WLIR
Encyclopedia
WLIR-FM is a Christian radio station as part of the WLIX Voice of Hope Radio Network. WLIR-FM broadcasts in the Hamptons-Riverhead (Long Island
, New York, USA) area. Its transmitter is currently located near East Quogue, New York
.
WLIR-FM was best known as an influential Alternative, New Wave, Punk Rock and Modern Rock
radio station that "dared to be different". WLIR-FM helped launch the careers of many famous disc jockey
s. The station became well known during the 1970s thru 1990s while broadcasting from studio's in Hempstead, NY and Garden City, NY from its North Shore Towers, Queens, NY transmitter on the 92.7 frequency.
format with the famous WLIR Seagull as its logo. This meant playing obscure artists, playing many cuts off an album
(not just the hit singles
), and having disc jockey
s speak in a slow, mellow tone. The station also became known for its concert series and support of local bands such as The Good Rats
.
As the 1970s went on, most rock stations drifted to the more commercial album oriented rock, but WLIR bucked this trend. As punk
and New Wave Rock
started to become popular at the end of the 1970s most rock stations in the United States ignored these genre
s but WLIR again bucked the trend by playing artists from these genres.
. Although adult contemporary seemed commercially appealing, New Music was chosen because it was more in step with the "dare to be different" campaign being used to promote the new format and it was more "fun". On August 2 the format switch occurred. The station featured new wave
(McNamara "hated" that term because he felt it was a trendy phrase that might be out of style in a year), synthpop
, post-punk
, early alternative rock
acts as well as novelty records. The personalities of the disc jockeys became much more upbeat. The station became known worldwide for introducing new artists and playing single
s months (if not years) before other stations. WLIR became the first radio station in the country to play U2
, The Cure
, The Smiths
, New Order
, Duran Duran
, Madonna
, George Michael
, Men at Work
and Prince. The station was one of the few commercial radio stations in the United States
to play these type of artists. One method of doing this was the "Screamer of the Week" a promotion in which listeners would call in and vote for their favorite new song of the week. New Order
, Depeche Mode
, Ultravox
, Yaz
and Blancmange
were early staples of this format. According to McNamara the "entire music industry was looking upon 'LIR and that 'LIR marketplace of New York
and Long Island
as one of the hippest music areas of the world. People used to refer to it as the gateway to America if you were an upcoming artist." A criticism of the station in this period was that it favored artists from Great Britain
(and to a lesser extent western Europe
in general) at the expense of local bands.
In 1987, the station's license was revoked after a fifteen-year battle, and as a result on December 18, 1987, the station's ownership changed. The call letters of WLIR were changed to WDRE by the new owner, Jared Communications, (later to regain the WLIR call letters), while the interim operator (Elton Spitzer's Phoenix Media Corp.) took the WLIR call letters to an AM
radio station in Rockland County, New York
. The previous owners also took the "Dare To Be Different" slogan with them as intellectual property, so WDRE's moniker became "New Music
First". The "Screamer of the Week" became the "Shriek of the Week" and the station remained on the cutting edge of new music as they broke new bands such as Nine Inch Nails
, Nirvana
and others.
The explosion in popularity of grunge
and alternative rock
in the early 1990s led to the period of turmoil detailed below. The synthpop
-based music on which much of the station's playlist was based was now out of fashion. Alternative rock artists which used to be played almost exclusively on the station were now being played on many rock
and pop music
stations.
In 1992, WDRE Garden City (New York) started simulcasting its programming with what was 103.9 WIBF-FM Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
, which later became WDRE Jenkintown/Philadelphia. Subsequently, in the mid 90's, Greg Morey claims to have created the first alternative rock network known as "The Underground Network". The Underground Network simulcasted WDRE New York and consisted of WFAL 101.1 Cape Cod
, WRLG
94.1 Nashville
, KDRE
101.1 Little Rock
, WWCP 96.7 Albany
, KFTH
107.1 Memphis
, WMRW
98.5 Westhampton, NY
, as well as WIBF. After several years, The Underground Network was ended and it was decided in 1996 that WDRE Garden City/New York would switch formats to Adult Album Alternative (AAA), bring back Malibu Sue (who had been fired earlier by then PD Russ Mottla), change its call letters back to WLIR and change its moniker to "The Island". Also in 1996 WDRE Philadelphia became an independent local modern rock station.
