WMYQ/WMJX

[Stormychuck]

Nice to see Mike Sheldon hangin again, I do remember Robert L, I haven't heard that name in years
and Roby you bet, and another great morning talent at WMYQ was G. Michael McKay and he was on top of his game for sure. G. Michael is alive and doing well. They were the greats and Miami radio had a bunch of em blow through town some stayed and most left, wow the good ole days of WMYQ...

 

[Stormychuck]

DaveEduardo, your slipping dude, you left out Gary Allen as one of the earlier PD's, he had a great voice though, right up there with Charlie Van Dyke and Don La Fataine, or Howard Anderson or Danny Dark or Kelly Pidgeon but Gary Allen was not a real nice guy, not easy to work for and didn't last long at WMYQ...

Do you know Jim Kelly?

 

[radioguy39nj]

WOR-FM started in 1966 as NY's first free-form progressive rock station.

Sorry, my typo. I meant 60's. There are some very psychodelic WOR FM ads in "Broadcasting Magazine" in 1966, including a full color cover on one issue.

You can see it at http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive BC/BC 1966/BC 1966 08 01.pdf

In the fall of 1967, the Drake-Chenault format started. OK, it wasn't straight ahead top 40, it was pop and soul currents with lots of 1955-63 oldies. 'OR-FM was targeted more toward 18-34 year olds rather than the teen market since they didn't play the bubblegum songs that were hits in the late 60s. I was only 15 when 'OR-FM went to the DC format but I loved the station. IMHO, it was WOR-FM that led to the undoing of WMCA. WOR-FM played lots of records WABC wouldn't touch.

I always wondered why it was not a full DC Top 40.

WOR-FM still circulated weekly music surveys at record stores thoughout the NY metro area, despite not being a full DC Top 40. Many perceived OR-FM as an oldies station but it never ran the Drake "Solid Gold" format. WOR-FM could best be classified as Adult Top 40.

In early 1972 in a move to seek the 12-24 audience, OR-FM dropped 1955-63 oldies, concentrating on currents and limiting oldies to no earlier than 1964. Later in 1972, the calls were changed to WXLO and in early 1974, the handle became 99X.

Perhaps it was WMYQ's success as an FM Top 40 targeting listeners age 12-24 that influenced OR-FM to change direction.

 

[top4odj]

Not that this has anything to do with all the tea in China, but....

When 96X returned in 1985 (still being called 96X because I think they felt that the influence was still strong), IIRC, it was on 96.5. I remember asking how it could work, because the Jupiter FL station was still on 96.7. I believe I was told they were running only 50k.

For a while, WCJX (their actual calls at that time) went very briefly to 96.3, and using 100k?*. The Jupiter station was granted a move to 99.5, and after they moved, WCJX was free to move back to 96.5 with the full power.

*I am not 100% on this, because I could not remember if the new 95.7 was on the air yet....that would I'm sure keep the move to 96.3 from happening. It was truly a mess at that time!

Add to that, that, um, "format" of rotating only the top 16 songs over and over, when 96X returned.

cd

When I signed off the original 96X in Febuary 1981 the fequency was 96.3 When I was there to sign on the 2nd coming of 96X in June 1985 we signed on at 96.3 It wasn't till sometime in early 1986 that we signed off 96.3 on a Sunday night and re-appeared at 96.5 in the early hours of Monday morning.

 

[cd637299]

Well, I sit corrected then. Why did I think what I said in that last post?

Also if memory serves, it's possible that WXDJ didn't sign on until 1986. The slogan was never used, but once I called WXDJ (prior to sign-on IIRC) & the man answered, "DJ 95". Now I wonder what they intended to do at the start, which apparently never materialized?

cd

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Nice to see Mike Sheldon hangin again, I do remember Robert L, I haven't heard that name in years
and Roby you bet, and another great morning talent at WMYQ was G. Michael McKay and he was on top of his game for sure. G. Michael is alive and doing well. They were the greats and Miami radio had a bunch of em blow through town some stayed and most left, wow the good ole days of WMYQ...

Agreed, G Michael McKay was a favorite and as you said at the top of his game!

I think Miami embraced FM radio a lot earlier than many other cities. I don't have any formal proof of that, maybe David could shed some light on that.

 

[Bruce Kelly]

I'll never forget alot of memories of that final year + half of the Old X's existence. Driscoll the mad scientist, Russ the cool GM, morning guy Woody Snow who quit the day I was promoted, Hall+Oates @ The MB ConvCent right after the riots, Shotgun Stone and his Smokey+Bandit Firebird, Bob (?) the second GM with the Moe Howard hair, Al Chio and I holding music meetings @ Pumpernickels, with Kent Burkhart @ the old Sonesta on KB, the staff parties (ohhhh...the staff parties @ Carolyn Zabel-Travis' @ Towers Of Quayside). Still have the 96X pic disc hidden somewhere.

