WINU (104.9
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
, "Alt 104.9") is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
FM radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
licensed
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Altamont and serving New York's
Capital District
A capital district, capital region or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any poli ...
. The station is owned by
Pamal Broadcasting
Pamal Broadcasting, Ltd. is a family-owned radio group with twenty-three stations in medium-to-small markets in the Northeast. Based in the Albany suburb of Latham, New York, Pamal Broadcasting was founded in 1987 as Albany Broadcasting Company, w ...
and airs an
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
.
WINU has an
effective radiated power
Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...
(ERP) of 530
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s. The
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...
is on Pinnacle Road in
Helderberg Escarpment
The Helderberg Escarpment, also known as the Helderberg Mountains, is an escarpment in eastern New York, United States, roughly west of the city of Albany. The escarpment is the northeastern extremity of the Allegheny Plateau. It rises steepl ...
tower farm in
New Scotland, amid the
towers
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specific ...
for other Albany-area TV and FM stations.
Station history
WIZR-FM Johnstown
WINU is one of several signals to have moved into the Albany market in recent years. Prior to its move in March 1999, it was licensed to
Johnstown, New York
Johnstown is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. The city was named after its founder, Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York and a major general during the Sev ...
as the
sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement.
Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...
to
WIZR
WIZR (930 AM) is a radio station that broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Johnstown, New York, United States, the station serves the Mohawk Valley area. The station is owned by the Cranesville Radio Network and features hit ...
(930 AM). It first
signed on
Signing may refer to:
* Using sign language
* Signature
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...
the air on June 26, 1968 as WIZR-FM. At first, it
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...
ed its AM companion. In 1980, it began broadcasting a live and local oldies format which lasted until the station went dark in 1982. It returned to the air in 1983 once again simulcasting WIZR. In early 1984, it got its own
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
as WSRD ("The Wizard") as it switched to a short-lived live and local album rock format. It flipped to a satellite delivered adult contemporary format in late 1984, and eventually to satellite delivered
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
in 1987. The oldies format would remain in place until early 1999.
In early 1998, longtime WIZR/WSRD owner Joe Caruso obtained a
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(FCC)
construction permit
Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...
to move WZMR to the Albany suburb of Altamont. That put it in the
Albany-
Schenectady
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
-
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
making the station more valuable. In October 1998, Caruso sold the stations to Albany Broadcasting (today's
Pamal Broadcasting
Pamal Broadcasting, Ltd. is a family-owned radio group with twenty-three stations in medium-to-small markets in the Northeast. Based in the Albany suburb of Latham, New York, Pamal Broadcasting was founded in 1987 as Albany Broadcasting Company, w ...
) for $2.2 million. Albany Broadcasting closed on the stations in March 1999 and quickly moved WSRD into its studios,
Moving to Albany
The new call letters for the station were WAAP. The transmitter site was initially on the Channel 23 tower with sister station
WAJZ
WAJZ (96.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Voorheesville, New York, and serving the Capital District, including Albany, Schenectady and Troy. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts a rhythmic contemporary ra ...
, but was later moved to the
WYJB
WYJB (95.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Albany, New York, and serving the Capital District, including Schenectady and Troy. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching ...
tower in November 2000. The format was changed to
modern adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet sto ...
as ''The Point'' when it began broadcasting from its new transmitter, on March 10, 1999.
The switch to Modern AC was an attempt to capitalize on the then-recent flips of WXLE (now
WTMM-FM
WTMM-FM (104.5 FM, " ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team") is a sports radio station licensed to Mechanicville, New York and serving New York's Capital Region and Saratoga County. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP ...
) to
rhythmic oldies
Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. Playlists can span from the 1960s through the 2000s and, depending on market conditions, may be designed for African-American or Hispanic a ...
