 | |
| Broadcast area | Central New York |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 94.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Y94 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Subchannels | |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBBS,WHEN,WSYR,WSYR-FM,WWHT | |
| History | |
First air date | 1946; 79 years ago (1946) (as WSYR-FM) |
Former call signs | WSYR-FM (1946–1983) |
Call sign meaning | Y94 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 48725 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 198 meters (650 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live Listen Live (HD2) |
| Website | y94fm |
WYYY (94.5FM "Y94") is acommercialradio stationlicensed toSyracuse and servingCentral New York. It broadcasts anadult contemporaryradio format, switching to allChristmas music for much of November and December. It is owned byiHeartMedia and has itsradio studios and offices on Plum Street in Syracuse along withsister stationsWBBS,WHEN,WSYR,WSYR-FM andWWHT. Evenings, WYYY carriesDelilah, a call-in and dedications show,syndicated from co-ownedPremiere Networks. The station also carries the weekly syndicatedEllen K show on Saturday mornings.
While most area FM stations are limited to 50,000watts or less, WYYY isgrandfathered at aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts. Thetransmitter is on Sentinel Heights Road inLafayette, New York, nearInterstate 81.[2] WYYY broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. The HD-3 subchannel runs "The Breeze," iHeart'ssoft adult contemporary music service.
In 1946, the station firstsigned on the air as WSYR-FM. It mostlysimulcast co-ownedWSYR570 AM. From the late 1940s until the early 50s, WSYR-AM-FM wereaffiliates of theNBC Red Network, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports,soap operas,game shows andbig band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio." But as network programming moved from radio to television, WSYR-AM-FM switched to afull servicemiddle of the road format of popular music, news and sports.
In the late 1960s, theFederal Communications Commission encouraged AM-FM combo stations to offer separate programming. WSYR-FM switched to analbum-oriented rock (AOR) format, calling itself "94 Rock." In 1983, it flipped to its current format ofadult contemporary music, changing thecall sign to WYYY. The format change was quite a surprise as WSYR-FM was one of the top rated stations in Syracuse, playing rock music. In fact, it was the first FM station to achieve double digit ratings. But management thought an AC format was a better pairing for the AM station's advertising sales.
In 2007, the station somewhat tweaked the format, playing more soft rock and pop hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s rather than mostly contemporary music. This was to distance itself from its one-time co-ownedsister station,Hot ACWWDG 105.1. WWDG was sold off to new owners in 2009. (As of now, 105.1 is part of the religiousFamily Life Network.)
WYYY is one of the two prominentChristmas music stations in Syracuse (WZUN-FM being the other); WYYY traditionally changes to Christmas music on the second Friday of November.[3]
42°56′46″N76°07′05″W / 42.946°N 76.118°W /42.946; -76.118