WISX
Encyclopedia
WISX is a Hot adult contemporary (Hot AC) radio station licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. They are owned by Clear Channel Communications
.
". The first song was "The Star-Spangled Banner
" as performed by Henry Mancini
and the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra. The first voice broadcast was that of Dave custis, who was in charge of the station's format. The first song other than the National Anthem was "The Carousel Waltz" by Percy Faith
. The station employed an easy listening
format playing mostly instrumental versions of popular songs (Mantovani
, Lawrence Welk
, Percy Faith
, John Fox
, Chet Atkins
, Richard Clayderman
) with an occasional vocalist (Frank Sinatra
, the Carpenters
, Nat King Cole
, Anne Murray
). The station was sold to United Artists
in 1970. The call letters then became WWSH and its brand, "Wish 106." The WQAL
call letters are now used by another station, the Hot AC-formatted "Q104" in Cleveland, Ohio
.
The station was sold again in 1977 to Cox Communications
. Initially the format remained easy listening. In 1980 more contemporary vocalists were added but the format still remained instrumentally based.
to compete with "Hot Hits
" WCAU-FM
. In 1984, the call letters were changed to WZGO (Z-106). In 1986, the station became WTRK "Electric 106," consulted by Mike Joseph, who had spearheaded the launch of Hot Hits on WCAU-FM five years earlier. Like WCAU-FM in its early months of Hot Hits, WTRK featured a very tight playlist of only current hit songs; unlike WCAU-FM, however, "Electric 106" was a flop, and 106.1 FM's ratings and revenues did not improve. The station's continued poor performance was a source of embarrassment for Cox, which then sold the station to Malrite.
, leaving Eagle 106 as the only Top 40 station. With the CHR format all to itself, WEGX's ratings climbed even higher, and by the spring of 1988, the station had moved into the top five in Philadelphia Arbitron ratings (1).Former "Partridge Family" cast member Danny Bonaduce
made his debut as a radio disc jockey as the station's night man around this time.
In 1988, WIOQ
, which had gone through several unsuccessful format changes (including oldies to compete with WOGL), took a dance leaning Top 40 format. This brought Eagle 106's ratings down slightly but the station still was profitable.
, a growing phenomenon at the time, becoming Smooth Jazz WJJZ 106.1. The final song played on Eagle 106 was "I Will Remember You
" by Amy Grant
, with Basia's "New Day for You" kicking off the Smooth Jazz format.
At first, WJJZ lacked ratings and success and it seemed 106.1 was headed for another format change. In its early years, WJJZ featured an eclectic mix of Contemporary Jazz, some New Age music, as well as a sprinkling of Adult Contemporary vocals. The Smooth Jazz format evolved however, and by the mid 90s, under the ownership of the Evergreen Media Corporation, WJJZ began to phase out the new age music and broad variety of Contemporary Jazz it played with more Adult Contemporary crossovers and some soft R&B. This coincided with its first strong ratings showings. WJJZ was becoming a fixture in Philadelphia radio, with free Smooth Jazz listener party concerts, and music not heard anywhere else. Also during the period, the station introduced the Vacation-A-Day giveaway, giving away free vacations to different locales. The station tabbed it as the biggest giveaway in Philadelphia radio history. This promotion was subsequently adopted by a number of other major-market smooth jazz stations across the country; WVMV
Detroit's version, for example, was called the "Trip-A-Day Giveaway."