,
WRVE
WRVE (99.5 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed in Schenectady and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley New York. It broadcasts a Hot Adult Contemporary radio format and calls itself "99.5 The River," referring to th ...
to a more mainstream format, and the then-stunting
WKLI
WKLI-FM (100.9 FM, "100.9 The Cat") is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to Albany, New York, and serving the Capital District, including Schenectady and Troy. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts a country music radi ...
. It was WKLI which spoiled these plans, as Albany Broadcasting was sued by
CBS Radio
CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...
, then-owners of the ''Point'' name, on the behalf of WKLI-owner-in-waiting Tele-Media. In response, the station relaunched as WZMR with the ''Z104.9'' branding and a
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
format. The ''Point'' name surfaced on WKLI (which changed to WCPT) that May.
However, the ratings were not what Albany Broadcasting had hoped for.
Smooth Jazz
On October 2, 1999, WHRL (now
WGY-FM
WGY-FM (103.1 MHz) is a news-talk radio station licensed to Albany, New York. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day at 5,600 watts ERP from a non-directional antenna in North Greenbush, New York located near U.S. Route 4. The station, owned by ...
) switched from
smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s.
History
Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 19 ...
to
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
, Albany Broadcasting took advantage of the format hole. Within two weeks, WZMR flipped to smooth jazz at 6:00 a.m. on October 18, 1999, as "Smooth Jazz 104.9."
The final song played under WZMR's short-lived modern rock format was "
You Get What You Give" by
The New Radicals
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, also the first song played under the format. Though the return of smooth jazz was initially a success, ratings had declined at the station by early 2003.
In June 2003, the format was tweaked to
urban adult contemporary
Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...
(as a complement to then-urban
WAJZ
WAJZ (96.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Voorheesville, New York, and serving the Capital District, including Albany, Schenectady and Troy. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts a rhythmic contemporary ra ...
). WZMR added
R&B and
soul music
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
to the smooth jazz playlist, with the branding ''104.9 Love FM''.
However, the new format failed to attract listeners as well as advertising revenue, and the station was up for sale in 2004 to prepare
WNYQ (105.7 FM) for a move-in. However,
Regent Communications
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
would eventually buy that station after the sale to Pamal fell through, and Pamal instead retained WZMR.
Country and Active rock
After playing
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...
in December 2004, the format was again changed on January 6, 2005, to a simulcast of
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
station
WFFG-FM
WFFG-FM (100.3 FM), known as "Froggy 100.3", is a country music radio station licensed to Warrensburg, New York, and is owned by Pamal Broadcasting. The radio studios and offices are on Everts Avenue in Queensbury, New York.
WFFG-FM has an eff ...
in
Corinth, New York.
After a weekend of
stunting, WZMR flipped formats to
active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...
on February 13, 2006 as ''104.9 The Edge'', picking up the format abandoned by the former ''Edge'', 103.9
WQBK-FM
WQBK-FM (105.7 MHz "Q105.7/103.5") is a commercial radio station licensed to Malta, New York, and serving the Capital District of New York, including the Albany-Schenectady-Troy radio market. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, and ai ...
and 103.5
WQBJ in December 2005.
WZMR saw the most success during this time, with the station's ''Edgefest'' concerts, and brought in
John Mulrooney
John Mulrooney is an American comedian, radio and TV show host, actor and writer.
Mulrooney was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He began his career on the NYC comedy scene at Rick Newman's Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Mulrooney transit ...
for its morning show. However, with WQBK-FM and WQBJ reverting to their previous active rock format in 2008, and WHRL tweaking from modern rock to active rock one year later, the future of WZMR's active rock format was cloudy. However, by the end of 2010, only WQBK-FM and WQBJ remained with the active rock format in the Albany market.
At 10:49 a.m. on February 26, 2010, the final song under the ''Edge'' format, "
Cat Scratch Fever
''Cat Scratch Fever'' is the third studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released on May 13, 1977, by Epic Records. Vocalist Derek St. Holmes, who had left the band during the recording of the album ''Free-for-All'', had com ...
" by
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock an ...