On January 9, 2004, Univision
bought the 92.7 frequency and other assets for $56.9 million and began simulcasting the Spanish
radio format of WCAA
Newark, NJ. on 92.7 under the call letters WZAA
. The last song played on WLIR that day was "Forever Young", the upbeat version by Alphaville. The WLIR call letters moved to the 107.1 frequency on Eastern Long Island
, which had been simulcasting WLIR for several years. The new WLIR adopted an Active Rock/Alternative format and new image as "THE BOX". Since the 107.1 version of WLIR is located about 50 miles east of the original WLIR, many of the station's fans in New York City
, southwestern Connecticut
, southern Westchester County, New York
, northeastern New Jersey
, and even the western parts of Long Island
itself could not easily receive the station (many of these areas were closer geographically to other 107.1s, WXPK
in central Westchester County and WWZY
in Long Branch, New Jersey, which hindered reception).
On September 15, 2005, WLIR changed formats to a block-sponsored smooth jazz
/chill music format known as "FM Channel 107: NeoBreeze."
As a result of the format change, which was also instituted at two other stations owned by the WLIR's owners (The Morey Organization), all of the on-air staff was fired. This truly marked the end of WLIR's unique "new music" format after almost three decades. In addition, with the new format, the station would run commercial-free during the day, with the actual airtime during this period paid for by advertisers
. According to the station's owners, this move was made as an attempt to take on satellite radio
and MP3 players, which had been cutting into listeners of traditional radio.
On December 20, 2005, after three months of low ratings, the NeoBreeze format was dumped, and the WLIR alternative format returned.
On December 26, 2006 BusinessTalkRadio.net President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Metter announced the purchase of three Long Island
radio stations: Alternative WLIR-FM (107.1), Classic Rocker WBON
-FM (98.5), and Top 40/Rhythmic WDRE
(105.3). WBON was renamed WBZB and flipped to a business talk format on January 2, 2007. The sales of WLIR-FM and WBZB were approved on February 27, 2007 and according to the FCC database, the selling price for WLIR-FM was expected to be $1,750,000 and the selling price for WBON-FM was also expected to be $1,750,000. The sale of these stations, however, was never completed.
In September 2007 WLIR began broadcasting from a new antenna at a location 5 miles to the west of the original. On October 11, 2007, WLIR-FM began simulcasting on translator 96.9 FM Manorville (W245BA), expanding its coverage area into western Suffolk County and a portion of eastern Nassau County. On November 18, 2007, this simulcast of WLIR-FM ended with the simulcast of 98.5 WBON, "La Fiesta", taking over the 96.9 frequency.
On January 3, 2008 in part because of the reach of the new antenna WLIR-FM began simulcasting programming from sister station WDRE (Party 105), fueling speculation that a change in format to ESPN was imminent. On January 21, 2008, WLIR-FM became an ESPN Radio
affiliate via an LMA
with New York City radio station WEPN
(1050 AM).
Reference websites
Fan websites
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York, USA) area. Its transmitter is currently located near East Quogue, New York
East Quogue, New York
East Quogue, originally settled in 1673 as Fourth Neck, is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 4,265 at the 2000 census.East Quogue is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:...
.
WLIR-FM was best known as an influential Alternative, New Wave, Punk Rock and Modern Rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
radio station that "dared to be different". WLIR-FM helped launch the careers of many famous disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s. The station became well known during the 1970s thru 1990s while broadcasting from studio's in Hempstead, NY and Garden City, NY from its North Shore Towers, Queens, NY transmitter on the 92.7 frequency.