In 1997, Evergreen Media was purchased by Chancellor Media, which eventually was purchased by AMFM and finally became part of conglomerate Clear Channel
. During the late 90s, WJJZ saw its finest ratings, reaching into the top 5 of the Arbitrons for Philadelphia. However, like many stations across the country, the effect of cutbacks by owner Clear Channel started to take its toll. 2002 saw the dismissials of afternoon host Deanna Wright
and longtime evening host Desirae McCrae. The music on the air began to feature far fewer instrumentals and more vocals, featuring the likes of Stevie Wonder, Al Green, The Police, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Madonna, while still being called Smooth Jazz. Ratings continued to be solid until 2004, which also coincided with the sign-on of Urban Adult Contemporary
station WRNB
and Gospel station WPPZ, both appearing to be taking a bite out of the station's ratings. The station dropped out of the top 10 in ratings, and this also led to adverse effects on its billing. By the end of 2005, the signs were not looking positive for the heritage Smooth Jazz station. 10-year afternoon host Teri Webb was dismissed before Christmas, and the Vacation-A-Day giveaway was dropped.
, and it saw the perfect opportunity to blow up the Smooth Jazz format with a new morning show and a format not yet heard in Philadelphia, Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
. On Tuesday, August 8, the conglomerate dismissed the airstaff of WJJZ, and on Thursday, August 10, at 12:00 PM, WJJZ's midday host and program director Michael Tozzi bid farewell to 13 years of Smooth Jazz, and the era of Philly's 106-1 began.
Initially, the opinions of Philly's 106-1 were quite dubious. A reader comment section at Philly.com features twenty-one pages of angry former WJJZ listeners infuritated with Clear Channel's decision. The Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format WISX launched with was very repetitive and the airstaff was completely voicetracked. Although the station kept its WJJZ callsign for a month after the flip, it would eventually change its callsign to WISX.
Not long after, the station somehow managed to quietly make a very obvious change: Its name was changed from Philly's 106-1 to My 106-1.
Clear Channel, owning so many other stations in the market, had no intention of letting a "real" Rhythmic AC station chip away at the ratings for their own WDAS-FM
, Q102
, and Power 99
. But if they hadn't launched a Rhythmic AC format in the market, another company would have and Clear Channel's stations would have been in trouble.
My 106.1 was gaining ground in the AC market in Philadelphia, and was even at one point ranked #1 during the work day in Women 25-54 (Arbitron). Their typical audience consists of hard to reach working women.
Although their musical direction had a ventured toward Hot AC for a time, WISX started to concentrate once again on the Rhythmic AC fare. The station returned to hot AC by late 2010
, as Clear Channel wbegan withdrawing rhythmic AC stations in various markets.
My 106.1 became Mix 106.1 on November 15, 2010, remaining a hot AC station. The Mix branding had been on WMWX (now WBEN-FM
) prior to 2005
.
WISX is one of two hot AC stations in Philadelphia alongside rimshot station WPST
of Trenton, New Jersey
.
announced on October 13, 2006, that its newly acquired property, WTHK
, was picking up the Smooth Jazz format and the WJJZ calls. The "New" Smooth Jazz 97.5 WJJZ made its debut on November 17, 2006. The same on-air montage of various Smooth Jazz artists used at the end of 106.1's Smooth Jazz format was played to mark the sign-on of the new WJJZ.
Some of the former 106.1 airstaff had been reincarnated at the new address on 97.5, notably Michael Tozzi. He programed the new WJJZ and handled the midday airshift. He brought on board Gerald Veasley
, Teri Webb and Greg Purcell for weekend duties, thus writing a new chapter for Smooth Jazz in Philadelphia. Bill Simpson returned in late December to host an all-new version of Philadelphia After Hours, which had been dropped from the old station shortly before its discontinuation. Frank Childs reclaimed his role as the overnight host, and Desirae McCrae was the latest former WJJZ personality to return to the new station. Therefore, the new WJJZ's airstaff had some ties to the old station. It had also broadcasted two syndicated weekday shows via Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network: Ramsey Lewis
hosted the morning show, and Dave Koz
handled the afternoon drivetime shift. From November 2006 to April 2007, after a three-month hiatus, the new WJJZ held its Sunday Brunch at Zanzibar Blue
, continuing a very popular Philadelphia tradition since the old station's debut in 1993.