, was anticlimactically interrupted, as WZMR returned to a country music format under the ''104.9 The Cat'' branding, taking on a similar playlist and imaging to co-owned
WJEN
WJEN (105.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Killington, Vermont, and broadcasting to Rutland and Southern Vermont. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and airs a country music radio format known as "105.3 Cat Country." The ...
in
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
.
The first song played under the new country format was "
Building Bridges" by
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were solo ...
.
Adult alternative and Sports
At midnight on October 10, 2013, WZMR began simulcasting on sister station
WKLI-FM
WKLI-FM (100.9 FM, "100.9 The Cat") is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to Albany, New York, and serving the Capital District, including Schenectady and Troy. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts a country music radi ...
. The simulcast lasted until December 13, 2013, when, for 24 hours, WZMR began stunting with sound effects of a man hiking. WZMR launched an
adult album alternative
Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...
format at midnight on December 14, 2013, branded as "104.9 The Peak." The first song on "The Peak" was ''
Stairway to Heaven
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...
'' by
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
. The "Peak" name is also used by co-owned
WXPK
WXPK (107.1 MHz), branded as 107.1 The Peak, is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Briarcliff Manor, New York, and serving the northern suburbs of the New York metropolitan area. It is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts an Adult ...
in the northern suburbs of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
At Midnight on January 12, 2015, after playing "
Be My Wife
"Be My Wife" is a song by English musician David Bowie. It was the second single from '' Low'' (1977), released on 17 June 1977.
Its presence in ''Low'' tones down the electronic feel of the rest of the album. The song also features a more c ...
" by
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, WZMR flipped to
sports talk
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on-ai ...
under new call letters WINU and the "Win 104.9" moniker. The station was silent for four minutes after DJ John Clark signed off until 12 a.m., when it went straight to
CBS Sports Radio
CBS Sports Radio is a sports radio network that debuted with hourly sports news updates on September 4, 2012, and with 24/7 programming on January 2, 2013.
CBS Sports Radio is owned by Paramount Global and distributed by Westwood One. Programmin ...
with the hourly "Sports Flash" update. The station utilized programming from CBS Sports, picking up that
affiliation
Affiliation or affiliate may refer to:
* Affiliate (commerce), a legal form of entity relationship used in Business Law
* Affiliation (family law), a legal form of family relationship
* Affiliate marketing
* Affiliate network or affiliation platf ...
from
AM 1240
AM or Am may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* A minor, a minor scale in music
* ''A.M.'' (Chris Young album)
* ''A.M.'' (Wilco album)
* ''AM'' (Abraham Mateo album)
* ''AM'' (Arctic Monkeys album)
* AM (musician), American musici ...
WPTR. The move gave Albany its fourth sports station joining WPTR, which has shifted to
NBC Sports Radio
NBC Sports Radio was a sports radio network that debuted on September 4, 2012. The network content was produced by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and distributed by Westwood One, which is the corporate successor to the remains of ...
,
WOFX (
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio is an American sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports division and iHeartMedia, parent company ...
) and
WTMM (
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio, which is alternately platform-agnostically branded as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN". ...
). From 2015 to 2017, WINU aired
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
football games and
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
baseball. Even after WINU's sports format ended, the station retained Patriots broadcasts for the 2018 season along with co-owned
WROW
WROW (590 kHz) – branded ''Magic 590 AM and 100.5 FM'' – is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Albany, New York, and serving the Capital District, including Albany, Schenectady and Troy. WROW has a radio format featuring soft oldies ...
; however, the Patriots did not return for the 2019 season.
Alt 104.9
On March 16, 2018, at 5 p.m., WINU returned to an
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
format after nineteen years, this time branded as "Alt 104.9."
Pamal Launches Alt 104.9 Albany as Rewind 105.7 Starts Stunting
Radioinsight - March 16, 2018
Previous Logo
References
External links
*
{{Pamal Broadcasting
INU
Modern rock radio stations in the United States
Radio stations established in 1968
Pamal Broadcasting
1968 establishments in New York (state)