contemporary artist vocals including The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers and Dionne Warwick, and it was also used on an electronic program guide in Manhattan throughout the 80s. In 1984, the station increased vocals to six per hour and cut back on adult standards titles, while also adding softer songs by Top 40 artists, such as Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Chicago, Elton John, The Beatles and Whitney Houston.

Soft Rock 105FM (1986–1990)

The WNSR logo that was in use from 1986 until rebranding as "Mix 105" in 1990.

The station's ratings continued to be strong, but by 1985, the easy listening audience was starting to age and was not as attractive to advertisers[citation needed]. On April 17, 1986, the station switched to a gold-based adult contemporary format with the call letters WNSR, for New York's Soft Rock.[2][3] WNSR focused on songs from the 1960s and 1970s, with some 1980s titles and a moderate amount of current adult contemporary songs as well. Initially, the station's ratings were modest. However, once AC competitor 103.5 WYNY went to a country music format, WNSR's ratings went up[citation needed].

Mix 105 (1990–1996)

By 1990, the station became known as "Mix 105", and shifted to more of a hot adult contemporary format, focusing on 1970s, 1980s and current hits, with only a few 1960s titles. By April 1992, when the station changed its call letters to WMXV, the 1960s hits were gone, and more recent music was added. By 1995, the station was only playing hits of the 1980s and 1990s, and even mixing in some lighter modern rock songs, as many other Hot AC stations were doing at this time.

105.1 The Buzz (1996–1997)

On November 13, 1996, the Hot AC format at WMXV abruptly ended, and after a day of playing music from Broadway musicals, the station switched formats to an adult-friendly Modern AC format as WDBZ ("The Buzz").[4][5][6][7]

On August 5, 1997, with ratings on the decline, the call sign changed back to WNSR. The original plan was for the station to drop the "Buzz" format in favor of an oldies-based AC format, playing songs from 1964 to current hits. The station was to have launched on August 18, 1997, with television commercials set to air. However, Bonneville instead decided to sell the station to Chancellor Media, which also owned WHTZ, WLTW, WKTU, and WAXQ.[8][9]

As a result, the format change for 105.1 was canceled and the station remained "The Buzz" for a while longer, with the reverted WNSR call letters. Gradually, from September through November 1997, the station returned to Hot AC, and then Mainstream AC. For the next few months, the station would simply be known on-air as "FM 105.1", and only used the WNSR call sign for the legal station identification.[10]

Big 105 (1998)

On January 21, 1998, at 6:30 p.m., the station relaunched as "Big 105," with the call letters WBIX (which took effect on April 13th). The first song on "Big 105" was "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel.[11][12] Despite this relaunch, the station played basically the same music as it did in the months before, and could not compete with highly rated WLTW.

Initially, Big 105 was musically very close to WLTW, but evolved to a Hot AC format by that May, similar to what WPLJ was playing at the time. WBIX also added Danny Bonaduce of The Partridge Family TV show fame as its morning show host. It also added Casey Kasem's American Top 20 syndicated countdown program on Sundays, coinciding with Kasem's move to Chancellor Media from Westwood One earlier in the year. Ratings continued to fail, and by October 1998, Big 105 leaned toward Modern AC, similar to the former "Buzz" format, but not as deep.

Jammin' 105 (1998–2002)

The Jammin 105 logo that lasted from 1998 through early 2002.

On December 10, 1998, at 6 p.m., after playing "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day, the station flipped to then-growing "Jammin' Oldies" format, and (after a "name the station" contest) branded as "Jammin' 105." The first song on "Jammin'" was "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang.[13][14] On March 1, 1999, WBIX changed call letters to WTJM, in order to match the "Jammin'" branding. The station played rhythmic and dance pop hits of the mid-1960s through the 1980s. TV comedian Jay Thomas was hired for morning drive time. WTJM did better in the ratings than the previous format, and its results initially challenged those of longtime oldies station WCBS-FM.[15]

Chancellor merged with Capstar Broadcasting to form AMFM Inc. in 1999. Then, in 2000, Clear Channel Communications merged with AMFM Inc., giving WTJM and the other four stations a new owner. Under Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia), WTJM evolved into an urban oldies direction, and then to an urban adult contemporary format, while keeping the "Jammin' 105" moniker. Frankie Blue was brought in to program the shift to the urban AC. He immediately brought in Jeff Foxx (formerly of WRKS and WBLS) and teamed him with comedian George Wallace to form the "Jammin' New York Wake-up Club." While the morning show was a hit, it did not warrant keeping the format due to the station's low ratings in other dayparts.

Power 105.1 (2002–present)

At 6:05 a.m. on March 14, 2002, the station abruptly changed, as it flipped to its current mainstream urban format as WWPR-FM "Power 105.1." A speculated reason for the format change is that while they could not beat competitor WQHT ("Hot 97"), they could take enough ratings away from them to keep them from being number one, which would leave WWPR's sister station WLTW with a comfortable lead in that race (prior to the change, WQHT and WLTW had alternated at the top spot).