There were a few noticeable differences between the new WJJZ and the old one. For example, the old station's branding placed the callsign before the frequency; the new station used the opposite arrangement in its branding for a year after its debut. The old station also had a very catchy jazz-themed jingle often sung as "WJJZ 106.1", as demonstrated by this short clip, and many different arrangements were used for it; this is a very common practice used by most Clear Channel-owned smooth jazz stations. The new station introduced a series of new jingles in July 2007, although they differed significantly from the ones that were used by the old station (most obviously, the fact that they were then sung as "97.5 WJJZ"). From November 2007, the new station had started to use the previous station's jingles (with vocals added in December 2007), as a tribute to the Smooth Jazz format's tenure at the 106.1 frequency. It had also reversed its branding practice, and was known as "Smooth Jazz WJJZ 97.5." The new WJJZ's jingles were sung as "WJJZ 97-5" (without the "point," as was the case when it was still located at 106.1), though the announcers still identified it as "WJJZ 97.5." Also, the old station's liners were spoken by famous voiceover artist Charlie Van Dyke
; when the new station signed on, it decided not to use his services. Currently, Van Dyke is doing voiceovers for local ABC
affiliate WPVI-TV
.
In June 2007, the new WJJZ relocated its transmitter from Trenton, NJ, to Wyndmoor, PA, a northern suburb of Philadelphia, closer to where all of the major Philadelphia stations' towers are located, including the one that the old WJJZ once used. Coverage for the new station was exactly the same as the old one, but the new signal was directional.
The two WJJZs ended their respective runs by playing songs by Philadelphia-based artists: The last song heard on the original 106.1 incarnation was "She's Gone" by Daryl Hall
, and the last one heard on the 97.5 revival was "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men
. The new station on 97.5 is called "Now 97.5," with a playlist closer in comparison to that of heritage AC station WBEB
(B101.1), but with a strong emphasis on newer songs, as suggested by its slogan: "A Younger Approach to Today's Soft Rock."
and changing their call letters to WPEN-FM. The new slogan is "Philly's First FM Sports Station".
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. They are 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...
.
Beautiful Music Era: WQAL/WWSH
Philadelphia's 106.1 began operation on November 11, 1959 as WQAL and was owned by George Voron, whose company provided businesses with "piped-in musicElevator music
Elevator music refers to instrumental arrangements of popular music designed for playing in shopping malls, grocery stores, department stores, telephone systems , cruise ships, airports, doctors' and dentists' offices, and elevators...
". The first song was "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
" as performed by Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
and the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra. The first voice broadcast was that of Dave custis, who was in charge of the station's format. The first song other than the National Anthem was "The Carousel Waltz" by Percy Faith
Percy Faith
Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
. The station employed an easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format playing mostly instrumental versions of popular songs (Mantovani
Mantovani
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani known as Mantovani, was an Anglo-Italian conductor and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book British Hit Singles & Albums states that he was "Britain's most successful album act before The Beatles .....
, Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
, Percy Faith
Percy Faith
Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
, John Fox
John Fox
John Fox may refer to:* Tinker Fox, Colonel John Fox , English Parliamentarian Soldier*John Fox * John Fox , pitcher for Major League Baseball* John Fox , comedian...
, Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of most popular works of...
) with an occasional vocalist (Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, the Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
). The station was sold to United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
in 1970. The call letters then became WWSH and its brand, "Wish 106." The WQAL
WQAL
WQAL — branded Q104 — is a commercial Adult Top 40 radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio. Studios are located at One Radio Lane along with CBS Radio sister station WDOK.-History:...
call letters are now used by another station, the Hot AC-formatted "Q104" in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
The station was sold again in 1977 to Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
. Initially the format remained easy listening. In 1980 more contemporary vocalists were added but the format still remained instrumentally based.