WLIR history
WLIR was founded in 1959 by John R. Rieger. It was licensed to Garden City, NY on the 92.7 FM frequency and played a mix of Broadway tunes and classical music from a basement studio in the Garden City Hotel.1970s
In 1970, part-time announcer Mike Harrison convinced Rieger to change to a progressive rockProgressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
format with the famous WLIR Seagull as its logo. This meant playing obscure artists, playing many cuts off an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
(not just the hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
), and having disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s speak in a slow, mellow tone. The station also became known for its concert series and support of local bands such as The Good Rats
The Good Rats
The Good Rats are a rock band from Long Island, New York. Their music mixes elements of rock with blues and pop. Although they have had some success both nationally and internationally, it's on their native Long Island that they have always been best known....
.
As the 1970s went on, most rock stations drifted to the more commercial album oriented rock, but WLIR bucked this trend. As punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and New Wave Rock
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
started to become popular at the end of the 1970s most rock stations in the United States ignored these genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s but WLIR again bucked the trend by playing artists from these genres.
1980s
In 1982 it had been decided that in order to move the station into the future a format change was needed. Program director Denis McNamara recommended to the station's owner that he choose one of two formats progressive adult contemporary or New MusicNew Music (music industry)
New Music was an umbrella term used by the music industry and by music journalists in the United States, primarily during 1982 and 1983 to describe music acts who had come to commercial success in the United States through the cable music channel MTV...
. Although adult contemporary seemed commercially appealing, New Music was chosen because it was more in step with the "dare to be different" campaign being used to promote the new format and it was more "fun". On August 2 the format switch occurred. The station featured new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
(McNamara "hated" that term because he felt it was a trendy phrase that might be out of style in a year), synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, early alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
acts as well as novelty records. The personalities of the disc jockeys became much more upbeat. The station became known worldwide for introducing new artists and playing single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s months (if not years) before other stations. WLIR became the first radio station in the country to play U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, Men at Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
and Prince. The station was one of the few commercial radio stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to play these type of artists. One method of doing this was the "Screamer of the Week" a promotion in which listeners would call in and vote for their favorite new song of the week. New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
, Yaz
Yaz
Yaz is the nickname of:*Carl Yastrzemski, a long-time member of the Boston Red Sox and a current member of the Baseball Hall of FameYaz may also refer to:*Yaz culture*YAZ, the IATA code for Tofino Airport in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada...
and Blancmange
Blancmange
Blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss, and often flavored with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given a pink color as well...
were early staples of this format. According to McNamara the "entire music industry was looking upon 'LIR and that 'LIR marketplace of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
as one of the hippest music areas of the world. People used to refer to it as the gateway to America if you were an upcoming artist." A criticism of the station in this period was that it favored artists from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
(and to a lesser extent western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in general) at the expense of local bands.
In 1987, the station's license was revoked after a fifteen-year battle, and as a result on December 18, 1987, the station's ownership changed. The call letters of WLIR were changed to WDRE by the new owner, Jared Communications, (later to regain the WLIR call letters), while the interim operator (Elton Spitzer's Phoenix Media Corp.) took the WLIR call letters to an AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
radio station in Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
. The previous owners also took the "Dare To Be Different" slogan with them as intellectual property, so WDRE's moniker became "New Music
New Music (music industry)
New Music was an umbrella term used by the music industry and by music journalists in the United States, primarily during 1982 and 1983 to describe music acts who had come to commercial success in the United States through the cable music channel MTV...
First". The "Screamer of the Week" became the "Shriek of the Week" and the station remained on the cutting edge of new music as they broke new bands such as Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and others.
1990s
In 1991, the station changed its moniker again, this time to "The Cutting Edge of Rock".The explosion in popularity of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
in the early 1990s led to the period of turmoil detailed below. The synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
-based music on which much of the station's playlist was based was now out of fashion. Alternative rock artists which used to be played almost exclusively on the station were now being played on many rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
stations.
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of downtown Philadelphia. "Jenkintown" is also used to describe a number of neighborhoods surrounding the borough, which also are known by names such as Rydal, Jenkintown Manor and Noble...
