WYAB
Encyclopedia
WYAB 103.9 FM
(formerly 93.1 FM) is a radio station
serving the city of Jackson, Mississippi
, including Madison County
, Yazoo County
, Rankin County
, and Hinds County
. The studios of WYAB are located within the Cotton Exchange Plaza in Flora, Mississippi
.
. The allotment was created by a company known as Dri-Two, Inc. to serve as a "sister" FM station to the now silent WAZF 1230 AM, also licensed to Yazoo City. The vacant allotment sat without an actual broadcast station occupying its place from 1984 until 1995, when Mississippi College
, license holder of WHJT 93.5 FM, petitioned the FCC to have the allotment removed from the Table. The college intended to upgrade the facilities of WHJT in nearby Clinton
from 3,000 watts to 6,000 watts, something that could not have been accomplished with interference from a potential station on 93.7 FM in Yazoo City. After some public interest in the retaining the allotment at Yazoo City, the FCC developed an alternate solution that could accommodate all parties. The FCC moved the vacant allotment from 93.7 FM to 93.1 FM and granted the WHJT upgrade.
After making the frequency change in 1995, the FCC solicited interest from parties intent on building a radio station on 93.1 FM in Yazoo City. Although two parties expressed interest in the station during the frequency change stage (individual Clifton Thomas of Jackson and Dain Schult Radioactivity, Inc. of East Point, Georgia), a local third contender, Gordon ("Jerry") J. Lousteau, Jr., of WMGO 1370 AM in Canton
was the only person that responded to the FCC's public notice, and therefore his WMGO Broadcasting Corporation was granted the license. He placed the station on the air in 1997 and it was known as WMGO-FM. The original studio was located at 1307 East Broadway Street in Yazoo City.
In April, 2003, the WMGO Broadcasting Corporation sold the station to SSR Communications, Inc., and to avoid confusion of the still operating WMGO 1370 AM in Canton, SSR changed the WMGO-FM call letters to WYAB, branding it "B93: Central Mississippi's Oldies Leader". Approximately one year later, SSR moved the WYAB air studio to the Cotton Exchange Plaza in Flora, a town approximately 22 miles (35.4 km) south of Yazoo City.
In January, 2005, WYAB's city of license was changed from Yazoo City to the town of Benton, a community approximately six miles east of Yazoo City. This change in city of license was necessary for WYAB to move its tower approximately ten miles south of its original location. Then, in December, 2005, WYAB began broadcast operations from its new tower site ten miles (16 km) south of Benton.
In February, 2008, WYAB received approval from the FCC to change its broadcast frequency from 93.1 MHz to 103.9 MHz and (once again) relocate its tower closer to Flora, which is where the air studio is located. Concurrent with that action, the FCC allowed WYAB to change its community of license from Benton to Flora, marking the third different community of license that the station has had in its relative short history.
On August 28, 2008, WYAB began broadcasting from a tower site approximately five miles northeast of Flora. Concurrent with this latest tower move, WYAB migrated formats from oldies
to talk radio
. For a short time thereafter, WYAB had still retained some ties to its Oldies music origins, as it aired a weekly three-hour long Oldies show on an irregular schedule every weekend (most often dictated by its weekend sports schedule).
Just five months later, on January 24, 2009, WYAB moved again to a tower three miles (5 km) southeast of Flora, the fourth different broadcast facility for the station. At the same time, WYAB announced that it would become the new flagship radio station of the Mississippi Braves
Minor League baseball team.
On September 13, 2010, WYAB moved once again to a new 400 feet (121.9 m) tower in Hinds County, approximately six miles northwest of Jackson. Thus, from December, 2005 to September, 2010, the station had broadcast from five different antenna locations, moving approximately 26 miles (41.8 km) closer to Jackson (when compared to the original tower location) in the process.
, gaining national attention within the broadcast industry as one of the first owners to attempt to sell a radio station via an Internet auction. The purchase price was listed at $210,000.00, with the listing reading:
Ultimately, the listing for WMGO-FM garnered no qualified bidders. SSR Communications, Inc. purchased the station from Mr. Lousteau after the extensive press coverage within broadcast trade publications regarding the attempted eBay sale.
, Clark Howard
, Todd Schnitt
, Kim Wade, Michael Savage
, Rusty Humphries
, Phil Hendrie
, Bill Handel
, and Leo Laporte
.
