WHYI
Encyclopedia
WHYI-FM, better known as Y-100, is a heritage FM Top 40 contemporary hit radio
(CHR) station that broadcasts at 100.7 MHz. Its city of license is Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. Y-100 broadcasts at an effective radiated power
of 98,000 watts from its 1,005 foot transmitter, which is located on the Miami-Dade side of the Miami-Dade/Broward County line near U.S. 441 and County Line Road. On a typical day its signal can generally be received north to Fort Pierce, southwest past Key Largo
, and west deep into the Everglades
. Its signal has even been known at times to go as far east as the Bahamas and as far south as Cuba.
, who previously worked for WABC
in New York, NY
was the first morning man. The station was renamed Y-100 during a staff meeting with consultant Buzz Bennett at the suggestion of the first airstaff, and the station adopted the new call letters "WHYI" several months after signing on following complaints from crosstown competitor WMYQ at 96.3 FM that the call letters were too similar and would create confusion. Y-100 is the longest-running Top 40 CHR station in both the United States and North America with the same call letters and nickname.
from 1960 to 1962.
From 1962 to 1973, it was known as a beautiful music
station with the call letters of WMJR. In late 1966, the station's studios (located in the Kenann building, a round building on the corner of US1 and Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, FL), tower, and signal coverage were greatly upgraded from 56,000 watts to 100,000 watts by engineer and entrepreneur Ron Crider, who sold the station in 1973 to former Hawaii congressman Cecil Heftel
for $1,500,000, a record price for a radio station at the time.
. Y-100 was the first station in the country to have $50,000 big money giveaways. When it first went on the air as a Top 40
CHR station, its first major promotion was "When your phone rings don't say hello, just say "I listen to the new sound of Y-100", and you could win $50,000!".
By 2004
, when sister classic rock
station WBGG-FM
moved its branding from Big 106 to Big 105-9, WHYI-FM rebranded as Y100.7, only to revert to the old branding by 2006
. This was to avoid confusion with former Philadelphia alternative rock
station WPLY (now WPHI-FM
), owned by Radio One. WPLY signed off the air in 2005
. By 2007
, the Y100.com URL formerly used by WPLY was acquired by WHYI-FM.
and John Emm in mornings, Larry McKay in middays, Don Cox in afternoons, Davey O'Donnell for nights, and Eric Rhoads during late nights. Weekends included Bill Christie and Kevin Malloy. Bill Tanner was later hired as the midday personality and assistant Program Director, and later promoted to program director and moved to the morning show.
Y-100 ushered in the era of the big money contests and aggressive promotional strategy that made the station one of the fastest-growing FM stations in the country during the 1970s. In 1975, Y-100 was the first station in South Florida to broadcast live during the world-famous street party known as Calle Ocho. As Program Director, Bill Tanner hired the personalities who became so familiar to South Florida listeners including sports reporter Athlete's Foot (later abbreviated to Footy), newsman Jim Reihle, traffic reporter "Captain Y" Glen Logan who was replaced by Mark Lipof as Captain from 1976 to 1993, midday host, the late Cramer Haas (originally hired for overnights and also from WJDX), The Madame (first hired to write commercials, then to spot bumper stickers in the Y Roller van as the Y-onic Woman, and soon become the first female DJ on Y100. She was later on WXRK/K-Rock as Jo Maeder, The Rock and Roll Madame and WHTZ/Z100 in New York as Jo Maeder), Jay Marks(From WJDX) and later Rick Eliott for afternoons, Robert W. Walker and Don Cox from crosstown WMYQ, Batt Johnson, Tom Birch, Dave Dunaway(From WJDX), Quincy McCoy and Earl "The Pearl" Lewis(From 13-Q/Pittsburgh), who replaced late night personality Eric Rhoads, now publisher of Radio Inc, and late night/overnight guy Mark "In The Dark" Shands(From WJDX). Shands also served as music director during part of his time at the Y and was substitute newsman on Tanner's show. John Hartman was music director during the early 1970s. Colleen "The Vinyl Queen" Cassidy (now National Music Director for Jerry Clifton's New World Communications) became music director/research director in 1978, moving in from Bob Pittman's station in Chicago, WMAQ. Cassidy started Y-100's first call-out research department. She now is a music consultant for Miami's Power 96 and about 15 stations.