, which later became WDRE Jenkintown/Philadelphia. Subsequently, in the mid 90's, Greg Morey claims to have created the first alternative rock network known as "The Underground Network". The Underground Network simulcasted WDRE New York and consisted of WFAL 101.1 Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, WRLG
WFFH
WFFH and WFFI are radio stations simulcasting a Contemporary Christian format as "FM 94 The Fish", the "fish" referring to the traditional Christian symbol. Licensed to Smyrna, Tennessee and Kingston Springs, Tennessee respectively, the stations serve the Nashville area...
94.1 Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, KDRE
KWBF-FM
KZTS is a radio station broadcasting an Mainstream Urban format. Licensed to Cammack Village, Arkansas, USA, it serves the Little Rock area...
101.1 Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, WWCP 96.7 Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, KFTH
KXHT
KXHT is a Hip-Hop station licensed to Marion, Arkansas and serves the Memphis, Tennessee, area. The Flinn Broadcasting outlet operates at 107.1 MHz with an ERP of 2.75 kW.-History:...
107.1 Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, WMRW
WBON
WBON, also known as "La Nueva Fiesta", is a Spanish-language FM radio station licensed to Westhampton, New York and operating at 98.5 MHz and 96.9 MHz with a Tropical format. Its transmitter is located in Manorville, New York. The station is licensed to JVC Media LLC.Until March 2007, the...
98.5 Westhampton, NY
Westhampton, New York
Westhampton is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 2,869 at the 2000 census.Westhampton is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:Westhampton is located at ....
, as well as WIBF. After several years, The Underground Network was ended and it was decided in 1996 that WDRE Garden City/New York would switch formats to Adult Album Alternative (AAA), bring back Malibu Sue (who had been fired earlier by then PD Russ Mottla), change its call letters back to WLIR and change its moniker to "The Island". Also in 1996 WDRE Philadelphia became an independent local modern rock station.
2000s
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
bought the 92.7 frequency and other assets for $56.9 million and began simulcasting the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
radio format of WCAA
WCAA
WXNY-FM is a radio station that broadcasts a Spanish language format. It is licensed to Univision Radio at 96.3 FM, and airs in the New York City metropolitan area.-History:...
Newark, NJ. on 92.7 under the call letters WZAA
WQBU-FM
WQBU-FM 92.7, or known on-air as La Que Buena 92.7, is a radio station licensed to Long Island, New York that plays Mexican regional music. It is owned by Univision's radio division.Before WQBU aired Mexican music, it was WDRE-FM, and later WLIR-FM...
. The last song played on WLIR that day was "Forever Young", the upbeat version by Alphaville. The WLIR call letters moved to the 107.1 frequency on Eastern Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, which had been simulcasting WLIR for several years. The new WLIR adopted an Active Rock/Alternative format and new image as "THE BOX". Since the 107.1 version of WLIR is located about 50 miles east of the original WLIR, many of the station's fans in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, southwestern Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, southern Westchester County, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, northeastern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and even the western parts of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
itself could not easily receive the station (many of these areas were closer geographically to other 107.1s, WXPK
WXPK
WXPK, , is an adult album alternative rock radio station in White Plains, New York. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and transmits from a tower in the Westchester County Correctional Facility with an ERP of 1.9 KW.-History:...
in central Westchester County and WWZY
WWZY
WWZY/WBHX is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station in Neptune, New Jersey, referred to as "107.1 The Breeze" and "99.7 The Breeze"....
in Long Branch, New Jersey, which hindered reception).
On September 15, 2005, WLIR changed formats to a block-sponsored smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
/chill music format known as "FM Channel 107: NeoBreeze."
As a result of the format change, which was also instituted at two other stations owned by the WLIR's owners (The Morey Organization), all of the on-air staff was fired. This truly marked the end of WLIR's unique "new music" format after almost three decades. In addition, with the new format, the station would run commercial-free during the day, with the actual airtime during this period paid for by advertisers
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
. According to the station's owners, this move was made as an attempt to take on satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
and MP3 players, which had been cutting into listeners of traditional radio.
On December 20, 2005, after three months of low ratings, the NeoBreeze format was dumped, and the WLIR alternative format returned.
