WFLY
Encyclopedia
WFLY is a Contemporary Hit Radio
station licensed to Troy, New York
and serving New York's Capital District
as well as the surrounding areas, including the Adirondacks. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting
(and is their flagship station
, the first purchased by the company) and broadcasts at 92.3 FM at 17 kilowatts ERP
from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland. WFLY is the oldest FM radio call sign currently in use in the Albany market (since 1948).
format since 1979, the second longest-running commercial format in Capital District radio (WGNA-FM
's country music
format has been in place since 1973), and is also one of the oldest "heritage" stations in the format. The station has also been through several playlist evolutions throughout the years; however, the station has stayed true to a CHR format for over 30 years.
Currently, the station staff is: The FLY Morning Rush (Brian Cody and Chrissy Cavotta) (5:30am-10am), Suzy Garcia on Middays (10am-2pm), Marissa in the Afternoon (2pm-7pm), Beatle Bill(7pm-12am), and Dave "Twinkie" Mink in the Overnight (12am-5:30am). Weekend/fill-in jocks include Kyle, MyLow, Eddie, Scotty Bones, Cabbie, Jake Allen and Shawn Gillie.
Shows currently aired on WFLY include Club FLY with MyLow & Steve "Liquidmix" Tucker every Sunday night beginning at 12:00 AM, Backtrax USA
with Kid Kelly on Sunday mornings from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, Sunday mornings from 8:00 AM to 12 noon with MyLow, the MTV Weekend Countdown with Damien Fahey
from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM every Saturday morning, and Open House Party
Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to midnight. Formerly, American Top 40
with Ryan Seacrest
was aired on Sunday mornings, but was dropped with the station's shift in direction towards a modern rock
-based playlist in 2005 (WKKF
would later pick it up).
in New York City. However by the late 1960s this became a losing proposition and in 1970 the station switched to a Top 40/Oldies Rock format with live DJs. At that point they were known as "The Big 92". DJs on "The Big 92" included Craig Stevens, Gary Mitchell, Rex Gregory, Dale Lane, Bob Harris, Bob Roberts, Johnny Lance and Chris Calvert. Though the station (the first commercial FM rock station in the Albany market) did very well with the new format, protests over the format flip among classical music listeners were intense and a partial victory was claimed in late 1971 when the Troy Record sold WFLY to Functional Broadcasting and the station flipped to an easy listening/classical hybrid. The partial return of classical was not successful given the sign-on of WMHT-FM
as a full time classical station shortly after WFLY flipped and established three easy listening outlets in the market.
Functional lost money on WFLY from the outset and sold the station in early 1975. After the sale the station flipped to automated album-oriented rock
, billing itself as "sophisticated rock". WFLY went adult contemporary in 1977, and then reverted to top 40 in 1979 as FLY 92. The station was sold to Rob Dyson, who also owned WPDH
and WEOK
in Poughkeepsie, New York. It was sold to Jim Morrell's Albany Broadcasting
in 1988 and is considered the flagship station for the company. The second go-around of Top 40 was the charm as WFLY caused the eventual deaths of AM powerhouses WTRY
and WPTR in the following years and led to the deaths of most rivals though three stations, WGFM/WGY-FM
(99 GFM, later Electric 99) from 1982 to 1990, WKLI-FM (K100) from 1996 to 1999, and WKKF
(102.3 Kiss FM) since 2000 have survived for an extended period (though WKKF has more recently been directly competing against WFLY's sister station WAJZ
). In 2005, the station rebranded with the full frequency as FLY 92.3 and tweaked its format to be more modern rock
-leaning to separate itself more from co-owned WAJZ
(which had taken on a more rhythmic
playlist); however, over time, the station has reverted back to a more mainstream contemporary hit radio format.
In July 2007, a number of personnel left WFLY, including afternoon jocks Mick Lee (to KKRZ
in Portland, OR) and Christy Taylor (to sister station WZMR
), overnight jock Mr. Alex (to NYC for commercial production), and promotions director JoAnn Razzano.
In May 2008, it was announced that WFLY would be bringing back "Summer Jam," a concert the station is well known for but hasn't put on in almost a decade. Also, during the summer of 2008, WFLY introduced a new format for their long-running contest Last Student Standing. The contest, which had formerly been a last man standing, month-long torture aboard a school bus, was converted into a reality show format coined "Reality Radio". 8 college students moved into an emptied out store in Clifton Park Center
and voted each other out week after week.