By 2004, WWPR-FM technically became the market's only urban contemporary station due to the transition of 107.5 WBLS from urban contemporary to urban adult contemporary. WQHT reports as rhythmic contemporary to Mediabase & Nielsen BDS, although WQHT was an urban reporter on Nielsen BDS from 2006-2007. WWPR-FM and WQHT's playlists are similar, and the two stations aim at roughly the same audience.

WQHT had been the only New York station featuring current hip hop and R&B since its owner, Emmis Communications, purchased WRKS in 1994 and moved that station towards an adult R&B format. In an effort to build an audience, WWPR-FM brought in former Hot 97 personalities and Yo! MTV Raps hosts Ed Lover and Doctor Dré to anchor Power 105.1's morning show. The station then entered into the top five of the Arbitron ratings, a position it maintained for several years.

The station terminated Doctor Dre's contract in December 2003 and gave Ed Lover a new co-host in rapper-turned-radio personality Monie Love. The morning team lasted for about a year. By the end of 2004, WWPR decided to heat up the rivalry with WQHT by bringing in ex-Hot 97 morning show hosts Star & Buc Wild as their new morning drive team, as well-known disc jockeys were deemed critical to the station's success.

The "Star and Buc Wild Morning Show" was replaced in 2006 by Live With Big Tigger and Egypt. That team was later replaced by a returning Ed Lover, who was later joined by Malikha Mallette. This last show incarnation ended on November 19, 2010, when Ed Lover was released from the station and Mallette was reassigned to the midday shift, replacing De Ja.

Star Controversy

Troi Torain (born May 3, 1964), who previously worked at Power 105's rival hip-hop station WQHT with his half-brother Timothy Joseph (born January 3, 1979) who took Torain's old stage name "Buc Wild" until he switched to Power 105, is known as "Star" from the Star & Buc Wild morning show. Star stands for "Strange Thoughts And Revelations". He had a running on-air feud with Power 105.1's DJ Envy, whose real name is Raashaun Casey.

In a May 3, 2006 broadcast, Torain mentioned DJ Envy's wife and child. Torain said he would pay $500 to any listener who told him where the girl attended school. Torain, who is bi-racial, also used racial and sexual epithets about D.J. Envy's wife, Gia Casey, who is part Asian.

New York City Council members called for an investigation by law enforcement and the Federal Communications Commission. After the protests, Clear Channel Communications, the corporate owner of Power 105, suspended Torain. After reviewing transcripts of the broadcast, New York City law enforcement officials called Torain to police headquarters in Lower Manhattan to surrender his target pistol license and 9-millimeter handgun. Detectives from the Hate Crimes Unit charged him with endangering the welfare of a child.

Leaving the precinct house, Torain leaned back and grinned for television cameras, saying "You're looking at the new Lenny Bruce." Torain's lawyer's defended his broadcasts on first amendment grounds.[16]

Star and Buc Wild were replaced with Live With Big Tigger and Egypt on May 4, 2006.

DJ Carl Blaze's death

DJ Carl Blaze, who was a popular DJ at Power 105.1 for over three years, was fatally shot outside an apartment building near Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood on December 7, 2006 about 4:30 a.m. and his $20,000 diamond chain was stolen from him. He was taken to Harlem Hospital Center, where he died Saturday, December 23. No arrests have been made and the investigation into the shooting was ongoing.

The Breakfast Club

Main article: The Breakfast Club (radio show)

WWPR is the flagship station of the nationally syndicated The Breakfast Club morning show. It is hosted by DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlamagne tha God. It debuted in December 2010 and grew to be one of the most popular morning programs in New York.[17] The program is heard in dozens of other cities, through Premiere Networks, co-owned with WWPR-FM. The Source, a hip-hop magazine, named The Breakfast Club the #1 radio program in the nation.[18]

All three personalities have experience in radio and television. DJ Envy is the host of MTV2 shows Sucker Free and The Week in Jams. Angela Yee is a correspondent for Sucker Free and was one of the stars on the VH1 series The Gossip Game. Charlamagne Tha God is the co-host of MTV2's Guy Code and was a former co-host of The Wendy Williams Experience.

In April 2013, Premiere Networks launched a weekend version of the show Weekends with the Breakfast Club, which features a Top 20 Countdown. Four months later, The Breakfast Club weekday version went into national syndication.[19] The show is heard in Tucson, Milwaukee, Charleston, South Carolina, Birmingham, New Orleans, Waco, Montgomery, Jacksonville, Miami, Norfolk, Columbus, Ohio,[20] Houston,[21] Detroit,[22] Columbus, Georgia,[23] Atlanta,[24] Lexington, Kentucky, Dayton, Charleston, West Virginia, Las Vegas, Champaign, Illinois, Valdosta, Georgia, Beaumont, Texas, Wilmington, Louisville, Cincinnati and Orlando. A video version of the show is also carried weekdays on the Sean Combs-owned cable network Revolt.