On December 26, 2006 BusinessTalkRadio.net President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Metter announced the purchase of three Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
radio stations: Alternative WLIR-FM (107.1), Classic Rocker WBON
WBON
WBON, also known as "La Nueva Fiesta", is a Spanish-language FM radio station licensed to Westhampton, New York and operating at 98.5 MHz and 96.9 MHz with a Tropical format. Its transmitter is located in Manorville, New York. The station is licensed to JVC Media LLC.Until March 2007, the...
-FM (98.5), and Top 40/Rhythmic WDRE
WDRE (FM)
WPTY, "Party 105", is a gold based rhythmic AC station serving the Long Island market, mostly throughout Eastern Suffolk County. The JVC Media LLC outlet broadcasts at 105.3 MHz with their antenna based in Manorville, New York at an effective radiated power of 660W and is licensed to...
(105.3). WBON was renamed WBZB and flipped to a business talk format on January 2, 2007. The sales of WLIR-FM and WBZB were approved on February 27, 2007 and according to the FCC database, the selling price for WLIR-FM was expected to be $1,750,000 and the selling price for WBON-FM was also expected to be $1,750,000. The sale of these stations, however, was never completed.
In September 2007 WLIR began broadcasting from a new antenna at a location 5 miles to the west of the original. On October 11, 2007, WLIR-FM began simulcasting on translator 96.9 FM Manorville (W245BA), expanding its coverage area into western Suffolk County and a portion of eastern Nassau County. On November 18, 2007, this simulcast of WLIR-FM ended with the simulcast of 98.5 WBON, "La Fiesta", taking over the 96.9 frequency.
On January 3, 2008 in part because of the reach of the new antenna WLIR-FM began simulcasting programming from sister station WDRE (Party 105), fueling speculation that a change in format to ESPN was imminent. On January 21, 2008, WLIR-FM became an ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
affiliate via an LMA
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with New York City radio station WEPN
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
(1050 AM).
WLIR today
On February 9, 2011, Jarad Broadcasting of Hampton Bays entered into an asset purchase agreement with Holding Out Hope Church d/b/a WLIX Radio to sell the station for $650,000. On February 17, 2011, Holding Out Hope Church assigned the agreement to Livingstone Broadcasting, Inc. On May 25, 2011 the sale of WLIR-FM to Livingstone Broadcasting Inc was completed. On August 1, 2011, WLIR began broadcasting Christian content as part of the WLIX Voice of Hope radio network.Important WLIR Personalities - Where are they now?
WLIR was blessed with many personalities who have gone onto become broadcasting legends both on and off the air. Some of these include:- Abel Sanchez (now on-air at PULSE87NY.com)
- AJ (Mistress of Modern Rock)
- Alex "Alley Cat" Anthony (now public address announcer for New York Mets)
- Amy Paige (now on-air at Sirius Radio "The Highway")
- Andre "The Dre Dog" Ferro (now on-air at PULSE87NY.com)
- Armin Laszlo (overnight jock in the late 1970s)
- Barry (Ravioli) Carollo (now owner of ADCstudios & Audio Digital Communications)
- Basic Bob ("The Van Man") (WLIR Vinyl Van driver in the early 1980's)
- Beaver Kowalski (DeBella Travisty sports reporter)
- Ben Manilla (now President of Ben Manilla Productions)
- Bernardo Moronta (now on-air at WXNY-FM "X96.3", NY)
- Berner (on the beach) (Dennis Boerner, music industry professional)
- Bill Holly ("All Request Morning Show" and Modern Rock Dance Party producer)