WYAB is the sole local affiliate of Louisiana State University
athletics, including football, men's basketball, and baseball.
WYAB is also the "flagship
" home for Madison-Ridgeland Academy
and Tri County Academy football, boy's and girls basketball, and baseball. WYAB also serves Ridgeland High School with select live broadcasts of its boy's and girls basketball games, as well as its baseball team.
WYAB airs many local and community-oriented programs as well numerous public affairs programming, and special events and news reporting as well.
on 103.9 FM from a site six miles (10 km) northwest of Jackson with 5,000 watt
s of effective radiated power
. The tower is located on F.O.A. Road in Jackson, Mississippi. Full power broadcasts began at 2:45 p.m. on September 13, 2010. The tower is the fifth broadcast site that the station has had over the course of its (relatively short) history. The population served within WYAB's 60 dBu (1.0 mV/m) coverage area is approximately 384,354 persons.
From January, 2009, until September, 2010, WYAB had broadcast on a 140 feet (42.7 m) high tower three miles (5 km) southeast of Flora, on top of Mount Leopard.
From August, 2008, until January, 2009, WYAB's broadcasts were from a 340 feet (103.6 m) high tower five miles (8 km) northeast of Flora. Tower construction started on August 20, 2008 with broadcast operations commencing at 5:35 a.m. on August 28, 2008. The first song played was the "Theme from Star Trek, the Original Series".
From December, 2005, until August, 2008, WYAB had broadcast on 93.1 FM from a 400 feet (121.9 m) high tower nine miles (14 km) north of Flora with the same power level. Tower construction started in November 2005 with broadcast operations commencing at 8:15 p.m. on December 13, 2005. The first song played was "Georgia On My Mind
", as performed by Ray Charles
. At the time, the population served within WYAB's 60 dBu (1.0 mV/m) coverage area was approximately 161,000 persons. The tower still stands today, presently unoccupied.
Prior to December, 2005, WYAB's broadcast tower facility was located at a site near Benton
. The former 328 feet (100 m) high WYAB tower was dismantled in December 2006 after sitting unused for approximately one year.
All four towers were designed, manufactured, erected, or maintained by the J. Crow Towerworks company of Philadelphia, Mississippi
.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
(formerly 93.1 FM) is a radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
serving the city of Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, including Madison County
Madison County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 74,674 people, 27,219 households, and 19,325 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile . There were 28,781 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
, Yazoo County
Yazoo County, Mississippi
-National protected area:*Hillside National Wildlife Refuge *Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge-History:The area which is now Yazoo County was acquired by the State of Mississippi from the Choctaw Indians in 1820. Yazoo County was established on January 21, 1823. It was the 19th county...
, Rankin County
Rankin County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile . There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile...
, and Hinds County
Hinds County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 250,800 people, 91,030 households, and 62,355 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 100,287 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile...
. The studios of WYAB are located within the Cotton Exchange Plaza in Flora, Mississippi
Flora, Mississippi
Flora is a town in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,546 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Flora is located at ....
.
History
WYAB originally began as WAZF-FM in 1984 as a vacant allotment in the FCC's Table of Allotments, which is essentially a community-by-community listing of all radio station channels and classes within the United States and its territories. The initial allotment was for a 3,000 Watt station to broadcast on 93.7 FM to serve Yazoo CityYazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the...
. The allotment was created by a company known as Dri-Two, Inc. to serve as a "sister" FM station to the now silent WAZF 1230 AM, also licensed to Yazoo City. The vacant allotment sat without an actual broadcast station occupying its place from 1984 until 1995, when Mississippi College
Mississippi College
Mississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
, license holder of WHJT 93.5 FM, petitioned the FCC to have the allotment removed from the Table. The college intended to upgrade the facilities of WHJT in nearby Clinton
Clinton, Mississippi
Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 23,347 at the 2000 United States Census.-History:...
from 3,000 watts to 6,000 watts, something that could not have been accomplished with interference from a potential station on 93.7 FM in Yazoo City. After some public interest in the retaining the allotment at Yazoo City, the FCC developed an alternate solution that could accommodate all parties. The FCC moved the vacant allotment from 93.7 FM to 93.1 FM and granted the WHJT upgrade.
