 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Capital District |
| Frequency | 106.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | "PYX 106" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic rock |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WGY,WGY-FM,WKKF,WOFX,WRVE,WTRY-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | September 1967 (58 years ago) (1967-09) as WDKC |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | Pronounced "picks" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 73911 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 15,500watts |
| HAAT | 275 meters (902 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°38′10″N74°00′04″W / 42.636°N 74.001°W /42.636; -74.001 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | pyx106 |
WPYX (106.5FM "PYX 106") is acommercialradio stationlicensed toAlbany, New York, and serving theCapital District. It broadcasts aclassic rockradio format and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. WPYX also carriesNew York Giantsfootball games.
WPYX has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 15,500watts. Thetransmitter is on Pinnacle Road inHelderberg Escarpment tower farm inNew Scotland, amid thetowers for other Albany-area TV and FM stations.[2] WPYX broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. Its HD-2digital subchannel formerly played1970s classic rock, branded as "Gran Turino Radio".
In September 1967, the stationsigned on as WDKC.[3] It playedmiddle of the road (MOR) music and was owned by Kopps-Monahan Communications, Inc., which also ownedTop 40 powerhouse WTRY980 AM (today'sWOFX). In 1971, thecall sign was changed to WTRY-FM to match its AM counterpart. It continued as an MOR station during the day, but would simulcast WTRY's Top 40 format at night. In 1972, it returned to a full time MOR sound.
In early 1973, the WTRY-AM-FM were sold, and WTRY-FM became WHSH, which then went to its first full-time rock format as the format was changed to a Top 40–oldies hybrid with live DJs. The station was now known as "Wish" as well as "The Albany Stereo Giant" and "Your Albany Wish". Ownershipautomated the station a year later in 1974, and changed the format to Oldies.
During Labor Day weekend, 1975, the format was flipped again, this time tobeautiful music, while keeping the "Wish" nickname. From 1975 to 1980, the station played quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumentalcover versions of popular songs, along with someBroadway andHollywood show tunes.
By 1980 there was an obvious hole for a mainstreamalbum-oriented rock (AOR) station in the Albany market. Under the direction of Ted Utz who moved from WAQX in Syracuse, WHSH flipped to its current format on September 15, 1980, changing the call sign to WPYX and calling itself "PYX 106". WPYX used all live and localdisc jockeys until April 28, 2009, when management replaced most of the local DJs with announcers from other cities whovoice-track their shows, to make them sound as if they are in the Capital District.
WPYX and WTRY went through several changes in ownership over the years. These included Scott Broadcasting of Pennsylvania, television personalityMerv Griffin and Capstar Broadcasting (which was controlled by billionaire mogulTom Hicks). In 1999, Capstar merged with another Hicks-owned company, Chancellor Media Corporation, to form AMFM Inc.
In 2000, the stations were acquired byClear Channel Communications when that company merged with AMFM. Clear Channel became iHeartMedia in 2014. WPYX has kept its same call letters and Rock format since September 15, 1980 (45 years ago) (1980-09-15).
In 2005, WPYX upgraded toIBOCdigital radio alongside the rest of Clear Channel's Albany stations. On August 17, 2006, WPYX began airing an HD2 channel with a deep tracks classic rock format, known asVinyl Vineyard which was later replaced with aclassic country format in August 2012.
The classic country was eventually dropped. In September 2018, WPYX-HD2 began playing aChristmas music format called, "iHeartChristmas Lites".[4] That format later gave way to "Gran Torino Radio", a format of 1970sclassic rock. The HD2 subchannel has since been turned off.