The Early/Mid '80s - Changes
Despite the station's popularity, the "beautiful music" format was changed in 1982 to Hot Adult Contemporary. The station was known as "FM 106". In a market already crowded with four Adult Contemporary stations, it didn't go over well in the ratings, and one year later the format was modified to Top 40Contemporary 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...
to compete with "Hot Hits
Hot Hits
Hot Hits was a radio format created by consultant Mike Joseph in the 1970s. That concept, which helped spur the birth of what is now known as CHR, also revitalized the Top 40 format and would play a role in bringing the format to the FM band throughout the 1980s.The concept was to play only the...
" WCAU-FM
WOGL
WOGL is an FM radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.The station plays mostly post 1964 pop leaning Oldies positioned Classic Hits music, including Motown, soul and rock and roll spanning roughly 1964–1985. An occasional pre-1964 song is played. WOGL is owned by CBS Radio...
. In 1984, the call letters were changed to WZGO (Z-106). In 1986, the station became WTRK "Electric 106," consulted by Mike Joseph, who had spearheaded the launch of Hot Hits on WCAU-FM five years earlier. Like WCAU-FM in its early months of Hot Hits, WTRK featured a very tight playlist of only current hit songs; unlike WCAU-FM, however, "Electric 106" was a flop, and 106.1 FM's ratings and revenues did not improve. The station's continued poor performance was a source of embarrassment for Cox, which then sold the station to Malrite.
Eagle 106 Takes Flight
In 1987, the station became known as WEGX (Eagle 106). The station kept the CHR/Top 40 format but gave it a more adult-friendly makeover, designing the station to appeal primarily to women aged 18-24. Research had shown that listeners in their 20s and older scoffed at the more teen-oriented WCAU-FM as the "bubblegum" radio station, and WCAU-FM had had trouble making a profit because of that perception (1). Eagle 106 attempted to combat the teen-oriented image that came with the CHR format by conducting extensive music research with women in its target demographic, eliminating most jingles, and "dayparting" - playing more gold titles during the day to attract more adult listeners while continuing to program for teenagers at night with higher energy and more new music. The move paid off, as WEGX's ratings rose steadily through 1987 while WCAU-FM's fell. In November 1987, WCAU-FM dropped the Top 40 format in favor of oldies as WOGLWOGL
WOGL is an FM radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.The station plays mostly post 1964 pop leaning Oldies positioned Classic Hits music, including Motown, soul and rock and roll spanning roughly 1964–1985. An occasional pre-1964 song is played. WOGL is owned by CBS Radio...
, leaving Eagle 106 as the only Top 40 station. With the CHR format all to itself, WEGX's ratings climbed even higher, and by the spring of 1988, the station had moved into the top five in Philadelphia Arbitron ratings (1).Former "Partridge Family" cast member Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
made his debut as a radio disc jockey as the station's night man around this time.
In 1988, WIOQ
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
, which had gone through several unsuccessful format changes (including oldies to compete with WOGL), took a dance leaning Top 40 format. This brought Eagle 106's ratings down slightly but the station still was profitable.
Smooth Jazz WJJZ
In the 1990s Q 102 moved further toward Mainstream Top 40. Eagle 106, though, still held its own. Then on March 13, 1993, despite the moderate success, at 1:06 PM the format was changed to Smooth JazzSmooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
, a growing phenomenon at the time, becoming Smooth Jazz WJJZ 106.1. The final song played on Eagle 106 was "I Will Remember You
I Will Remember You (Amy Grant song)
"I Will Remember You" is the seventh and final single from Amy Grant's twelfth album, Heart in Motion and was released as a single in March 1992...
" by Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, with Basia's "New Day for You" kicking off the Smooth Jazz format.