After making the frequency change in 1995, the FCC solicited interest from parties intent on building a radio station on 93.1 FM in Yazoo City. Although two parties expressed interest in the station during the frequency change stage (individual Clifton Thomas of Jackson and Dain Schult Radioactivity, Inc. of East Point, Georgia), a local third contender, Gordon ("Jerry") J. Lousteau, Jr., of WMGO 1370 AM in Canton
Canton, Mississippi
Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi. The population was 12,911 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of the metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Jackson....
was the only person that responded to the FCC's public notice, and therefore his WMGO Broadcasting Corporation was granted the license. He placed the station on the air in 1997 and it was known as WMGO-FM. The original studio was located at 1307 East Broadway Street in Yazoo City.
In April, 2003, the WMGO Broadcasting Corporation sold the station to SSR Communications, Inc., and to avoid confusion of the still operating WMGO 1370 AM in Canton, SSR changed the WMGO-FM call letters to WYAB, branding it "B93: Central Mississippi's Oldies Leader". Approximately one year later, SSR moved the WYAB air studio to the Cotton Exchange Plaza in Flora, a town approximately 22 miles (35.4 km) south of Yazoo City.
In January, 2005, WYAB's city of license was changed from Yazoo City to the town of Benton, a community approximately six miles east of Yazoo City. This change in city of license was necessary for WYAB to move its tower approximately ten miles south of its original location. Then, in December, 2005, WYAB began broadcast operations from its new tower site ten miles (16 km) south of Benton.
In February, 2008, WYAB received approval from the FCC to change its broadcast frequency from 93.1 MHz to 103.9 MHz and (once again) relocate its tower closer to Flora, which is where the air studio is located. Concurrent with that action, the FCC allowed WYAB to change its community of license from Benton to Flora, marking the third different community of license that the station has had in its relative short history.
On August 28, 2008, WYAB began broadcasting from a tower site approximately five miles northeast of Flora. Concurrent with this latest tower move, WYAB migrated formats from 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....
to talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
. For a short time thereafter, WYAB had still retained some ties to its Oldies music origins, as it aired a weekly three-hour long Oldies show on an irregular schedule every weekend (most often dictated by its weekend sports schedule).
Just five months later, on January 24, 2009, WYAB moved again to a tower three miles (5 km) southeast of Flora, the fourth different broadcast facility for the station. At the same time, WYAB announced that it would become the new flagship radio station of the Mississippi Braves
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
Minor League baseball team.
On September 13, 2010, WYAB moved once again to a new 400 feet (121.9 m) tower in Hinds County, approximately six miles northwest of Jackson. Thus, from December, 2005 to September, 2010, the station had broadcast from five different antenna locations, moving approximately 26 miles (41.8 km) closer to Jackson (when compared to the original tower location) in the process.
2002 Listing on eBay
WYAB (then WMGO-FM) holds a rather unusual distinction in the annals of radio station transaction history. In April 2002, then-owner Jerry Lousteau placed the radio station up for sale on eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
, gaining national attention within the broadcast industry as one of the first owners to attempt to sell a radio station via an Internet auction. The purchase price was listed at $210,000.00, with the listing reading:
Name your own format. Be your own boss. You are bidding on the assets of the station, including tower, antenna, and studios. This is not a toy. Covers over 100,000 people!
Ultimately, the listing for WMGO-FM garnered no qualified bidders. SSR Communications, Inc. purchased the station from Mr. Lousteau after the extensive press coverage within broadcast trade publications regarding the attempted eBay sale.
Format and programming
When the station was put on the air in 1997, it had broadcast Oldies hits from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. In August, 2008, the station migrated to a talk radio format, featuring personalities such as Dennis MillerDennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
, Clark Howard
Clark Howard
Clark Howard , is a popular U.S. talk radio host of the nationally syndicated consumer advocate program The Clark Howard Show. The show covers consumer and financial news, with advice on how to spend less, save more and avoid rip-offs...
, Todd Schnitt
Todd Schnitt
Todd Andrew Schnitt is an American radio personality. Schnitt hosts two different shows daily from the Clear Channel Broadcast complex in Tampa, Florida...