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
station licensed to Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
and serving New York's Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
as well as the surrounding areas, including the Adirondacks. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting
Pamal Broadcasting
Pamal Broadcasting, Ltd. is a family-owned radio ownership with stations in medium-to-small markets in the Northeast and Florida. Based in the Albany suburb of Latham, New York, Pamal Broadcasting was founded in 1986 as Albany Broadcasting when business man James J. Morrell entered broadcast...
(and is their flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
, the first purchased by the company) and broadcasts at 92.3 FM at 17 kilowatts ERP
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...
from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland. WFLY is the oldest FM radio call sign currently in use in the Albany market (since 1948).
Programming
WFLY has aired a Contemporary Hit RadioContemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format since 1979, the second longest-running commercial format in Capital District radio (WGNA-FM
WGNA-FM
WGNA-FM is a country music-formatted radio station licensed to Albany, New York and serving New York's Capital District. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, and broadcasts at 12.5 kilowatts from the Helderberg Mountains tower farm in New Scotland...
's country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format has been in place since 1973), and is also one of the oldest "heritage" stations in the format. The station has also been through several playlist evolutions throughout the years; however, the station has stayed true to a CHR format for over 30 years.
Currently, the station staff is: The FLY Morning Rush (Brian Cody and Chrissy Cavotta) (5:30am-10am), Suzy Garcia on Middays (10am-2pm), Marissa in the Afternoon (2pm-7pm), Beatle Bill(7pm-12am), and Dave "Twinkie" Mink in the Overnight (12am-5:30am). Weekend/fill-in jocks include Kyle, MyLow, Eddie, Scotty Bones, Cabbie, Jake Allen and Shawn Gillie.
Shows currently aired on WFLY include Club FLY with MyLow & Steve "Liquidmix" Tucker every Sunday night beginning at 12:00 AM, Backtrax USA
Backtrax USA
Backtrax USA is a two hour radio program hosted by former WHTZ DJ Kid Kelly that premiered in 1993.The show originally highlighted hit music from the 1980s. Since 2003, however, Backtrax USA has offered a 1990s version of the show featuring hit music from this decade alongside that of the '80s...
with Kid Kelly on Sunday mornings from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, Sunday mornings from 8:00 AM to 12 noon with MyLow, the MTV Weekend Countdown with Damien Fahey
Damien Fahey
Damien Richard Fahey is an MTV VJ, television host, and drummer.-Early life and family background:Fahey grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and moved to the town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts during the summer of 1992...
from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM every Saturday morning, and Open House Party
Open House Party
Open House Party is an American radio show hosted on Saturday nights by John Garabedian that promotes itself as "the biggest party on the planet". It focuses on playing contemporary hit radio music, also known as Top 40. The show differentiates itself from most Top 40 stations because it plays a...
Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to midnight. Formerly, American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
with Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
was aired on Sunday mornings, but was dropped with the station's shift in direction towards a modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
-based playlist in 2005 (WKKF
WKKF
WKKF is a Contemporary Hit Radio radio station licensed to Ballston Spa, New York and serving the Capital District and Adirondacks...
would later pick it up).
History
WFLY signed on in 1948 as the radio station of the Troy Record newspaper, then published by Frank Loyd York. The station initially played classical music, for several years being part of a network which originated at WQXRWQEW
WQEW is a Radio Disney affiliate licensed to New York City. Its transmitter is located in Maspeth, Queens. WQEW has a transmitter power of 50,000 watts and is listed as a Clear-channel station...
in New York City. However by the late 1960s this became a losing proposition and in 1970 the station switched to a Top 40/Oldies Rock format with live DJs. At that point they were known as "The Big 92". DJs on "The Big 92" included Craig Stevens, Gary Mitchell, Rex Gregory, Dale Lane, Bob Harris, Bob Roberts, Johnny Lance and Chris Calvert. Though the station (the first commercial FM rock station in the Albany market) did very well with the new format, protests over the format flip among classical music listeners were intense and a partial victory was claimed in late 1971 when the Troy Record sold WFLY to Functional Broadcasting and the station flipped to an easy listening/classical hybrid. The partial return of classical was not successful given the sign-on of WMHT-FM
WMHT-FM
WMHT-FM is the callsign of a classical music and NPR radio station licenced to Schenectady, New York, broadcasting on 89.1 MHz with 11 kW ERP from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland, New York...
as a full time classical station shortly after WFLY flipped and established three easy listening outlets in the market.