Staff

On-air

Mixshow DJs

  • DJ First Choice
  • DJ Flipstar
  • DJ Rey-Mo
  • DJ Self
  • DJ Suss-One
  • DJ Will
  • DJ Whutevva
  • DJ Norie
  • DJ Ty-Boogie
  • DJ Spinking
  • DJ Will

Former DJs

  • Big Tigger (now at V-103 in Atlanta)
  • DJ Kut (Former Mixshow Coordinator/Morning Show DJ) (Now APD/Afternoon Jock/DJ WFUN St Louis)
  • Borasio (now at Pulse 87.7 (WNYZ-LP) in New York)
  • DJ Rasheed (now at (TheNewMixtapefm)
  • Cherry Martinez
  • DJ Tony Touch
  • DJ Carl Blaze (Deceased)
  • Star And Buc Wild
  • DJ Yonny
  • DJ Spinbad
  • Egypt (now at HGTV in Atlanta, Georgia)
  • DJ Doctor Dré
  • Colby Colb (now VP or Programming for Radio One)
  • Jay Wright
  • Chuck Dogg
  • Big R.
  • Jayson Fox
  • Anthony "Tony Caiazzo" Cruz
  • Will2Be
  • Stephanie "Steph Lova" Saunders (now at WPGC-FM in Washington, DC)
  • Ed Lover (now hosting a nationally syndicated morning show for Radio One BackSpin)
  • Lady O.
  • Lady Chellez
  • Q. (now at KMEL in San Francisco)
  • Déjà Vu (now on WBLS as co-host of "The Quake's House Afternoon Show")
  • Malikha Mallette

Former shows

  • Star And Buc Wild In The Morning
  • Ed Lover And Doctor Dré In The Morning
  • Colby Colb Show
  • Tony Touch's Reggeatony Show
  • The Jayson Fox Show
  • The Ed Lover Morning Show
  • The Steph Lova Program
  • Middays with Déjà Vu

References

  1. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1954 p. 226
  2. ^ "For the record." Broadcasting, April 28, 1986, pg. 96
  3. ^ "105.1 WRFM flips from Beautiful Music to AC WNSR – Format Change Archive". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  4. ^ "R&R 11/22/96" (PDF).
  5. ^ "105.1 WMXV ends Showtunes stunt, launches Modern AC "The Buzz"". November 14, 1996.
  6. ^ "WDBZ (105.1 The Buzz) - New York - 2/9/97 - Josh Bennett". February 14, 2017.
  7. ^ "WDBZ 105.1 New York, NY - 22 May 1997" – via www.youtube.com.
  8. ^ "WDBZ is Optioned to 2 Broadcasters", Geraldine Fabrikant, New York Times, August 8, 1997
  9. ^ "Signals Getting Stronger: Chancellor Broadcasting Set to Add WDBZ to City Collection", Phyllis Furman, The Daily News, August 6, 1997
  10. ^ "WNSR ("FM 105.1") - New York - 11/14/97 - Karen Carson". November 17, 2016.
  11. ^ "R&R 1/23/1998" (PDF).
  12. ^ "105.1 WNSR becomes "Big 105" – Format Change Archive". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  13. ^ "BIG CHANGE AT 105: NOW, JAMMIN' OLDIES". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  14. ^ "105.1 WBIX flips from AC to Rhythmic Oldies – Format Change Archive". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  15. ^ "Turn Down the Elvis, Crank Up the Disco; Upstart With a Younger Twist Sets Off a Rivalry on Oldies Radio". The New York Times. September 11, 1999. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  16. ^ "D.J. Is Arrested Over His Threat to Rival's Child." The New York Times May 13, 2006.
  17. ^ The Breakfast Club Debuts at Power 105.1 Urban Radio Nation
  18. ^ NY Power 105.1 Breakfast Club Launches National Morning Show Urban Insite
  19. ^ "Power 105.1's Weekends With The Breakfast Club Earns National Syndication". Vibe. March 31, 2013.
  20. ^ "Miami's 103.5 The Beat Adds 'The Breakfast Club'". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  21. ^ "Goodbye To The Arrow: 93.7 The Beat Is Houston's New Hip-Hop Station [@937thebeat] » Day & A Dream". December 31, 2013.
  22. ^ "Detroit's FM 98 WJLB stays mum on Coco and Foolish firing reports; fans show anger online". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  23. ^ "WFXE Wakes Up With The Breakfast Club". Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  24. ^ Ho, Rodney. "Streetz 94.5 signs The Breakfast Club, drops Rashan Ali - Radio and TV Talk". Retrieved January 3, 2017.

Format Changes

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