WBGG-FM
Encyclopedia
WBGG-FM, branded as Big 105.9, is a classic rock
radio station licensed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and serving the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market. Owned by Clear Channel Communications
, the station is licensed for HD Radio
and carries WIOD
610 AM on HD2.
Under the callsign WAXY, the radio station was owned by RKO General
. In the early 1970s, the station had a rock
format, but flipped to automated oldies
in 1975. In 1990 RKO sold WAXY and the station was owned and operated by Metroplex Communications (sister station to WHYI (Y-100)) until 1994.
Clear Channel Communications acquired Metroplex in March 1994 and the callsign was changed from WAXY to WBGG-FM on September 1. The final quarter hour of music was delivered by DJ Miguel Lombana and consisted of "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops, "The End" by The Doors and "The Long and Winding Road" by The Beatles which was an inside gag and reference to Stuart Elliott and his signing off of 96X (WPOW) years earlier. The station went dark for 1 minute and was signed back on the air at 12:01 as The New Big106. (The WAXY
callsign is now used by an unrelated AM station in the Miami market.)
In April 2004, the Federal Communications Commission
fined Clear Channel Communications $495,000 for broadcasting allegedly indecent material on The Howard Stern Show. Subsequently, Clear Channel dropped the Stern show from WBGG and five other stations.
To fill the morning talk slot, in May 2004, Clear Channel moved Paul & Young Ron
from WZTA. (Lex and Terry
took over the morning show at WZTA, but lost that outlet for their syndicated program when it abruptly switched formats to Hispanic Urban
in February 2005, changing its callsign to WMGE
.) Since the switch, Paul and Young Ron has continued to be a popular program in South Florida.
format). WBGG-FM ranked 14 in market share. The top four stations had either a Spanish
, urban
or urban AC format. As WHDR flipped to Soft AC and became WFEZ, WBGG-FM is the only rock station in the Miami market.
The National Football League
's Miami Dolphins
announced on March 1, 2010, that it had entered an agreement with Clear Channel that would make WBGG and WINZ-AM
flagship stations of the Dolphins Radio Network for the next six years.
-"Q104.3"- in New York) middays, Doc Reno afternoons and Ken Dashow
(also voicetracked from WAXQ
in New York) evenings. Weekend staff includes Jay Zeager, Greg LaMega (aka "Toast" from the Paul and Young Ron Show), and Brie Miller (also the station's current Program Director).
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio station licensed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and serving the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market. Owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, the station is licensed for HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
and carries WIOD
WIOD
WIOD is a news/talk formatted radio station in Miami, Florida. For over 80 years, it has been a major information station in South Florida...
610 AM on HD2.
History
The station was initially WFLM, Broward's first all-stereo station, with an easy listening format. They were sold to the owners of then WIXX (1520), continuing their easy format with the new calls WIXX-FM, while the AM was country. The WAXY calls came on line before RKO's purchase of the station; the combo was WEXY-WAXY after the AM switched to a more contemporary format. WAXY was later sold to RKO, and the AM switched to gospel.Under the callsign WAXY, the radio station was owned by RKO General
RKO General
RKO General was the main holding company through 1991 for the noncore businesses of the General Tire and Rubber Company and, after General Tire's reorganization in the 1980s, GenCorp. The business was based around the consolidation of its parent company's broadcasting interests, dating to 1943, and...
. In the early 1970s, the station had a rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
format, but flipped to automated oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
in 1975. In 1990 RKO sold WAXY and the station was owned and operated by Metroplex Communications (sister station to WHYI (Y-100)) until 1994.
Clear Channel Communications acquired Metroplex in March 1994 and the callsign was changed from WAXY to WBGG-FM on September 1. The final quarter hour of music was delivered by DJ Miguel Lombana and consisted of "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops, "The End" by The Doors and "The Long and Winding Road" by The Beatles which was an inside gag and reference to Stuart Elliott and his signing off of 96X (WPOW) years earlier. The station went dark for 1 minute and was signed back on the air at 12:01 as The New Big106. (The WAXY
WAXY
WAXY is a radio station licensed in South Miami, Florida broadcasting on 790 kHz with a sports talk format. The station is owned by Lincoln Financial Media, which was previously known as Jefferson-Pilot Communications...
callsign is now used by an unrelated AM station in the Miami market.)
In April 2004, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
fined Clear Channel Communications $495,000 for broadcasting allegedly indecent material on The Howard Stern Show. Subsequently, Clear Channel dropped the Stern show from WBGG and five other stations.
To fill the morning talk slot, in May 2004, Clear Channel moved Paul & Young Ron
Paul and Young Ron Show
The Paul & Young Ron Show is a morning radio program starring Paul Castronovo and "Young" Ron Brewer, broadcast on WBGG-FM in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale radio market, WZZR-FM in the West Palm Beach radio market, and Sun 103.1 in Key Largo and Sun 99.5 in Key West.The program is broadcast live from...
from WZTA. (Lex and Terry
Lex and Terry
Lex and Terry is a syndicated morning radio hosted by Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes. Currently based in Dallas, Texas, the show is distributed by United Stations Radio Networks. It is heard during weekday mornings on 30 radio stations in the U.S. and on XM 165....
took over the morning show at WZTA, but lost that outlet for their syndicated program when it abruptly switched formats to Hispanic Urban
Hispanic Urban
Hispanic urban is a relatively new radio format that includes Spanish-language hip hop and reggaeton. An example of a radio station with this format is WMGE....
in February 2005, changing its callsign to WMGE
WMGE
WMGE is a radio station in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale radio market. The station plays a Spanish Top-40 format, mixed with some English top 40 songs, which is a growing trend once again in the United States after several years of decline...
.) Since the switch, Paul and Young Ron has continued to be a popular program in South Florida.
Format and Market Share
By April 2006, South Florida had only two major rock radio stations, WBGG and WHDR (the latter of which had a mainstream rockMainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
format). WBGG-FM ranked 14 in market share. The top four stations had either a Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
or urban AC format. As WHDR flipped to Soft AC and became WFEZ, WBGG-FM is the only rock station in the Miami market.
The National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
announced on March 1, 2010, that it had entered an agreement with Clear Channel that would make WBGG and WINZ-AM
WINZ (AM)
WINZ, AM 940 The Sports Animal is a sports talk radio station that serves Miami-Fort Lauderdale. The stations airs primarily syndicated programming. It daytime signal reaches as far north as Ft. Pierce and as far west as Ft. Myers and Naples and as far south as The Bahamas. The station has managed...
flagship stations of the Dolphins Radio Network for the next six years.
Air Talent
Air staff consists of Maria Milito (voicetracked from WAXQWAXQ
WAXQ is a radio station with a classic rock format in New York City. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-WFDR:...
-"Q104.3"- in New York) middays, Doc Reno afternoons and Ken Dashow
Ken Dashow
Ken Dashow is a writer, performer and director. He is currently a disc jockey at New York City’s WAXQ "Q104.3" classic rock radio station he is also voicetracked to Classic Rock WBGG-FM "Big 105.9" in Miami and to WEGR - Rock 103, 102.7 FM in Memphis. Brooklyn born and raised, he has spent the last...
(also voicetracked from WAXQ
WAXQ
WAXQ is a radio station with a classic rock format in New York City. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-WFDR:...
in New York) evenings. Weekend staff includes Jay Zeager, Greg LaMega (aka "Toast" from the Paul and Young Ron Show), and Brie Miller (also the station's current Program Director).