Tanner's morning show was considered to be the high point of Y-100's programming history, along with Tanner's role as Program Director.
In 1976, Heftel
sold Y-100 to Metroplex Communications (Norm and Bob). In 1994 that company sold its group of stations to Clear Channel Communications
.
In 1987, Hersey moved on to mornings at WNVZ-FM/Norfolk, WAPW-FM/Atlanta and KKFR-FM/Phoenix where he worked with Danny Bonaduce. Fox left the following year and moved to mornings at KHYI-FM/Dallas (Y95) with Bill Murphy and Bill Tanner's former Y-100 programming secretary, Joannie Siani.
Fox is now on the XM/Sirrus Comedy Channels, Hersey on WFTL-AM in Miami.
Lipof left the show in 1993 after 17 years on-air, with Czarnecki departed five years later to pursue a career as a local television producer. Bobby left Footy and South Florida in 1998 to head back home to Texas.
On Tuesday January 31, 2006 after 10 years with the station, Kenny Walker was released from Y-100, at the expiration of his contract which was not renewed.
On Monday "May Day" of 2006 Footy announced his retirement from Y-100. It was actually his last in-studio show. He then took the show on the road for the next four days to Miami Lakes (Tuesday), Ft. Lauderdale (Wednesday), Coral Gables (Thursday), and Weston
(Friday). The final weeks worth of shows included special guests and former co-workers calling in or visiting Footy in person, classic highlights and comedy bits, and Y-100 jingles from the past. His retirement was official as of the end of his Friday May 5, 2006 broadcast. A year later Footy came back out of retirement and landed a home back on the airwaves of South Florida on Fox News Radio affiliate 610 AM (WIOD).
Word is, there is only one live/local air talent working at Y-100 these days, everything else is beamed in.
(As of March 26, 2007 Michael Yo also can be heard on the E!
Entertainment Network Channel on XM
and Sirius Satellite Radio
with his new show "Yo on E!" from 4 pm to 7 pm. Yo talks about the latest Entertainment news, music, gossip and takes listeners calls. Michael Yo hosts his show Voice-tracked from Los Angeles as he is no longer actually residing in South Florida).
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
(CHR) station that broadcasts at 100.7 MHz. Its city of license is Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. Y-100 broadcasts at an effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 98,000 watts from its 1,005 foot transmitter, which is located on the Miami-Dade side of the Miami-Dade/Broward County line near U.S. 441 and County Line Road. On a typical day its signal can generally be received north to Fort Pierce, southwest past Key Largo
Key Largo
Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and, at long, the largest of the Keys. It is also the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the Keys connected by U.S. Highway 1...
, and west deep into the Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
. Its signal has even been known at times to go as far east as the Bahamas and as far south as Cuba.
History
Y-100 has been broadcasting continuously with various forms of contemporary hit music since 1973. It signed on August 3, 1973 at 6 a.m. with new call letters WLQY and was originally to be known as "Lucky 100". Roby YongeRoby Yonge
Roby Yonge was an American radio DJ, most notable in the 1960s. He was best known for being fired from New York station WABC-AM in 1969, after he reported over the air that the singer Paul McCartney of The Beatles might be dead....
, who previously worked for WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
in New York, NY
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
was the first morning man. The station was renamed Y-100 during a staff meeting with consultant Buzz Bennett at the suggestion of the first airstaff, and the station adopted the new call letters "WHYI" several months after signing on following complaints from crosstown competitor WMYQ at 96.3 FM that the call letters were too similar and would create confusion. Y-100 is the longest-running Top 40 CHR station in both the United States and North America with the same call letters and nickname.