At first, WJJZ lacked ratings and success and it seemed 106.1 was headed for another format change. In its early years, WJJZ featured an eclectic mix of Contemporary Jazz, some New Age music, as well as a sprinkling of Adult Contemporary vocals. The Smooth Jazz format evolved however, and by the mid 90s, under the ownership of the Evergreen Media Corporation, WJJZ began to phase out the new age music and broad variety of Contemporary Jazz it played with more Adult Contemporary crossovers and some soft R&B. This coincided with its first strong ratings showings. WJJZ was becoming a fixture in Philadelphia radio, with free Smooth Jazz listener party concerts, and music not heard anywhere else. Also during the period, the station introduced the Vacation-A-Day giveaway, giving away free vacations to different locales. The station tabbed it as the biggest giveaway in Philadelphia radio history. This promotion was subsequently adopted by a number of other major-market smooth jazz stations across the country; WVMV
WVMV
WDZH is a radio station serving the Metropolitan Detroit area in Southeastern Michigan. WDZH broadcasts a CHR format at 98.7 MHz. The station's transmitter is located near Livernois and West Davison in the City of Detroit...
Detroit's version, for example, was called the "Trip-A-Day Giveaway."
In 1997, Evergreen Media was purchased by Chancellor Media, which eventually was purchased by AMFM and finally became part of conglomerate Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
. During the late 90s, WJJZ saw its finest ratings, reaching into the top 5 of the Arbitrons for Philadelphia. However, like many stations across the country, the effect of cutbacks by owner Clear Channel started to take its toll. 2002 saw the dismissials of afternoon host Deanna Wright
Deanna Wright
Deanna Wright is an American actress and former fashion model.-Early life:Deanna Wright was born January 11, 1980 to Robert and Sharon Duncan. She lived in Ocala, Florida until she turned 17, when she moved to Miami....
and longtime evening host Desirae McCrae. The music on the air began to feature far fewer instrumentals and more vocals, featuring the likes of Stevie Wonder, Al Green, The Police, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Madonna, while still being called Smooth Jazz. Ratings continued to be solid until 2004, which also coincided with the sign-on of Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
station WRNB
WRNB
WRNB is an Urban Adult Contemporary station broadcasting at 100.3 FM. Licensed to Media, Pennsylvania, it serves the Philadelphia market and is owned by Radio One. The station originally operated as WSNJ-FM in Bridgeton, New Jersey, first broadcasting on 98.9 in the 1950s before moving to 107.7...
and Gospel station WPPZ, both appearing to be taking a bite out of the station's ratings. The station dropped out of the top 10 in ratings, and this also led to adverse effects on its billing. By the end of 2005, the signs were not looking positive for the heritage Smooth Jazz station. 10-year afternoon host Teri Webb was dismissed before Christmas, and the Vacation-A-Day giveaway was dropped.
The End of Smooth Jazz and Change to WISX
2006 brought some promise with the addition of two new air talents, Sherri Lee Stevens and Salina Jones, as well as a less expensive version of the Vacation giveaway. Although ratings were rebounding, rumors began to swirl in July that a format change was imminent. Clear Channel wanted to find a home in Philadelphia for its new syndicated talent Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, and it saw the perfect opportunity to blow up the Smooth Jazz format with a new morning show and a format not yet heard in Philadelphia, Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic adult contemporary is a format used on stations in the United States and Canada. It usually gears toward an older audience, ages 25 to 54. Stations using this format play disco from the 1970s and early 1980s, dance/pop music, adult-friendly hip hop/old school tracks, R&B, dance/freestyle...
. On Tuesday, August 8, the conglomerate dismissed the airstaff of WJJZ, and on Thursday, August 10, at 12:00 PM, WJJZ's midday host and program director Michael Tozzi bid farewell to 13 years of Smooth Jazz, and the era of Philly's 106-1 began.
Initially, the opinions of Philly's 106-1 were quite dubious. A reader comment section at Philly.com features twenty-one pages of angry former WJJZ listeners infuritated with Clear Channel's decision. The Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format WISX launched with was very repetitive and the airstaff was completely voicetracked. Although the station kept its WJJZ callsign for a month after the flip, it would eventually change its callsign to WISX.
Not long after, the station somehow managed to quietly make a very obvious change: Its name was changed from Philly's 106-1 to My 106-1.