And that final night, Feb. 14th, days after I had defected to Tanner, when Stu Elliott signed it off.

Quite a heady, life experience for a punk 23 year old PD - wouldn't trade it for the world.

BK

 

[radioguy39nj]

Nice to see Mike Sheldon hangin again, I do remember Robert L, I haven't heard that name in years
and Roby you bet, and another great morning talent at WMYQ was G. Michael McKay and he was on top of his game for sure. G. Michael is alive and doing well. They were the greats and Miami radio had a bunch of em blow through town some stayed and most left, wow the good ole days of WMYQ...

Agreed, G Michael McKay was a favorite and as you said at the top of his game!

I think Miami embraced FM radio a lot earlier than many other cities. I don't have any formal proof of that, maybe David could shed some light on that.

WABC may have held #1 in New York through 1978, but FM was making big inroads there by the end of 1969. You had progressive rockers WNEW-FM and WABC-FM, the former was full-time, the latter simulcast 770 AM overnights. There was the previously discussed Adult Top 40 WOR-FM. A new station entered the FM race in October of 1969, WCBS-FM. They played pop, rock and even oldies. They had "The Pop Chronicles" on Sunday, followed by Gus Gossert's doo wop show, "Moldy Oldies" if I recall the name correctly. Gossert was playing the NYC doo wop OR-FM wasn't. On that WCBS-FM, you could hear The Carpenters, Janis Joplin and Brooklyn doo wop on the same station! It had an interesting sound, but was not a ratings success.

In early '71, Miami had two progressive rockers on weak FM signals, WEDR and WBUS. The arrival in 1971 of top 40 WMYQ and progressive rock WSHE accelerated the growth of FM in South Florida. Before those two, FM in Miami was mostly for "grownups". WMYQ and WSHE brought FM in South Florida closer to a level with large markets.

 

[jmtillery]

I must say this has turned out to be a very interesting and informative thread, not to mention entertaining. There's has been much Miami radio history discussed here over the past few days, and I have enjoyed reading every word from everyone who has contributed.

The 96.3/96.5 move was an innovative move in, and of, itself. I believe there had been an agreement between WMJX and WLEQ as early as the late '70s for WMJX to move to 96.5 to make room for WLEQ Bonita Springs to move from 95.9 A to 96.1 C. The hold up was 96.7 A Jupiter. Eventually Jupiter did move to 99.5 A enabling 96.3 Miami to move to 96.5. This also opened 95.7 C1 Homestead, but was site restricted to the South of Miami-Dade due to WOVV-FM 95.5 C Fort Pierce.

If I am not mistaken, 96.3 did return to the air as WCJX and licensed to Miramar before moving to 96.5 and re-licensed back to Miami. I believe WRXK 96.1 Bonita Springs (Fort Myers-Naples) may have already moved to its new 96.1 frequency before WCJX returned to the air, hence, this may have had much to do with the reason WCJX operated with 50kw at first while on 96.3, going back to the full 100kw once moving to its present 96.5. I believe someone else had mentioned this in an earlier post.

I never knew that WHYI originally was WLQY as Y 100. I believe those call letters were once on 99.9, before becoming WKQS and now WKIS, when this station was beautiful music for Boca Raton. As I'm sure everyone already knows, they are now on AM 1320 Hollywood.

I was also unaware that 96.3 was orginally WGBS-FM. Later WGBS-AM was co-owned with WLYF-FM 101.5 before Jefferson-Pilot sold WGBS-AM and acquired WFUN-AM 790, flipping it to All News WNWS.

Also, can anyone tell me why the original WFAB-AM 990 went off the air before returning to the air years later as WFBA?

 

[cd637299]

OK, that may have explained my 96.3/96.5 confusion. I forgot about the Miramar COL!

I have airchex of WGBS 710 from 1961....710 & 96.3 were parallel back then. Boy were there a lotta commercials! And I complain today....

"WLQY" was also on 98.7 Ft Pierce, mid 70s maybe? I had read that before the Y-100 moniker was decided, they wanted to call it "Lucky 100" hence the calls, but the DJs were livid about that! (I always felt that Y-100's first logo was light years ahead of its time....dunno if it's anywhere on the Web, sorry....I never cared for that dolphin logo, but that's what most folk remember.)

