WYDR
Encyclopedia
WYDR is a radio station
broadcasting a Classic Hits
music format simulcasting co-owned WZDR
.., licensed to both Neenah
and Menasha
(giving it and sister station WNCY-FM
a rare dual cities of license
situation) and transmitting from High Cliff State Park
in Northwestern Calumet County, Wisconsin
. "The Drive" has its studios at Midwest Communications' facilities at 1420 Bellevue St in the Green Bay suburb of Bellevue, Wisconsin
, adjacent to the tower site of sister station WNFL.
of WROE with a beautiful music
format, a format found quite frequently on FM radio in that era. In 1977, Midwest bought WBAY-AM and WBAY-FM (the current WTAQ and WIXX, respectively), forcing the company to sell WROE due to FCC
regulations limiting station ownership at the time. Later ownership would change WROE in the 1980s to the soft AC format that many people would associate with the frequency and its call sign.
In 1997, Midwest repurchased WROE and sister stations WNCY-FM
and WNFL after loosening of radio ownership rules the year before. From 1998 to 2001, WROE simulcast on sister station WLTM, with the stations branded as "The Lite FM, 94.3 and 99.7." During this time, WROE and WLTM would add Delilah's
nationally syndicated program (though it would eventually drop it later in the 2000s). When WLTM dropped away from the simulcast in 2001 and launched its own format, WROE reverted back to using its call sign
for on-air branding.
In March 2006, WROE made a shift toward an adult hits
format, branded as "94.3 The Bridge." On November 14, 2008, the station dropped "The Bridge" and reverted back to its WROE branding and Soft AC format. In August 2009, the station rejoined in a simulcast with 99.7 FM and its Green Bay translator at 101.9 FM, which dropped its own adult hits format. WROE and WRQE would eventually add the John Tesh
nightly radio program after the show's former home in the Fox Cities, WECB
, changed formats at the end of 2009.
At 5PM on September 3, 2010, Midwest Communications dropped the Soft AC format a second time, and with it WROE's longtime call sign
. The stations became WYDR (94.3) and WZDR (99.7) and adopted a classic hits
/classic rock
hybrid format as "The Drive," a format similar to that of WDRV
in Chicago
and sister station WOZZ, which adopted a more mainstream rock
format at the same time and date as "The Drive's" debut (and using 99.7's former WRQE call sign).
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...
broadcasting a Classic Hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
music format simulcasting co-owned WZDR
WZDR
WZDR is a radio station licensed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, USA, the station serves the Green Bay area simulcasting co-owned WYDR as The Drive...
.., licensed to both Neenah
Neenah, Wisconsin
Neenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...
and Menasha
Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...
(giving it and sister station WNCY-FM
WNCY-FM
WNCY is a Country formatted radio station licensed to Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, that serves the Green Bay and Appleton-Oshkosh areas....
a rare dual cities of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
situation) and transmitting from High Cliff State Park
High Cliff State Park
High Cliff State Park is a Wisconsin state park near Sherwood, Wisconsin. It is the only state-owned recreation area located on Lake Winnebago. The park was established in 1956.-Niagara Escarpment:...
in Northwestern Calumet County, Wisconsin
Calumet County, Wisconsin
Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is included in the Appleton, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the county's population was 48,971. The county seat is Chilton.-History:...
. "The Drive" has its studios at Midwest Communications' facilities at 1420 Bellevue St in the Green Bay suburb of Bellevue, Wisconsin
Bellevue, Wisconsin
Bellevue is a village in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. It was a town until incorporating as a village on February 14, 2003. The population of the area that became the village was 11,828 in 2000...
, adjacent to the tower site of sister station WNFL.
History
The station that would eventually become WYDR was launched by Midwest Communications in 1971 under the call signCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
of WROE with a beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format, a format found quite frequently on FM radio in that era. In 1977, Midwest bought WBAY-AM and WBAY-FM (the current WTAQ and WIXX, respectively), forcing the company to sell WROE due to FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
regulations limiting station ownership at the time. Later ownership would change WROE in the 1980s to the soft AC format that many people would associate with the frequency and its call sign.
In 1997, Midwest repurchased WROE and sister stations WNCY-FM
WNCY-FM
WNCY is a Country formatted radio station licensed to Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, that serves the Green Bay and Appleton-Oshkosh areas....
and WNFL after loosening of radio ownership rules the year before. From 1998 to 2001, WROE simulcast on sister station WLTM, with the stations branded as "The Lite FM, 94.3 and 99.7." During this time, WROE and WLTM would add Delilah's
Delilah
Delilah appears only in the Hebrew bible Book of Judges 16, where she is the "woman in the valley of Sorek" whom Samson loved, and who was his downfall...
nationally syndicated program (though it would eventually drop it later in the 2000s). When WLTM dropped away from the simulcast in 2001 and launched its own format, WROE reverted back to using its call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
for on-air branding.
In March 2006, WROE made a shift toward an adult hits
Adult hits
Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
format, branded as "94.3 The Bridge." On November 14, 2008, the station dropped "The Bridge" and reverted back to its WROE branding and Soft AC format. In August 2009, the station rejoined in a simulcast with 99.7 FM and its Green Bay translator at 101.9 FM, which dropped its own adult hits format. WROE and WRQE would eventually add the John Tesh
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
nightly radio program after the show's former home in the Fox Cities, WECB
WCHK-FM
WCHK-FM redirects here. For the stations in the Atlanta, Georgia area that previously carried these calls, please see WWVA-FM and WNSY. For the AM station with these calls, please see WCHK ....
, changed formats at the end of 2009.
At 5PM on September 3, 2010, Midwest Communications dropped the Soft AC format a second time, and with it WROE's longtime call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
. The stations became WYDR (94.3) and WZDR (99.7) and adopted a classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
/classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
hybrid format as "The Drive," a format similar to that of WDRV
WDRV
WDRV is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois. The station is currently owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, and simulcasts on WWDV . "The Drive" programs a broad-based classic rock format called "Timeless Rock"...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and sister station WOZZ, which adopted a more mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
format at the same time and date as "The Drive's" debut (and using 99.7's former WRQE call sign).