Functional lost money on WFLY from the outset and sold the station in early 1975. After the sale the station flipped to automated album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
, billing itself as "sophisticated rock". WFLY went adult contemporary in 1977, and then reverted to top 40 in 1979 as FLY 92. The station was sold to Rob Dyson, who also owned WPDH
WPDH
WPDH 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...
and WEOK
WEOK
WEOK is a radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley. The station is owned by Cumulus Media broadcasts on 1390 kHz at 5 kilowatts daytime and 106 watts nighttime from a two-tower directional antenna array adjacent to the Cumulus cluster complex on Pendell...
in Poughkeepsie, New York. It was sold to Jim Morrell's Albany Broadcasting
Pamal Broadcasting
Pamal Broadcasting, Ltd. is a family-owned radio ownership with stations in medium-to-small markets in the Northeast and Florida. Based in the Albany suburb of Latham, New York, Pamal Broadcasting was founded in 1986 as Albany Broadcasting when business man James J. Morrell entered broadcast...
in 1988 and is considered the flagship station for the company. The second go-around of Top 40 was the charm as WFLY caused the eventual deaths of AM powerhouses WTRY
WOFX (AM)
WOFX, known as Fox Sports 980, is an AM radio station broadcasting on 980 kHz licensed to Troy, New York. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and runs a sports radio format and is the Fox Sports Radio affiliate for the Capital District, Adirondacks, and...
and WPTR in the following years and led to the deaths of most rivals though three stations, WGFM/WGY-FM
WRVE
WRVE is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to Schenectady, New York and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley of New York. It broadcasts at 99.5 FM at 14.5 kilowatts ERP from a transmitter in Guilderland, New York...
(99 GFM, later Electric 99) from 1982 to 1990, WKLI-FM (K100) from 1996 to 1999, and WKKF
WKKF
WKKF is a Contemporary Hit Radio radio station licensed to Ballston Spa, New York and serving the Capital District and Adirondacks...
(102.3 Kiss FM) since 2000 have survived for an extended period (though WKKF has more recently been directly competing against WFLY's sister station WAJZ
WAJZ
WAJZ is an urban-leaning Rhythmic Contemporary station serving the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and operates at 96.3 MHz with an ERP of 6 kW and is licensed to Voorheesville, New York...
). In 2005, the station rebranded with the full frequency as FLY 92.3 and tweaked its format to be more modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
-leaning to separate itself more from co-owned WAJZ
WAJZ
WAJZ is an urban-leaning Rhythmic Contemporary station serving the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and operates at 96.3 MHz with an ERP of 6 kW and is licensed to Voorheesville, New York...
(which had taken on a more rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
playlist); however, over time, the station has reverted back to a more mainstream contemporary hit radio format.
In July 2007, a number of personnel left WFLY, including afternoon jocks Mick Lee (to KKRZ
KKRZ
KKRZ is a commercial broadcast radio station in Portland, Oregon, also known as Z-100, broadcasts CHR music.-History:What is now KKRZ first signed on May, 7, 1946 as KGW-FM on 95.3 MHz and moved to 100.3 MHz on September 22, 1947...
in Portland, OR) and Christy Taylor (to sister station WZMR
WZMR
WZMR is a country music formatted radio station licensed to Altamont and serving New York's Capital District and surrounding areas. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting, and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland...
), overnight jock Mr. Alex (to NYC for commercial production), and promotions director JoAnn Razzano.
In May 2008, it was announced that WFLY would be bringing back "Summer Jam," a concert the station is well known for but hasn't put on in almost a decade. Also, during the summer of 2008, WFLY introduced a new format for their long-running contest Last Student Standing. The contest, which had formerly been a last man standing, month-long torture aboard a school bus, was converted into a reality show format coined "Reality Radio". 8 college students moved into an emptied out store in Clifton Park Center
Clifton Park Center
Clifton Park Center, formerly known as the Clifton Country Mall, is a large retail center located in Clifton Park, New York and was acquired in the spring of 2006 by DCG Development, a Clifton Park based development firm. The mall features over 40 stores and a food court.Clifton Country Mall opened...
and voted each other out week after week.
Notable former staff
- Woody Wood and Jim Chandler (now at WRVWWRVWWRVW is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 107.5 MHz, licensed to the city of Lebanon, Tennessee, but serving the nearby Nashville market. It is currently branded as 107.5 The River, broadcasting a Top 40 format, and has become something of a heritage station for Top-40 music in middle...
in Nashville) - Jim Clark
- Ellen Rockwell
- Rick Knight
- Peter Clark
- Jack Lawrence
- Michael Morgan
- Todd Pettingill (now at WPLJWPLJWPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
in New York CityNew York CityNew 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...
) - Mick Lee (now PD at WZFT in BaltimoreBaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
) - Dave Redpath aka Joe Mama (now at WOGL 98.1 Philly)