Before Y-100
The 100.7 FM frequency was signed-on in early 1960 as a religious station with the call letters WMFP. It was owned by Percy CrawfordPercy Crawford
Percy Bartimus Crawford was an evangelist and fundamentalist leader who especially emphasized youth ministry. During the late 1950s, he saw the potential of FM radio and UHF television and built the first successful Christian broadcasting network...
from 1960 to 1962.
From 1962 to 1973, it was known as a beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
station with the call letters of WMJR. In late 1966, the station's studios (located in the Kenann building, a round building on the corner of US1 and Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, FL), tower, and signal coverage were greatly upgraded from 56,000 watts to 100,000 watts by engineer and entrepreneur Ron Crider, who sold the station in 1973 to former Hawaii congressman Cecil Heftel
Cecil Heftel
Cecil Landau Heftel, popularly known as Cec Heftel was an American politician and businessman from Hawai'i...
for $1,500,000, a record price for a radio station at the time.
Y-100 signs-on
The first song played on Y-100 was "Diamond Girl" by Seals and CroftsSeals and Crofts
Seals and Crofts is a band made up of Jim Seals and Dash Crofts . The soft rock duo was one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. They are best known for their hits "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl"...
. Y-100 was the first station in the country to have $50,000 big money giveaways. When it first went on the air as a Top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
CHR station, its first major promotion was "When your phone rings don't say hello, just say "I listen to the new sound of Y-100", and you could win $50,000!".
By 2004
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...
, when sister classic rock
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...
station WBGG-FM
WBGG-FM
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....
moved its branding from Big 106 to Big 105-9, WHYI-FM rebranded as Y100.7, only to revert to the old branding by 2006
2006 in radio
The year 2006 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*January 3 - The BJ Shea Morning Experience switches to KISW in Seattle, Washington, from the former FM Talk station KKWF....
. This was to avoid confusion with former Philadelphia alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
station WPLY (now WPHI-FM
WPHI-FM
WPHI-FM, " Hot 107.9", is a radio station owned by Radio One, that airs a Urban Contemporary format. The station is licensed to Pennsauken, New Jersey and serves the Philadelphia market. When WPHI was on 100.3, it was known as "100.3 The Beat". On August 27, 2011, the "Beat" moniker was dropped...
), owned by Radio One. WPLY signed off the air in 2005
2005 in radio
The year 2005 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*April 29 - KFRC 610 AM in San Francisco, switches formats as a result of ownership change. KFRC becomes KEAR, the "Sound of the New Life", a listener-supported, gospel/religious only station. It had been previously KFRC from...
. By 2007
2007 in radio
The year 2007 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 8: Nanci "The Fabulous Sports Babe" Donnellan returns to radio after a six-year absence, filling in for local hosts in Florida....
, the Y100.com URL formerly used by WPLY was acquired by WHYI-FM.
The early years
The original line-up included Roby YongeRoby Yonge
Roby Yonge was an American radio DJ, most notable in the 1960s. He was best known for being fired from New York station WABC-AM in 1969, after he reported over the air that the singer Paul McCartney of The Beatles might be dead....
and John Emm in mornings, Larry McKay in middays, Don Cox in afternoons, Davey O'Donnell for nights, and Eric Rhoads during late nights. Weekends included Bill Christie and Kevin Malloy. Bill Tanner was later hired as the midday personality and assistant Program Director, and later promoted to program director and moved to the morning show.
