WEBE
Encyclopedia
WEBE 107.9 FM
(advertised on air as "WEBE 108"), owned by Cumulus Media
, is an Adult Contemporary music formatted radio station
licensed to serve the community of Westport, Connecticut
. The station is usually ranked number one the Stamford-Norwalk,Bridgeport and Fairfield County ratings, and is in the top 5 of the New Haven Market rating. One of the main elements behind the station's success is its traffic coverage reports that cover the entire route from interior Connecticut to lower Fairfield County. WEBE is one of the most powerful radio stations in Southern Connecticut, with an effective radiated power
of 50,000 watt
s, reaching most of Westchester County, New York
into the Bronx
, parts of Manhattan
as well as southern parts of the Hartford area. Its studios and antenna, along with the sister station WICC-AM 600 are located in Bridgeport, Connecticut
.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
(advertised on air as "WEBE 108"), owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
, is an Adult Contemporary music formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to serve the community of Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
. The station is usually ranked number one the Stamford-Norwalk,Bridgeport and Fairfield County ratings, and is in the top 5 of the New Haven Market rating. One of the main elements behind the station's success is its traffic coverage reports that cover the entire route from interior Connecticut to lower Fairfield County. WEBE is one of the most powerful radio stations in Southern Connecticut, with an effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 50,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s, reaching most of Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
into the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, parts of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
as well as southern parts of the Hartford area. Its studios and antenna, along with the sister station WICC-AM 600 are located in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
.
History
- -The frequency of 107.9 MHz was originally assigned by the Federal Communications Commission to Westport, Connecticut under its Table of Allocations, and in 1962 the signal which was later to become WEBE signed on the air.
- -From 1970 through 1984 the station, then known as WDJF, was owned by Donald J. Flamm and affiliated with Westport radio station WMMM AM 1260. The stations broadcast out of offices and studios located above a deli at 163 Main Street in Westport. The broadcasting antenna for 107.9 was located in a residential zone in Wilton, Connecticut, to the chagrin of neighbors, and the height of the antenna was only 135 feet, so the broadcasting radius of the station was quite small.
- -In 1984 New York entrepreneur Franz Allina, who also owned WBAB and WGBB, purchased 107.9 WDJF for $2 million and hired Vince Cremona, General Manager of Bridgeport station WICC to run it for him.
- -A call letter change was needed, so various lists of unused call letters were studied by station management, yet none seemed to pop until Vince Cremona's 14-year old son, Vinny, found "WEBE" on the list, and ran around saying Wee Bee Wee Bee Wee Bee". Based on this example of powerful appeal and figuring these to be memorable call letters, the call sign WEBE was applied for to the FCC and granted in 2/84. "WEBE 108" signed on the air at midnight on 3/1/84. Curt Hansen, former Program Director of WAVZ and KC101 in New Haven was hired to program the new station.
- -WEBE108 moved to 50 Washington Street in Norwalk, 10th floor, and in the fall of 1984 moved to the 11th floor of 50 Washington Street. The station's target was female baby boomers, the idea being to latch on to the 'baby boom' generation, the population bulge, supersatisfy them, and grow older as they did. The station's slogan was "Hits of a Whole Generation", playing the most popular hits from 1963 (the Beatles invasion) to the present day.
- -In 1985, after months of hard work and technical exploration by owner Franz Allina and consulting engineers, WEBE moved its transmitting antenna to the top of the United Illuminating red and white smokestack in Bridgeport harbor, putting out a full 50,000 watts from a height of 386 feet above average terrain.
- -In 1987 the station was sold to ML Media Partners, led by New York television executive Marty Pompadur and partners, for the sum of $11 million.
- -In 1989 ML Media partners also purchased WICC (AM) in Bridgeport for $6 million.
- -In 1990 Cremona moved both WEBE and WICC together under one roof at 350 Fairfield Avenue (2 Lafayette Square) in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
- -In 1999 the stations were sold for $66 million dollars to New Canaan radio operator Frank Osborn and partners (including Cremona), who in turn sold the stations, along with additionally acquired clusters in Danbury, Westchester, and Poughkeepsie, New York, to Cumulus Media in 2002 for just under $300 million in cash and stock. Under Market Manager Ann McManus, the stations continue to be popular and profitable.