Clear Channel, owning so many other stations in the market, had no intention of letting a "real" Rhythmic AC station chip away at the ratings for their own WDAS-FM
WDAS-FM
WDAS-FM is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station that features R&B and Classic Soul, and is licensed to the city of Philadelphia. The station is widely regarded as one of the originators of the Urban AC format which mixes R&B oldies with non-rap contemporary R&B and is now found in many major...
, Q102
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
, and Power 99
WUSL
WUSL, known as "Power 99 FM", is a mainstream urban radio station, owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Philadelphia...
. But if they hadn't launched a Rhythmic AC format in the market, another company would have and Clear Channel's stations would have been in trouble.
My 106.1 was gaining ground in the AC market in Philadelphia, and was even at one point ranked #1 during the work day in Women 25-54 (Arbitron). Their typical audience consists of hard to reach working women.
Although their musical direction had a ventured toward Hot AC for a time, WISX started to concentrate once again on the Rhythmic AC fare. The station returned to hot AC by late 2010
2010 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2010.-Events:*Date Unknown: CHOI/Quebec City flips from Alternative Rock to News/Talk.*January 4: KJCS/Lufkin, Texas goes silent....
, as Clear Channel wbegan withdrawing rhythmic AC stations in various markets.
My 106.1 became Mix 106.1 on November 15, 2010, remaining a hot AC station. The Mix branding had been on WMWX (now WBEN-FM
WBEN-FM
WBEN-FM, known as "95.7 Ben FM," is an adult hits station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station plays a mix of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s hits, with some current hot adult contemporary rock singles. Named after Benjamin Franklin, the station pioneered a "Playing Anything We Feel Like" radio...
) prior to 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...
.
WISX is one of two hot AC stations in Philadelphia alongside rimshot station WPST
WPST
WPST is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 format. Licensed to Trenton, New Jersey, USA, the station serves the Philadelphia, Central Jersey area. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting Ii, LLC and features programing from Westwood One...
of Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
.
Smooth Jazz Returned to Philly
After over two months without a Smooth Jazz outlet, rival broadcaster Greater MediaGreater Media
Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey...
announced on October 13, 2006, that its newly acquired property, WTHK
WTHK
WTHK, known on-air as "The Hawk" was a radio station located at 97.5 FM which had a classic rock format. Although the station was originally licensed to Trenton, New Jersey, changing to Burlington, New Jersey in early 2006, The Hawk targeted the Philadelphia broadcasting area in addition to its own...
, was picking up the Smooth Jazz format and the WJJZ calls. The "New" Smooth Jazz 97.5 WJJZ made its debut on November 17, 2006. The same on-air montage of various Smooth Jazz artists used at the end of 106.1's Smooth Jazz format was played to mark the sign-on of the new WJJZ.
Some of the former 106.1 airstaff had been reincarnated at the new address on 97.5, notably Michael Tozzi. He programed the new WJJZ and handled the midday airshift. He brought on board Gerald Veasley
Gerald Veasley
Gerald Veasley is an American jazz bass guitarist.Veasley was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he played in R&B groups as a teenager. He worked with Joe Zawinul from 1988 to 1995, and began releasing his own records in 1992. He has also done extensive work as a studio musician....
, Teri Webb and Greg Purcell for weekend duties, thus writing a new chapter for Smooth Jazz in Philadelphia. Bill Simpson returned in late December to host an all-new version of Philadelphia After Hours, which had been dropped from the old station shortly before its discontinuation. Frank Childs reclaimed his role as the overnight host, and Desirae McCrae was the latest former WJJZ personality to return to the new station. Therefore, the new WJJZ's airstaff had some ties to the old station. It had also broadcasted two syndicated weekday shows via Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network: Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
hosted the morning show, and Dave Koz
Dave Koz
Dave Koz is an American smooth jazz saxophonist.- Life and career :Dave Koz was born on March 27, 1963 in Encino, California....
handled the afternoon drivetime shift. From November 2006 to April 2007, after a three-month hiatus, the new WJJZ held its Sunday Brunch at Zanzibar Blue
Zanzibar Blue
Zanzibar Blue was a jazz club located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Known for its live jazz each night and for Sunday brunch, it branded itself as "Philadelphia's Premier Jazz Club". Owned by brothers Robert and Benjamin Jr. Bynum, the club was located in Center City, Philadelphia below the...