, Kim Wade, Michael Savage
Michael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, Rusty Humphries
Rusty Humphries
Ralph E. "Rusty" Humphries is an American radio host, conservative political commentator, and songwriter. Humphries' nationally-syndicated radio show, The Rusty Humphries Show, based in Atlanta, Georgia, airs on over 250 stations through Talk Radio Network.-Career:Humphries has hosted as a...
, Phil Hendrie
Phil Hendrie
Philip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
, Bill Handel
Bill Handel
William Wolf Handel is the director and founder of the Center for Surrogate Parenting and an AM radio personality in Los Angeles, California....
, and Leo Laporte
Leo Laporte
Léo Gordon Laporte is an Emmy Award winning, American technology broadcaster, author, and entrepreneur. A former resident of Providence, Rhode Island, he now lives in Petaluma, California with his wife Jennifer and two children, Abby and Henry....
.
WYAB is the sole local affiliate of Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
athletics, including football, men's basketball, and baseball.
WYAB is also the "flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
" home for Madison-Ridgeland Academy
Madison-Ridgeland Academy
Madison-Ridgeland Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory school, located off Old Canton Road in Madison, Mississippi, U.S.A.. MRA offers educational opportunities for students from K-3 through 12th grade. Greg Self is the current principal and Tommy Thompson is the current...
and Tri County Academy football, boy's and girls basketball, and baseball. WYAB also serves Ridgeland High School with select live broadcasts of its boy's and girls basketball games, as well as its baseball team.
WYAB airs many local and community-oriented programs as well numerous public affairs programming, and special events and news reporting as well.
Broadcast site history
Currently, WYAB broadcastsFM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
on 103.9 FM from a site six miles (10 km) northwest of Jackson with 5,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of 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...
. The tower is located on F.O.A. Road in Jackson, Mississippi. Full power broadcasts began at 2:45 p.m. on September 13, 2010. The tower is the fifth broadcast site that the station has had over the course of its (relatively short) history. The population served within WYAB's 60 dBu (1.0 mV/m) coverage area is approximately 384,354 persons.
From January, 2009, until September, 2010, WYAB had broadcast on a 140 feet (42.7 m) high tower three miles (5 km) southeast of Flora, on top of Mount Leopard.
From August, 2008, until January, 2009, WYAB's broadcasts were from a 340 feet (103.6 m) high tower five miles (8 km) northeast of Flora. Tower construction started on August 20, 2008 with broadcast operations commencing at 5:35 a.m. on August 28, 2008. The first song played was the "Theme from Star Trek, the Original Series".
From December, 2005, until August, 2008, WYAB had broadcast on 93.1 FM from a 400 feet (121.9 m) high tower nine miles (14 km) north of Flora with the same power level. Tower construction started in November 2005 with broadcast operations commencing at 8:15 p.m. on December 13, 2005. The first song played was "Georgia On My Mind
Georgia on My Mind
"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell . It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael. However, the lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer either to the state or...
", as performed by Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
. At the time, the population served within WYAB's 60 dBu (1.0 mV/m) coverage area was approximately 161,000 persons. The tower still stands today, presently unoccupied.
Prior to December, 2005, WYAB's broadcast tower facility was located at a site near Benton
Benton, Mississippi
Benton is an unincorporated community in Yazoo County in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Mississippi Highway 433 divides the community. Benton is also served by the Zip Code 39039. Benton was the county seat of Yazoo County from 1829 to 1848. It is home to Benton Academy, one of only two major...
. The former 328 feet (100 m) high WYAB tower was dismantled in December 2006 after sitting unused for approximately one year.
All four towers were designed, manufactured, erected, or maintained by the J. Crow Towerworks company of Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia is a city in and the county seat of Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
Audience demographics
WYAB's primary audience is between the ages of 45 and 64, with men making up a slight majority of the listeners. During certain dayparts, such as during the Doctor Laura Schlessinger Show, however, WYAB's audience is skewed heavily in favor of women 25-64. WYAB also broadcasts numerous sports teams, which attract a large male audience.Staff
WYAB's current staff members:- Mike Adkins: Chief Engineer
- Kimberly Armstrong: Sales
- Cliff Bowen: News Director / General Sales Manager
- Charles Janos: Sales
- Jeff Van: Sports / Sales
- Danielle Wesolowski: Accounting
- Matthew Wesolowski: General Manager / Sales
- Josh West: Sports Director / Sales