- Bill Powers (now on-air at WRCN-FM, Riverhead, NY and traffic reporter at Metro Traffic - aka Nick Benjamin and Chuck Hesselberg)
- Bob ("The Mighty") Waugh (now on-air and program director at WRNR-FM, Annapolis, MD)
- Bob Kranes (now Senior Director Marketing at The Decca Label Group/Universal Music)
- Bob Marrone (now on-air at WRKI-FM, Brookfield, CT and producer of Jazz Stew online)
- Bob Wilson (now WLIR historian, Live 365 "Next Wave" internet radio programmer and Account Executive at Long Island Radio Group)
- Brian Cosgrove (now on-air at WPPB-FM, Southampton, NY)
- Carol Silva ("Mini Close-Up/news) (now on-air morning anchor at News-12 Long Island)
- Caroline Corley (now on-air at WXPK-FM "The Peak", Briarcliff Manor, NY))
- Charlie Ahl (later on-air at WPLJ, WCBS-FM and WHN in NY, host of Westwood One's "Weekly Country Music Countdown" (as Chris Charles), now PD of WBOQ-FM Boston
- Chris "The Greek" Panaghi (now President of Amathus Music / DJG)
- Chris Simmons (now on-air at WBZO-FM, Bayshore, NY)
- Cooper Lawrence (now news reader and entertainment reporter at WPLJ-FM, NY)
- Couzin Ed (Underground Network) (now manager of "The Irish Pol" bar in Philadelphia, Pa)
- Dale Reeves (now President of REVOmedia Productions)
- Dan Binder (now President/CEO Vandalay Communications and PD/OM at Sunrise Broadcasting, Wilmington, NC)
- Dan Zako (former General Manager - now GSM for WDVD/WDRQ, Detroit, MI)
- Danny Toy (now General Sales Manager at NAVTEQ)
- Daredrew
- Darrin Smith (now Vice President, Music Progamming at Sirius XM Radio, on-air and Program Director at Sirius XM Radio "1st Wave")
- Dave "DC" Caggiano ("DC's All Night Diner") (passed away September 8, 2009)
- Delphine Blue (now on-air at WBAI-FM, NY)
- Denis McNamara (now morning driver at WRCN-FM, Riverhead, NY - Inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of FameLong Island Music Hall of FameThe Long Island Music Hall of Fame is an organization whose office is located in Port Jefferson, New York. It was incorporated in July 2005 under the New York State Board of Regents as a non profit organization and holds a provisional charter to operate as a museum in the state of New York...
in 2010, runs NYM Inc., an Internet radio consulting company. In the process of starting to write his autobiography.) - Dennis Daniel
- Domonique (now on-air at WIGX-FM, Smithtown, NY)
- Donna Donna (now on air at WBAB-FM, Babylon, NY)
- Doug Frye
- Drew Kenyon (morning show 1999–2000) (now owner of Drew Kenyon Productions)
- Drew Scott (news) (now on-air weekend anchor at News-12 Long Island)
- Earle Bailey (now on-air at Sirius Radio "Deep Tracks")
- Elliot Jacobi
- Elton Spitzer (now involved in the boat industry in North Carolina)
- Eric Bloom ("The Bozo Patrol")
- Evan "Funk" Davies (now Director Business & Operations, VH1 Digital at VH1 and on air at WFMU-FM, Jersey City, NJ)
- Faithful Marianne
- Famous Bob
- Flo & Eddie ("By The Fireside")
- Frank Bruno (now Production Director, Fox News Talk at Fox News Channel)
- Gary Cee (now program director and afternoon host at WPDHWPDHWPDH is a mainstream rock radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York, and serving from extreme Northern New Jersey to New York's Hudson Valley and Catskills. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts on 101.5 MHz at 4.4 kilowatts ERP from a tower site on Illinois Mountain in...
in the Hudson Valley) - Gene Pardo (morning show announcer)
- Hank Fredricks (news)
- Harlan Friedman (now Owner of The Harlan Group and Sports Correspondent at Live It Up!)
