WYST
Encyclopedia
WIBL known as "The Bull", is a broadcast
radio station
in Central Illinois
with a Country music
format. WYST, licensed to Fairbury, Illinois
in the Bloomington-Normal
market, broadcasts at 107.7 MHz with an effective radiated power
of 22,000 Watts and is owned by Pilot Media, which is a subsidiary of Great Plains Media. Great Plains' CEO is Jerry Zimmer, a longtime partner in the Zimmer Radio Group based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
.
format, with Bob and Tom
in the morning. The jocks were all the same as on 99X, which was, at the time, WIXO on its original Bartonville frequency of 99.9.
When Cromwell sold their Peoria cluster in 2001, WBZM was not included in the sale. Operations were moved to Cromwell's Decatur cluster and WBZM quickly went on the sale block. At the end of 2001, AAA Entertainment purchased the signal and began simulcasting 96.7 WIHN
Normal, then later 99.5 WDQZ
Lexington.
On March 28, 2003, AAA debuted WYST, an AC station branded "Star 107.7". In June of 2003 the station's signal was upgraded and moved from Fairbury to Lexington, Illinois
.
In February 2007, the format was modified as "The Heart and Soul of the Twin Cities" which had more of a rhythmic lean than competitor 100.7 WVMG
.
In April 2007 the station began an LMA
with Great Plains Media. No immediate format changes were made.
On June 29, 2007, at Noon, just several days after the closing the sale on WYST, Great Plains Media flipped the format to Country as "107.7 The Bull." The station is the first to take on heritage WBWN in the Bloomington market. On August 17, 2010 WYST changed their call letters to WIBL to go with the "Bull" branding.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
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...
in Central Illinois
Central Illinois
Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western...
with a Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format. WYST, licensed to Fairbury, Illinois
Fairbury, Illinois
Fairbury is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,968 at the 2000 census.-We Hear You America:In November 2010, the fundraising committee for Dominy Memorial Library began encouraging Fairbury citizens to visit the Reader's Digest web site and "Cheer" for the...
in the Bloomington-Normal
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
Bloomington-Normal refers to the twin municipalities of Bloomington and Normal in McLean County, in Central Illinois. The combined population of the two communities in a special census in 2006 was 125,000.-Sports:...
market, broadcasts at 107.7 MHz with 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 22,000 Watts and is owned by Pilot Media, which is a subsidiary of Great Plains Media. Great Plains' CEO is Jerry Zimmer, a longtime partner in the Zimmer Radio Group based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
.
Frequency history
The station signed on in August 2000 as WBZM, 107.7 The Buzz. It was owned by Crowmwell Broadcasting, and was operated out of their Peoria cluster. It had an Alternative RockAlternative 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...
format, with Bob and Tom
The Bob & Tom Show
The Bob & Tom Show is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995....
in the morning. The jocks were all the same as on 99X, which was, at the time, WIXO on its original Bartonville frequency of 99.9.
When Cromwell sold their Peoria cluster in 2001, WBZM was not included in the sale. Operations were moved to Cromwell's Decatur cluster and WBZM quickly went on the sale block. At the end of 2001, AAA Entertainment purchased the signal and began simulcasting 96.7 WIHN
WIHN
WIHN, branded 96.7 I-Rock, is an FM active rock radio station on the Normal, Illinois frequency of 96.7 MHz and studios in Bloomington, Illinois in the Bloomington-Normal area...
Normal, then later 99.5 WDQZ
WDQZ
WZIM is a radio station serving the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The station airs a classic hits format. The station signed on in late 2001 as WCSO, with the call letters quickly changing to WDQZ. It was a Classic Hits simulcast with WDQX in Peoria. In December 2005 WDQX was sold, and the...
Lexington.
On March 28, 2003, AAA debuted WYST, an AC station branded "Star 107.7". In June of 2003 the station's signal was upgraded and moved from Fairbury to Lexington, Illinois
Lexington, Illinois
Lexington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census. There are two theories of its name. One says it was named for the Battle of Lexington, where General Gridley's father fought...
.
In February 2007, the format was modified as "The Heart and Soul of the Twin Cities" which had more of a rhythmic lean than competitor 100.7 WVMG
WVMG
WVMG, known as "Magic 100.7", is an Adult Contemporary radio station in the Bloomington-Normal market. It is owned and operated by Connoisseur Media, LLC, who also owns adult hits WBBE "Bob FM" in the Bloomington market.-External links:...
.
In April 2007 the station began an LMA
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with Great Plains Media. No immediate format changes were made.
On June 29, 2007, at Noon, just several days after the closing the sale on WYST, Great Plains Media flipped the format to Country as "107.7 The Bull." The station is the first to take on heritage WBWN in the Bloomington market. On August 17, 2010 WYST changed their call letters to WIBL to go with the "Bull" branding.