WCYY
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo = WCYY new logo.png
| logo_size =
| name = WCYY
| city = Biddeford, Maine
| country = US
| area = Portland metropolitan area
| branding = WCYY
| frequency = 94.3 MHz
| repeaters = {{Radio Relay|103.7|WPKQ|North Conway, New Hampshire}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1972|8}}
| format = Active rock; alternative rock
| erp = 11,500 watts
| haat = {{convert|147|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = B1
| facility_id = 22880
| licensing_authority = FCC
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WIDE-FM (1972–1981)|WBYC (1981–1985)|WYJY (1985–1991)|WSTG (1991–1994)}}
| owner = Townsquare Media
| licensee = Townsquare License, LLC
| sister_stations = WBLM, WHOM, WJBQ, WPKQ
| webcast = {{listenlive|https://wcyy.com/listen-live/}}
| website = {{URL|https://wcyy.com/}}
}}
WCYY (94.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Biddeford, Maine, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. Its target audience are men between 18 and 44. The station airs an active/alternative rock radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. WCYY studios are at One City Center in Portland.
WCYY has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 11,500 watts. The transmitter is on Cascade Road in Saco, Maine.[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wcyy&nav=home Radio-Locator.com/WCYY] WCYY is simulcast on WPKQ (103.7 FM) in North Conway, New Hampshire, which transmits from Mount Washington and covers a large swath of northern New England.
History
=WIDE-FM, WBYC, WYJY and WSTG=
The station signed on the air in August 1972 as WIDE-FM. It simulcast the middle of the road programming of its sister station WIDE (1400 AM; now WVAE). The stations were owned by Hoy Communications and were affiliates of the ABC Information Radio Network.
WIDE-FM became WBYC ("We're Beautiful York County") on March 1, 1981, with a beautiful music format. The station was mostly automated and played quarter hour sweeps of instrumental cover versions of pop hits, Broadway and Hollywood show tunes. On December 2, 1985, WBYC became WYJY playing soft adult contemporary music as "Joy 94.3". WYJY changed its call letters to WSTG on January 28, 1991, moving to a bit more upbeat adult contemporary format as "Star 94.3".
=WCYY=
On July 8, 1994, WSTG flipped to adult album alternative and changed its call sign to WCYY. After a while, WCYY went modern rock which it still plays. Prior to June 2007, WCYY was simulcast on 93.9 WCYI in Lewiston, Maine. That station was bought by the Educational Media Foundation and switched to Christian contemporary music as part of the Air1 network. On February 21, 2008, WCYY moved to a new studio.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus Media stations, including WCYY, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global were both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.{{cite news|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/121835/official-cumulus-buys-dial-global-spins-some-stati|title=Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus|date=August 30, 2013|newspaper=All Access|access-date=August 30, 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/84851/are-these-the-markets-in-the-cumulustownsquaredial-global-deal/|title=Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official|date=August 30, 2013|newspaper=RadioInsight|access-date=August 30, 2013}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressherald.com/2013/08/31/portland-radio-group-to-be-sold_2013-08-31/|title=Portland radio group to be sold|date=August 31, 2013}} The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/124346/cumulus-townsquare-peak-deal-closes|title=Cumulus-Townsquare-Peak Deal Closes|date=November 15, 2013|newspaper=All Access|access-date=November 16, 2013}}
WCYY is one of six alternative stations under Townsquare Media (another being Hudson Valley's WRRV, also acquired from Cumulus Media).
=Simulcast=
WCYY began simulcasting on WPKQ (103.7 FM) in North Conway, New Hampshire, and WJZN (1400 AM and 95.9 FM) in Augusta, Maine, on October 25, 2021. The expansion, which resulted in WCYY's programming being heard in much of northern New England (in part because of WPKQ's transmitter on Mount Washington), was promoted as "WCYY 3.0".{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Townsquare Media Launches WCYY Trimulcast Across Northern New England |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214388/wpkq-in-stunt-mode/ |access-date=October 25, 2021 |work=RadioInsight |date=October 25, 2021}}{{efn|In May 2023, Townsquare took WJZN silent for economic reasons.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=FCC Report 5/14: $15,000 Fine Upheld For LPFM Airing Commercials |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/252051/fcc-report-5-14-15000-fine-upheld-for-lpfm-airing-commercials/ |access-date=September 26, 2023 |work=RadioInsight |date=May 14, 2023}}}}
The simulcast coincided with the syndication launch of Toucher and Rich from WBZ-FM in Boston. The three WCYY stations, along with Bangor sister station 92.9 WEZQ, became the program's first four affiliates. WCYY and WPKQ dropped Toucher and Rich in October 2023, returning to a locally-originated music-focused morning show.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=WCYY Brings Back Rob Riccitelli For Mornings; Dropping Toucher & Rich |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/259468/wcyy-brings-back-rob-riccitelli-for-mornings-dropping-toucher-rich/ |access-date=January 23, 2024 |work=RadioInsight |date=October 2, 2023}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.wcyy.com}}
{{FM station data|22880|WCYY}}
{{Portland Radio}}
{{Modern Rock Radio Stations in Maine}}
{{Townsquare Media}}
{{coord|43.544|N|70.404|W|type:landmark_region:US-ME_source:FCC|display=title}}
Category:Active rock radio stations in the United States
Category:Alternative rock radio stations in the United States
Category:Townsquare Media radio stations