- Heather Schoen (former Public Affairs Director 1971-1974 - now President at Schoen and Company)
- Hillary Blazer (now owner of Hillary Blazer-Doyle Voiceovers)
- Howie Greene ("The Greene Team")
- Hugh Foley (now Dr. Hugh Foley - Professor at Rogers State University, OK)
- Jed Morey (now publisher of the Long Island Press)
- Jeff Carlson Beck
- Jeff Jensen (now traffic reporter at Cablevision)
- Jeff Levine (former program director) (now President at South Florida Chamber Maps)
- Jerry Rubino ("Left of Center") (now APD/MD & Producer at Last.fm Discover)
- Jim Cameron (evenings and operations manager 1972–1975) (now at www.mediatrainer.tv)
- Jim McGuinn (now Program Director at KCMP-FM "The Current", Minneapolis, MN)
- Jimmy Howes (Weekend on-air personality 1989) (now program director at WGHT-AM, Pompton Lakes, NJ)
- Jodi Vale (now on-air at WKJY-FM "KJOY", Long Island)
- Joe Bonadonna (now Program Director at WBGG-FM, Miami, FL)
- Joe Taggart - Morning show (1996–1999) (Now a stand up comic and works on Jerry Seinfeld's show "The Marriage Ref" on NBC as a comic)
- Joel Moss (former program director in the 1970s progressive era before Denis McNamara)
- Joey Salvia (now at WEPN-AM, NY)
- John "Johnny McFly" Caracciolo (now owner of JVC Media LLC)
- John ("Don't call me Johnny") DeBella (now morning driver at WMGK-FM, Philadelphia)
- John Moschitta (now operations manager and program director at WDVE and WXDX in Pittsburgh, PA)
- John R. Rieger (former owner) Died of natural causes in May 2009 http://www.newsday.com/news/long-island-1.552262
- Jon Daniels (now on-air and Program Director at WIGX-FM, Smithtown, NY)
- Jonathan Lobdell (now Communications Director at Gathering of the Vibes and Advertising/Marketing Specialist at DAP - The Radio Agency)
- Jonathan Clarke Grevatt (now on-air at WAXQ-FM, NY)
- Kerin McCue (news) (now on-air at WXPK-FM "The Peak", Briarcliff Manor, NY)
- Kim Berk (now on-air at WWFS-FM "Fresh 102.7", NY)
- Larry "The Duck" Dunn (now Newsday Sr. Vice President of Advertising Sales and on-air at Sirius Radio "1st Wave")
- Larry Kleinman
- Laurie Gail (now Vice President Radio & Label Relations for Play MPE)
- Lazlow ("The Technofile" and underground hard drive)
- Lenny "The Intern" Diana (now Program Director at WRZX-FM "X-103" Indianapolis, In)
- Linda Joseph
- Lisa Ritchie (morning show co-host and News Director 1989-1993) (now traffic reporter at Cablevision and freelance fitness writer at Alkalinelifestyle.com)
- "Long Tall" Andy Geller (now a national voice over artist - AndyGeller.com)
- Lorraine Rapp (now president elect at Voice-Overs & Media Production)
- (John) Loscalzo (now Founder/Publisher at Brooklyn Bugle Media)
- Lynda Lopez (now on-air news anchor at WCBS-AM, NY)
- Malibu Sue (now on-air at WRCN-FM, Riverhead, NY, WWFS-FM, New York, NY and News 12 Traffic & Weather)
- Maria Chambers (now on-air host of VH1's syndicated "Best Week Radio Show" and host on OURscene.TV)
- Margaret Locicero (promotions director 1973-1979 - now president of Blame It On Us Marketing & Promotion)
- Mark "The Shark" Drucker (deceased 2/23/2005)
- Matt Cord (now evenings on-air at WMMR-FM, Philadelphia)
- Matt Wolfe (now music director and on-air at WBABWBABWBAB is a rock radio station on Long Island. Located at 102.3 FM, the station is licensed to Babylon, New York and is owned by Cox Radio. The station is also simulcast on WHFM 95.3 FM in eastern Suffolk County. Both WBAB's 102.3 and WHFM's 95.3 signals are broadcast in HD. The station also streams...
