WWWF-FM
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WWWF-FM
| city = Bay Shore, New York
| country = US
| above =
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| area = Long Island
| frequency = {{Frequency|103.1|MHz}}
| rds =
| branding = 103.1 The Wolf
| languages = English
| format = Country music
| subchannels =
| network =
| affiliations =
| owner = Connoisseur Media
| licensee = Connoisseur Media Licenses, LLC
| operator =
| sister_stations = WALK-FM, WHLI, WKJY, WWSK
| founded =
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1993|02|p=y}}
| last_airdate =
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WQIA (1992)|WBSI (1992–1993)|WBZO (1993–2024)}}
| former_names =
| former_frequencies =
| callsign_meaning = "Wolf" with 2 added Ws
| licensing_authority = FCC
| facility_id = 60245
| class = A
| power =
| erp = 1,550 watts
| haat = {{Convert|141|m|ft|sp=us}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|40|45|03|N|73|12|49|W|type:landmark_region:US-NY_source:FCC|name=WBZO|display=inline,title}}
| translators =
| repeaters =
| webcast = {{listen live|url=https://player.listenlive.co/49011}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.thewolf1031.com/}}
}}
WWWF-FM (103.1 FM) is a country music radio station owned by Connoisseur Media and licensed to Bay Shore, New York. The station's studios are located at Airport Plaza in Farmingdale, New York, and its transmitter is located on Freeman Avenue in Islip, New York.{{cite web |title=WBZO-FM 103.1 MHz |url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wbzo&x=0&y=0&sr=Y&s=C%20Radio-Locator.com/WWWF-FM |website=radio-locator.com |publisher=Theodric Technologies LLC. |access-date=September 27, 2022}}
History
103.1 FM first signed on the air in February 1993 as WBSI "B-103", broadcasting from studios located on Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore and playing oldies from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.{{cite news |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031477/1993-02-18/ed-1/seq-3.pdf |title=New radio station to highlight Islip |last=Angrisani |first=Carol |work=Suffolk County News |date=February 18, 1993 |access-date=August 23, 2020 }} The WBSI call sign was dropped only a few months after the station signed on because 106.1 WBLI complained the WBSI call sign was too similar and would cause confusion in the Arbitron ratings.
WBZO – along with WHLI, WKJY, and WWSK — was sold by Barnstable Broadcasting to Connoisseur Media effective July 3, 2012, for $23 million.{{Cite web |last=Venta |first=Lance |date=March 26, 2012 |title=Connoisseur Media Acquires Long Island Radio Group |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/56163/connoisseur-media-acquires-long-island-radio-group/ |website=RadioInsight}}
On April 7, 2014, WBZO relaunched its classic hits format, shifting from a 60-70s pop-based music mix to a 70s-80s rock-based music mix.{{Cite web |last=Venta |first=Lance |date=April 3, 2014 |title=WBZO Long Island Retools |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/88263/wbzo-long-island-retools/ |website=RadioInsight}} A year later, on May 15, 2015, WBZO rebranded as "103.1 Max FM".{{cite web |title=WBZO Long Island Rebrands As Max-FM |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/92964/wbzo-long-island-rebrands-as-max-fm/ |website=radioinsight.com |publisher=RadioBB Networks |access-date=September 27, 2022 |date=June 22, 2020}}
In September 2022, the on-air staff was let go due to budget cuts; WBZO would run automated for the rest of the format's run.{{cite web |title=News Bites: KDOT, 'Z100's End of Summer Bash,' 'Radio Works for Healthcare,' WBZO. |url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/news-bites-kdot-z100-s-end-of-summer-bash-radio-works-for-healthcare-wbzo/article_55b6321a-32db-11ed-a533-93500b123a64.html |website=insideradio.com |access-date=September 27, 2022 |date=September 12, 2022}}
On March 19, 2024, Connoisseur Media announced that the station would flip to country music as "103.1 The Wolf" at 10:31 a.m. the following day. The change took place at the time promised; following a block of departure-themed songs to end the "Max" format ("The Final Countdown" by Europe, "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" by Billy Joel, "That's All" by Genesis and "New Kid in Town" by The Eagles), the station launched the "Wolf" format with "How Country Feels" by Randy Houser.
With the flip, Connoisseur Media applied for a call sign change to WWWF-FM, and the station would officially adopt the call sign on the 26th. The move returns the country format to a majority of the western Long Island area; while the eastern portion is served by WJVC, it has signal problems in most of Western Suffolk County. In addition, the format had been missing from that region since the flip of New York station WNSH (which was able to be picked up in the area) in October 2021.{{cite news |last1=Gay |first1=Verne |title=Classic rock station 103.1 'MAX' FM flipping to country music, rebranding as 'The Wolf' |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/country-music-long-island-v17djaek# |access-date=March 20, 2024 |newspaper=Newsday |date=March 19, 2024}}{{cite web |title=The Wolf Howls Onto Long Island |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/266326/connoisseur-confirms-wbzo-country-flip/ |website=Radio Insight |access-date=March 20, 2024 |date=March 20, 2024}}
Previous logo
References
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.thewolf1031.com/}}
{{FM station data|60245|WWWF-FM}}
{{Long Island Radio}}
{{Country Radio Stations in New York}}
{{Connoisseur Media}}
Category:1993 establishments in New York (state)
Category:Connoisseur Media radio stations
Category:Country radio stations in the United States
Category:Mass media in Suffolk County, New York
Category:Radio stations established in 1993
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