Y-100 ushered in the era of the big money contests and aggressive promotional strategy that made the station one of the fastest-growing FM stations in the country during the 1970s. In 1975, Y-100 was the first station in South Florida to broadcast live during the world-famous street party known as Calle Ocho. As Program Director, Bill Tanner hired the personalities who became so familiar to South Florida listeners including sports reporter Athlete's Foot (later abbreviated to Footy), newsman Jim Reihle, traffic reporter "Captain Y" Glen Logan who was replaced by Mark Lipof as Captain from 1976 to 1993, midday host, the late Cramer Haas (originally hired for overnights and also from WJDX), The Madame (first hired to write commercials, then to spot bumper stickers in the Y Roller van as the Y-onic Woman, and soon become the first female DJ on Y100. She was later on WXRK/K-Rock as Jo Maeder, The Rock and Roll Madame and WHTZ/Z100 in New York as Jo Maeder), Jay Marks(From WJDX) and later Rick Eliott for afternoons, Robert W. Walker and Don Cox from crosstown WMYQ, Batt Johnson, Tom Birch, Dave Dunaway(From WJDX), Quincy McCoy and Earl "The Pearl" Lewis(From 13-Q/Pittsburgh), who replaced late night personality Eric Rhoads, now publisher of Radio Inc, and late night/overnight guy Mark "In The Dark" Shands(From WJDX). Shands also served as music director during part of his time at the Y and was substitute newsman on Tanner's show. John Hartman was music director during the early 1970s. Colleen "The Vinyl Queen" Cassidy (now National Music Director for Jerry Clifton's New World Communications) became music director/research director in 1978, moving in from Bob Pittman's station in Chicago, WMAQ. Cassidy started Y-100's first call-out research department. She now is a music consultant for Miami's Power 96 and about 15 stations.
Tanner's morning show was considered to be the high point of Y-100's programming history, along with Tanner's role as Program Director.
In 1976, Heftel
Cecil Heftel
Cecil Landau Heftel, popularly known as Cec Heftel was an American politician and businessman from Hawai'i...
sold Y-100 to Metroplex Communications (Norm and Bob). In 1994 that company sold its group of stations to 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...
.
Sonny Fox & Ron Hersey
In 1982 Bill Tanner and Jim Reihle left Y-100 for WASH-FM/Washington, DC. To replace them, Sonny Fox and Ron Hersey were recruited for mornings from crosstown WSHE-FM. Using a blend of parody songs, phoney commercials, and impersonations of local and national celebrities and politicians Fox, Hersey, "Captain Y", John "Footy" Cross and Mr. Mike Raffone led the morning show to its highest ratings ever.In 1987, Hersey moved on to mornings at WNVZ-FM/Norfolk, WAPW-FM/Atlanta and KKFR-FM/Phoenix where he worked with Danny Bonaduce. Fox left the following year and moved to mornings at KHYI-FM/Dallas (Y95) with Bill Murphy and Bill Tanner's former Y-100 programming secretary, Joannie Siani.
Fox is now on the XM/Sirrus Comedy Channels, Hersey on WFTL-AM in Miami.
Bobby & Footy
John Kross was a presence on the locally produced morning show for a record 32 years running from 1974 to 2006, thus holding the record of longest Top 40 CHR DJ in North America (even if he was actually a radio sports reporter for most of the time). Footy also hosted the "Y-100 Wing Ding", a charity event to help fight drug abuse.Lipof left the show in 1993 after 17 years on-air, with Czarnecki departed five years later to pursue a career as a local television producer. Bobby left Footy and South Florida in 1998 to head back home to Texas.
Footy & The Chix @ Six
In 1998, the morning show was renamed "Footy & The Chix @ Six", and Footy co-hosted the show with several female personalities, including Jade Alexander, Tina Malave, and Elaine Turner. Some commented that this line-up was least successful, often referred to as Footy with some Chix who don't like him.Kenny & Footy
On Monday June 18, 2001, a new era in the morning show began as Footy was paired-up with popular afternoon drive time deejay Kenny Walker for "The Y-100 Early Morning Show". A few months later, in January 2002, the show was renamed "Kenny & Footy in the Morning".On Tuesday January 31, 2006 after 10 years with the station, Kenny Walker was released from Y-100, at the expiration of his contract which was not renewed.
