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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Rochester metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 107.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Big 107.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | 1980's hits |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | January 22, 1996; 29 years ago (1996-01-22) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | Western New York Bull (former station branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 27580 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 650 watts |
| HAAT | 303 meters (994 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°7′46″N77°4′26″W / 42.12944°N 77.07389°W /42.12944; -77.07389 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | big1073 |
WNBL (107.3MHz) is a commercialFM radio stationlicensed toSouth Bristol, New York, and serving theRochester metropolitan area. It is owned byiHeartMedia and airs an1980s' hits radio format, known asBig 107.3. WNBL is aClass A station, operating at 650 watts. WNBL'stransmitter is inSouth Bristol, New York, near theBristol Mountain Ski Resort. The station's studios and offices are on Chestnut Street in Rochester, atFive Star Bank Plaza.
In addition to its 80's music format WNBL also carriesRochester Knighthawks games.
The station now known as WNBL was granted a construction permit in 1991, as WFUD. On January 26, 1996, it signed on as WRCD, licensed toHoneoye Falls.[2] WRCD was asister station to WMAX-FM (nowWKGS), operating from the WMAX studios at 412 State Street in downtown Rochester and using a transmitter site inBloomfield, on the southeastern edge of the Rochester market. Under original owner Auburn Cablevision, WRCD used a satellite-deliveredsmooth jazz format fromSony's SW programming service.[1]
In 1997, Auburn Cablevision sold WMAX-FM and WRCD toJacor Communications. On February 19, 1998, at midnight, Jacor rearranged the formats on its new acquisitions. WRCD's smooth jazz was replaced by arhythmic contemporary format called "Jam'n 107.3." On March 1, 1998, WRCD changed itscall sign to WMAX-FM, as the former WMAX-FM on 106.7 became WYSY.[3]
The "Jam'n" branding and format gave way to a more mainstreamTop 40 format as "Kiss 107" in December 1998. In 1999, Clear Channel Communications (nowiHeartMedia) bought the station. On April 30, 1999, Clear Channel moved "Kiss" down the dial to 106.7, which changed its call sign from WYSY to WKGS. 107.3 brieflystunting as "Big Cow Country", then flipped torhythmic oldies on May 7, 1999, as "Jammin' Oldies", later modified to "Cool 107" under the new call sign WLCL, which took effect July 9, 1999.[4]
In February 2000, WLCL changed format to1980s' hits as "Channel 107.3". On September 3, 2001, WLCL began stunting with an all-ABBA format, returning the following week to rhythmic oldies.[2] At the same time, Clear Channel was preparing to relocate the 107.3 facility toSouth Bristol as part of an upgrade to sister stationWNVE on 95.1, which was changing city of license from South Bristol to Honeoye Falls to move its transmitter to Baker Hill, closer to Rochester. In January 2002, WLCL relocated itstransmitter to the Bristol Mountain site built in 1948, for theRural Radio Network and formerly used by WNVE. As a class A station from Bristol Mountain, WLCL's new signal in the Rochester market was relatively weak, though the station was well heard in most of the westernFinger Lakes region.[3]
In December 2002, WLCL dropped the rhythmic oldies format and began stunting withChristmas music as "Rudolph Radio", then with two days ofcountry music. On December 26, 2002, WLCL changed format toclassic rock as "107.3 the Fox", taking new call sign WFXF on March 28, 2003.
On July 4, 2004, Clear Channel swapped formats and call letters between 95.1 and 107.3, sending classic rock WFXF to the stronger 95.1 signal and moving the WNVE call sign and "Nerve"modern rock format to the weaker 107.3 facility. The move followed Clear Channel's corporate decision to removeHoward Stern from its airwaves, which left WNVE without its main ratings draw.[4]
On August 30, 2006, the Nerve was replaced with a "Wheel Of Formats" under the moniker "Huge 107.3", sponsored by local automobile dealershipFuccillo Hyundai (a nod to their longtime slogan, "It's HUGE!"). After six days of stunting, the station flipped to arhythmic adult contemporary format known as "SNAP! 107.3". The station also picked up the nationally syndicatedWake Up with Whoopi for mornings, featuring comic-actressWhoopi Goldberg. The call sign was changed to WSNP on September 15, 2006.[5]
On May 18, 2007, Clear Channel pulled the plug on the format and went tocountry music as "Country 107.3". On June 14, 2007, the call sign was changed to WCRR. On March 3, 2009, the callsign switched again to WROO, without any change in format or branding.
On September 9, 2009, at midnight, the callsign was changed to WHTK-FM, as an FMsimulcast ofsports radioWHTK. The move gave listeners who preferred FM radio a sports station and helped to cover areas in the Rochester market that WHTK (AM)'s signal could not, especially at night.
On May 5, 2012, WHTK-FM began stunting with a looped message directing listeners back to 1280 AM. On May 7 at 9 a.m., WHTK-FM launched anoldies format, branded as "Oldies 107.3".[5][6] The call sign was changed to WODX.[7] The first song as "Oldies 107.3" wasBob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll". The flip gave the Rochester market an oldies format for the first time since the demise ofWBBF-FM in 2005, which flipped to variety hits as WFKL.
On September 11, 2014, at noon, after playing "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" byR.E.M., WODX changed their format back to country music, branded as "107.3 The Bull" launching with 10,000 songs commercial free.[8] The first song on "The Bull" was "Roller Coaster" byLuke Bryan.[9] The station's call sign were changed to WNBL on September 18.[10] The nationallysyndicatedBobby Bones Show fromNashville debuted on the station on October 13, 2014, and aired Monday through Saturday mornings. On October 25, 2021,iHeartMedia flipped sister stationWDVI fromadult contemporary to country and movedThe Bobby Bones Show to that station, however, it remained being simulcasted on WNBL. For a time, both WNBL and WDVI played an almost identical country format in an unusual situation where two stations under common ownership, and in the same market, were playing the same format (though as a rimshot in the western Finger Lakes, WNBL targeted a more rural audience whereas WDVI was more centrally located; iHeart's predecessor Clear Channel had programmed WDVI and another Finger Lakes station—102.3, then-WISY—with similar adult-contemporary formats in years past, with both stations alternating the WVOR calls that are now carried on the latter).
After 8 months of both WNBL and WDVI playing an almost identical country format, on July 1, 2022, at midnight, after playing "Heart Like a Truck" byLainey Wilson, WNBL flipped back to 1980s' hits as "Big 107.3". The first song on "Big" was "Flashdance... What a Feeling" byIrene Cara. The move directly challengedAudacy'sWBZA, as well asWFKL, which plays similar music as part of itsvariety hits format.[11] As Big 107.3, WNBL carriesValentine in the Morning hosted by Sean Valentine fromKBIG Los Angeles inmorning drive, andTheMartha Quinn Show middays.
TheHD2 signal of the station carries a Christmas R&B format, branded as "iHeartChristmas R&B".