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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Capital District |
| Frequency | 103.9MHz |
| Branding | Zoey 103.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | December 1,1972 |
Former call signs | WQBK-FM (1972–2019) |
Call sign meaning | "Breeze" (previous format) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 40767 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 6,000watts |
| HAAT | 92 meters (302 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°35′06″N73°46′27″W / 42.585056°N 73.774278°W /42.585056; -73.774278 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | zoey1039 |
WPBZ-FM (103.9MHz, "Zoey 103.9") is acommercialFMradio stationlicensed toRensselaer, New York, and serving theCapital District, including theAlbany–Schenectady–Troyradio market. The station is owned byTownsquare Media and airs ahot adult contemporaryradio format. Thestudios and offices are on Kings Road in Schenectady.
WPBZ-FM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 6,000watts, with itstransmitter off Smultz Road inGlenmont, New York.[2]
On December 1, 1972, the stationsigned on as WQBK-FM.[3] It was owned by the People Communications Corporation and was the FMsimulcast of WQBK 1300 AM (nowWGDJ).
WQBK was adaytimer, required to go off the air at night. WQBK-FM was able to continue the AM station'smiddle of the road programming after dark for listeners with FM radios.
In the early 1970s, some FM stations around the country were experimenting withFree Form music hosted by youthfuldisc jockeys. By early 1975, WQBK-FM began to airprogressive rock, starting each afternoon at 4 p.m., with the earlier hours of the day still being a simulcast of WQBK. The rock music proved popular and WQBK-FM flipped to a full-time progressive rock format in August 1975. The original broadcast day was 7 a.m.-1 a.m., with WQBK-FM signing off overnight. The station began promoting itself asWQBK-FM... The Progressive 104. Two years later, WQBK-FM debuted the simplerQ104 branding for the station.
In 1980, formerbeautiful music station WHSH switched to a new format asWPYX, a more mainstreamalbum rock format that only played the biggest selling albums. WPYX also had a full power signal while WQBK-FM was aClass A station, limited to only 3,000 watts. As a result, WQBK-FM saw its ratings slip. In 1984, the original owners sold the station, along with co-owned WQBK AM 1300, to Dick Berkson. Berkson tweaked WQBK-FM's format with its wide-rangingplaylist to a more mainstream format with elements of theBig Chill rock (which had a heavy lean on 1960s hits). WQBK-FM was rebranded asThe New QBK FM 104 with the slogan "The Rock That Matters".
The Big Chill format did not catch on. In 1987, the station relaunched as a more mainstreamclassic rock outlet, returning to theQ104 branding. During this period, the programming was harder-edged classic rock with a limited number of current songs, mainly new material from core artists of the time.
In 1988, WQBK and WQBK-FM were sold to Albany Broadcasting. In 1992, WQBK-FM began carrying thesyndicatedHoward Stern Show fromNew York City. Stern's show proved to be very popular in the Capital District, unseating the previous top morning show,WGY's Don Weeks, for the next thirteen years.
WQBK-FM was limited by its Class A signal that was hard to hear outside Albany, Schenectady, Troy and their close-in suburbs. In 1994, Albany Broadcasting acquired WSHQ, an FM station at 103.5 MHz inCobleskill, with a full Class B signal, running 50,000 watts, changing the call letters toWQBJ. WQSH could reach communities that were outside WQBK-FM's range, especially to the west of Albany.
One year later, the stations flipped tomainstream rock and rebranded as103.5/103.9 The Edge, placed betweenclassic rock WPYX andactive rockWZRQ. However, the mainstream rock format only lasted a short time. After several months of faltering ratings, the stations flipped tomodern rock, which made the stations a success in the Albany market within a year (scoring in the top 5 ratings and #1 18-34 spot), thanks to the combination of modern rock and Howard Stern.
In 1996, Radio Enterprises acquired Maximum Media (then-owners of WQBK-FM, WQBJ, and WQBK). Two years later,Clear Channel Communications purchased Radio Enterprises, and increasedvoice-tracking andautomation at the station as well as leaning towards harder-edged songs.
The stations returned officially toactive rock on September 17, 1999. Two weeks later, formersister stationWHRL flipped to modern rock to fill the void left by WQBK-FM and WQBJ's switch to a harder rock presentation.