Footy's final months
In February, March, and April 2006 Footy co-hosted the show with two popular afternoon and evening DJs - first Adam Bomb and then Michael Yo.On Monday "May Day" of 2006 Footy announced his retirement from Y-100. It was actually his last in-studio show. He then took the show on the road for the next four days to Miami Lakes (Tuesday), Ft. Lauderdale (Wednesday), Coral Gables (Thursday), and Weston
Weston, Florida
Weston is a suburb of South Florida located in Broward County, Florida, USA. Established as a city in 1996, much of the community was developed by Arvida/JMB Realty and is located near the western developmental boundary of Broward County. It is the most western city in Broward County, and its...
(Friday). The final weeks worth of shows included special guests and former co-workers calling in or visiting Footy in person, classic highlights and comedy bits, and Y-100 jingles from the past. His retirement was official as of the end of his Friday May 5, 2006 broadcast. A year later Footy came back out of retirement and landed a home back on the airwaves of South Florida on Fox News Radio affiliate 610 AM (WIOD).
Current programming
Like many corporate radio stations, Y has few local personalities, most voices are delivered via hard drive from somewhere else.Word is, there is only one live/local air talent working at Y-100 these days, everything else is beamed in.
- Elvis DuranElvis DuranElvis Duran is the host of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in New York on Z100 and in syndication on Premiere Radio Networks.Duran's show is now heard live in over 40 markets including New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Cleveland, Tampa, Syracuse, Atlanta, & Des Moines.Before his current job at...
& The Y100 Morning Show (simulcast from sister station WHTZWHTZWHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
Z100 in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) airs weekday mornings from 6 to 10 am. It began airing on Y-100 on Monday May 22, 2006, just 17 days after legendary morning show host "Footy" retired. Froggy, Footy's morning show co-host and producer during his last four years on the air is the only live and local South Florida voice of Y-100 during the morning drive time period.
- "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" runs mid-days Monday through Friday. Seacrest broadcasts from Hollywood, California. His show contains a blend of hit music, celebrity interviews, and hot topics.
- Michael Yo is the afternoon DJ. Yo has been with the station since 2002 and originally started out as the night jock. Yo is joined by Miami co-hosts Nina, and producer Nick who came from The Adam Bomb Show now at Q100 in Atlanta. The Michael Yo Show features "The World Famous Yes/No Game" everyday at 5 pm. Yo also calls his "Mama Yo" frequently.
(As of March 26, 2007 Michael Yo also can be heard on the E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
Entertainment Network Channel on XM
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
and Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
with his new show "Yo on E!" from 4 pm to 7 pm. Yo talks about the latest Entertainment news, music, gossip and takes listeners calls. Michael Yo hosts his show Voice-tracked from Los Angeles as he is no longer actually residing in South Florida).
- The nighttime DJ is Michael Weaver, also known as Mack. The Mack @ Nite show is the night show on Y-100—from 6 pm-10 pm on weekdays. You can hear the "Phone Tap Replay" every night at 6:20 p.m on his show along with contests and a variety of segments that he airs and is constantly changing. Weaver is from Philadelphia and has been with Y-100 for two years now. He is one of the only Florida resident DJ on Y-100. As of 2009 he has had five other syndicated radio shows.
- Late Nights on Y-100 is Sex with DJ Cato K. His mixes run from midnight to 4 am and he plays the latest dance music and popular song mixes.
- Thursday Nights 12-2am and special mix shows/live broadcasts are done with DJ GQDJ GQDJ GQ is a Miami-based disc jockey recognized as one of the first to blend Hip Hop and Reggae to create a unique sound. . DJ GQ was born as Gary Hardie in Miami, Florida. DJ GQ has been a sponsored DJ since he was 14 years old and has been the official DJ for Kevin Lyttle, Mr. Cheeks, Akon and...
- The weekend DJs vary on Y-100. Weekends usually include Eddie E. (Saturdays midnight-6 am), Chris Cruz (Sundays 11 am-3 pm), and Mack at Night. Almost anyone else who happens to be available via Clear Channel's group of stations around the country fills in from time to time.
- American Top 40American Top 40American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
with Ryan SeacrestRyan SeacrestRyan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
airs on Sunday mornings from 7 am to 11 am.
- Joe Joe on the Radio airs on Sunday evenings.