, continuing a very popular Philadelphia tradition since the old station's debut in 1993.
There were a few noticeable differences between the new WJJZ and the old one. For example, the old station's branding placed the callsign before the frequency; the new station used the opposite arrangement in its branding for a year after its debut. The old station also had a very catchy jazz-themed jingle often sung as "WJJZ 106.1", as demonstrated by this short clip, and many different arrangements were used for it; this is a very common practice used by most Clear Channel-owned smooth jazz stations. The new station introduced a series of new jingles in July 2007, although they differed significantly from the ones that were used by the old station (most obviously, the fact that they were then sung as "97.5 WJJZ"). From November 2007, the new station had started to use the previous station's jingles (with vocals added in December 2007), as a tribute to the Smooth Jazz format's tenure at the 106.1 frequency. It had also reversed its branding practice, and was known as "Smooth Jazz WJJZ 97.5." The new WJJZ's jingles were sung as "WJJZ 97-5" (without the "point," as was the case when it was still located at 106.1), though the announcers still identified it as "WJJZ 97.5." Also, the old station's liners were spoken by famous voiceover artist Charlie Van Dyke
Charlie Van Dyke
Charlie Van Dyke is a former radio disc jockey who is best known for the voice work he has done for numerous radio and television stations....
; when the new station signed on, it decided not to use his services. Currently, Van Dyke is doing voiceovers for local ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
.
In June 2007, the new WJJZ relocated its transmitter from Trenton, NJ, to Wyndmoor, PA, a northern suburb of Philadelphia, closer to where all of the major Philadelphia stations' towers are located, including the one that the old WJJZ once used. Coverage for the new station was exactly the same as the old one, but the new signal was directional.
The End of Smooth Jazz in Philly Again and the Debut of Now 97.5
By July 2008, there were rumors that the new WJJZ was about to undergo a format change due to low ratings, and on September 5, 2008, Greater Media dropped the "Smooth Jazz" format on the 97.5 FM frequency. A week later, the station dropped the WJJZ call sign which closely identifies with the Jazz format, in favor of WNUW. There's a strong possibility, though, that the Smooth Jazz format may soon return to the 97.5-HD2 subchannel, now that it has been dropped from 106.1-HD2 to make room for a simulcast of Tropical station WUBA. In the meantime, Tozzi has created an online outlet to fill the void left by the removal of WJJZ.The two WJJZs ended their respective runs by playing songs by Philadelphia-based artists: The last song heard on the original 106.1 incarnation was "She's Gone" by Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates . Hall scored several Billboard chart hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, and is regarded as one of the best blue eyed soul singers...
, and the last one heard on the 97.5 revival was "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
. The new station on 97.5 is called "Now 97.5," with a playlist closer in comparison to that of heritage AC station WBEB
WBEB
WBEB is a radio station broadcasting a Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it serves the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1963 under the call sign WDVR. The station is currently owned by Jerry Lee...
(B101.1), but with a strong emphasis on newer songs, as suggested by its slogan: "A Younger Approach to Today's Soft Rock."
End of Now 97.5 and beginning of 97.5 The Fanatic
Most recently, WNUW has flipped to sports, simulcasting sister station 950 AM WPENWPEN (AM)
WPEN is an AM radio station broadcast on 950 kHz. The station is licensed to Philadelphia and serves that market. WPEN is owned and operated by Greater Media and offers a Sports Talk format. The station is known as "950 ESPN"-The Early Years:...
and changing their call letters to WPEN-FM. The new slogan is "Philly's First FM Sports Station".