Jeff. Pilot still had WGBS up until 1985 until the Spanish switch, verdad? WFUN's change was still under the old regime, I think. I'm really confused now. There was a merger of sorts in the early 80s...I think both 710 & 790 were running the same thing for a few days.

cd

 

[Stormychuck]

Yes nice post by everybody, 99.9 that became WKQS and later WKIS originally was WWOG with the stations transmitter located on a golf course in Boca Raton, just off the Florida turnpike south bound lanes, and yes that was back in the 70's.....

 

[Groove1670]

Actually our station WAIL 95.5 had to be moved to 99.5 to allow 95.7 to sign on. They paid for the move, jingles, promotion, new business cards stationary etc.

 

[cd637299]

I do remember that too! 95.5 Key West & 95.7 Homestead at that time could not coexist....which begs....

How come 101.5 Miami & 101.7 (allotted 100kW) Key Colony Beach/Marathon can coexist now? I've wondered how the FCC can ease allotments now as opposed to then.

cd

 

[jmtillery]

I do remember that too! 95.5 Key West & 95.7 Homestead at that time could not coexist....which begs....

How come 101.5 Miami & 101.7 (allotted 100kW) Key Colony Beach/Marathon can coexist now? I've wondered how the FCC can ease allotments now as opposed to then.

cd

That is because at the time of the WAIL/WXDJ situation, the FCC only had two classes of FM stations in Florida - A and C. During the A and C days, a station had to be protected to it's predicted full class even though a C at the time may have only been operating on a much shorter stick. The FCC has long since established sub-class C's which are C0, C1, C2 and C3. Also keep in mind that WLYF 101.5 has been downgraded to a class C1 (max: 100kw at 981 feet) and WKYZ 101.7 is also a class C1. The spacing requirements for a C1 to a first adjacent C1 is much shorter than the previous spacing requirements are for a full C (max: 100kw 1,968 feet) to a first adjacent C. And for this reason, 101.7 was able to get 100kw in relation to WLYF.

 

[radiovoice1]

Storer sold WGBS and WLYF to Jefferson-Pilot in 1979. WFUN became WNWS in 1978; the station was purchased by J-P in 1985.

 

[jmtillery]

Storer sold WGBS and WLYF to Jefferson-Pilot in 1979. WFUN became WNWS in 1978; the station was purchased by J-P in 1985.

Thank you for clearing that up regarding the various changes. I was sure the WFUN-to-WNWS flip took place in 1981, but obviously I was mistaken on the exact year.

 

[DavidEduardo]

IThe 96.3/96.5 move was an innovative move in, and of, itself. I believe there had been an agreement between WMJX and WLEQ as early as the late '70s for WMJX to move to 96.5 to make room for WLEQ Bonita Springs to move from 95.9 A to 96.1 C.

The WLEQ change from an A to a C was a benchmark case. When Dick Friedman (of San Juan, PR) filed to change class and frequency, the rules were such that this "major change" was considered to be the creation of a new station.

That is why there were no move-ins and class upgrades to speak of. Filing for one opened a window for others to file for the same "new" facility where the original licensee really had no preference.

Friedman was filed against by something like 10 others. A bunch of them consolidated, and then were bought out by Beasley who got the station at the end. Friedman lost his license in the process. The FCC, realizing that the major change rule prevented stations from serving more listeners, and the offshoot was Docket 80-90, which also dropped in many new FMs as well as allowing for so many move ins, upgrades, etc. And we know that 80-90 was the straw that broke the back on this particular camel and set the stage for the Telcom Act of '96 and consolidation.

Also, can anyone tell me why the original WFAB-AM 990 went off the air before returning to the air years later as WFBA?

Double billing under manager Tomás García Fusté (and owner United Broadcasting), the person who first introduced me to Spanish language radio when I visited WFAB in about 1961 (it was co-owened with the station I worked at in Cleveland).

 

[cd637299]

The soon-to-be WFBA may have been one of the longest-lasting CP's I know of. Year after year, I believe the World Radio TV Handbook had 990 Miami (post WFAB) as either "new" or "W..."

@Mr Tillery: Thank you for the C/C0/C1 etc. info. To this radio nerd, 100k is 100k! I was told by someone at WKYZ that they have been running 50k.

cd

 

[stevations]

What was the Missing DJ contest all about that got them kicked off the air?

 

[DavidEduardo]

What was the Missing DJ contest all about that got them kicked off the air?

This was the classic "find the DJ" contest of the era. Often, a station would get promotional value from announcing a new jock who was coming to town. Listeners were invited to ask people on the street, "Are you Johnny Jock from WQQQ?" and if they asked the real Johnny, they won a big prize for "finding" him.

The probem in Miami was that the person was not even in the market at the time, so it was impossible to win. In other words, a rigged contest by FCC standards.