) - Max "The Mighty Maximizer" Leinwand (now Director Media Relations/Acquisitions at Retail Entertainment Design)
- Meg Griffin (now on-air at Sirius Radio "The Loft" and "Classic Rewind")
- Michael "Eppy" Epstein (Punky reggae party and owner of "My Father's Place")
- Michael Ross (former part-timer and on air at WPLJ-FM, WSHE-FM, WZTA-FM and WBGG-FM - passed away January 1, 2000)
- Michael Tapes (producer Tuesday Night Concert Series - now owner of Michael Tapes Design, Melbourne, Fl)
- Mike "Kidman" DeFosses (Underground Network Morning Show - now a realtor in Glastonbury, CT)
- Mike Jones ("the man with a face for radio")
- Mina Greene ("The Greene Team") (now weekend news anchor at WBZ-AM, Boston)
- Mindy Barstein owner WXUR-FM AND WRNS-AM in Utica /Rome, NY
- Morgan "Morgasm" Thomas (now looking for her next broadcasting challenge)
- Mrs. Gyrtlebaumer (Eric Wasserman)
- Nancy Abramson (now Executive Director of the Wall Street Journal Radio NetworkWall Street Journal RadioThe Wall Street Journal Radio Network has provided radio news to its affiliates for over 25 years. It is a part of The Wall Street Journal, owned by Dow Jones....
) - Orli - The English Muffin
- Otis Finn (Jim Finnemore)
- Pam Merly (now on-air at Sirius Radio "Deep Tracks")
- Pat McCormilla
- Paul Cavalconte (now on-air at WEMP-FM, NY)
- Paul W Robinson (PD - Mid-days - Founder & CEO Emerald City Media Partners)
- Pete "Captain Traffic" Tauriello (now traffic reporter at Metro Networks)
- Peter Schacknow (news) (now senior producer at CNBC)
- Ray White (now on-air at Classical 102.1 KDFC-FM, San Francisco)
- Rob Rush (Now on-air at WIGX-FM, Smithtown, NY and production/voiceovers for the Long Island Radio Group)
- Ron "RJ" Morey (now CEO of the Morey Organization)
- Russ Mottla (former program director)
- Scott "DJ" Bird ("sitting in" - now Military Admissions at Kaplin Univerity and owner/editor of Hockeybird.com)
- Sean "The Brain" Ross (now VP of Music and Programming at Edison Research)
- Sharon at the Shore (now President/Co-Owner of Trailhead Marketing)
- Shelley Miller (former music director)
- Sid Zimet (Audio by Zimet, Workshop Recording Studio - passed away March 4, 1988)
- "Smokin" Joe Belsito
- Spicey McHugh (traffic reporter)
- Steve "The Pistol" Jones (now VP ABC News Radio)
- Steve Kass (Kastenbaum) (now New York-based correspondent for CNN Radio)
- Steve Morrison (now on-air at WMMR-FM, Philadelphia, PA)
- Steve North ("Mini Close-Up"/News Director) (now Broadcast Writer, CBS Early Show)
- Steve Reggie (news) (now traffic reporter at Metro
- Steven Starr (volunteer/news volunteer 1974-5) now CEO of CitizenGlobal.com
- Susan Browning (former Island morning show host - now radio personality at WHUD, Peekskill, NY and Total Traffic Network producer at Clear Channel)
- Ted Taylor (now new media and artistic director at House of Rock Entertainment)
- The Cat
- The Unknown DJ
- "Tokyo" Rose Pisani (former music director) (now SVP Marketing for WE TV & Wedding Central)
- Tom Calderone (now President of VH1)
- Tommy "DJ Tarnax" Nappi (now on-air at WKTU-FM, Lake Success, NY and VP of Top 40 promotion for Sony/BMG)
- Trulia Child ("Platter D'Jour")
- Vin Scelsa (now on-air at Sirius Radio "The Loft")
- Willobee (Carlan) (now Operations Manager/Program Director at Shamrock Communications, Scranton, PA)
- Zim Barstein (former General Manager) (now Sales Manager at Arnold Aerial Advertising in Manhattan)
External links
- Voice of Hope official website
- WLIR.FM - New York's Original Alternative Station streaming "The World Famous" WLIR
Reference websites
- User Report: Jampro Helps WLIR Change Direction by John Caracciolo President and Director of Engineering for RadioWorld December 22, 2008
Fan websites