When AMFM merged with Clear Channel in 2000, Clear Channel had to divest some of its properties because it was over its limit of stations in somemedia markets such as Albany. WQBK-FM/WQBJ and WTMM (the former WQBK) were then sold to Regent Communications (nowTownsquare Media). Shortly after, Regent tweaked the format to a more mainstream active rock direction, and eventually included somealternative rock in the playlist. In December 2005, Howard Stern moved toSirius Satellite Radio, causing a drop in the ratings for "The Edge".
On the morning of December 16, 2005,The Edge format was flipped toalbum-oriented rock, changing the station's moniker toQ103 and the sloganWhere Rock Lives, also used onWNEW-FM inNew York City. As a replacement for Howard Stern,The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show debuted as WQBK-FM/WQBJ's morning show (based at co-ownedWGRD-FM inGrand Rapids, Michigan). (TheEdge name was later revived onPamal Broadcasting'sactive rock stationWZMR.) During this time, WQBK-FM/WQBJ were positioned between WPYX and WZMR in terms of music playlist.
Two years later, the stations again returned toactive rock, using slogans such asRelentless Rock andGo Rock Yourself to promote the new format. The stations began to climb back up the ratings. Like the formerEdge, the stations had an alternative lean, although most modern rock songs played on the stations were found on both the modern and active rock charts. A year later,WHRL flipped to active rock.
By the end of 2010, WQBK-FM/WQBJ was the only active rock radio station remaining in the Albany market, asWZMR had changed tocountry music andWHRL began simulcastingtalk radioWGY.Mediabase andArbitron began listing WQBK-FM/WQBJ as active rock stations, whileNielsen BDS put WQBK-FM/WQBJ on the mainstream rock panel as of2012. On September 2, 2011,WKLI-FM flipped fromvariety hits toactive rock adding new competition in the Albany market. However, WQBK-FM/WQBJ still leaned more alternative than its competitor.
WKLI's rock format lasted only two years, as in October 2013, WKLI flipped from active rock to country music, leaving WQBK-FM/WQBJ as the only active rock radio station in the Albany area once again. By 2017, WQBK-FM/WQBJ had evolved back to aclassic rock format so as to compete withWPYX, but with a more '80s and '90s based format. The stations used the sloganClassic Rock Redefined.
On July 1, 2019, WQBK-FM and WQBJ dropped the "Q103" rock format, which was moved to co-ownedWQSH. WQBK-FM and WQBJ then beganstunting, directing listeners to tune to WQSH, as WQBK-FM and WQBJ planned to take on new formats.[4] Until July 2019, WQBK-FM had been longest-running commercial rock music station in the Albany radio market, predating WPYX by five years. At the time of the format's move to WQSH, WQBK-FM's DJ line-up includedThe Free Beer and Hot Wings Show, Candace, Tigman, Vinnie andNights with Alice Cooper.
On August 1, 2019, WQBK-FM ended stunting and launched asoft adult contemporary format, branded as "103.9 The Breeze", putting the station in competition with Pamal Broadcasting'sWROW andWYJB. WQBJ, in turn, ended its WQBK-FM simulcast after 26 years and took WQSH's former alternative rock format as "Alt 103.5".[5] On August 9, 2019, WQBK-FM changed its call sign to WPBZ-FM to match the "Breeze" branding;[6][7] the WQBK-FM call sign moved to 105.7, while its former WQSH call letters were moved to 103.5.
On November 1, 2019, WPBZ-FM flipped to Christmas music, beating out long-time Christmas music stations WYJB andWTRY-FM in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy market for the 2019 holiday season.
On March 28, 2024, WPBZ changed to a hot adult contemporary format, branded as "Zoey 103.9" and featuring a presentation akin to that of avariety hits station.[8]
For a brief period in 2000, WQBK-FM/WQBJ had an association with startup cable-onlyUPNnetwork affiliateWEDG-TV. The cable TV channel used"EdgeTV" branding and a variant of the radio station'slogo as its on-air logo. After WQBK-FM and WQBJ were taken over by Regent Communications, the cable TV station changed its name to "UPN 4". It ended in 2003 when UPN signed up a new over-the-air affiliate,WNYA.