WTSX

Infobox Radio Station
name = WTSX


area = Port Jervis, New York
branding = The Fox
airdate = May 11 1979 (as WDLC)/July 3 1984 (as WTSX)
slogan = "Today's Hit's and Yesterday's Favorites"
frequency = 96.7 (MHz)
format = Talk/Music (AC)
erp = 3,000 watts
haat = 91 meters
class = A
owner = PJ Radio, L.L.C.
operatior = Sunrise Broadcasting
sister stations = WGNY-FM
website = [http://www.foxradio.net foxradio.net]
callsign_meaning = Tri State eXellence

WTSX is a radio station in Port Jervis, New York. The station is owned by Port Jervis Broadcasting, but operated under a local management agreement by Sunrise Broadcasting. They now offer a simulcast of Fox 103.1 WGNY-FM playing an AC format.

History

This station began operation on October 23 1970 as WDLC-FM. The station ran a Country Music format initially. Their AM station played a Middle Of The Road (MOR) music format playing songs from the 1940s up to and including current product. The stations WDLC 1490 and 96.7 WDLC FM were owned by Oscar Wein and family. His son Bob Wein along with the rest of the family were active with the station.

By the mid 1970s the FCC relaxed simulcast restrictions between AM and FM radio stations. Because WDLC-FM was automated, they decided to begin simulcasting both stations. WDLC and WDLC-FM, upon simulcasting, continued the MOR format from 5 to 10 a.m. as well as from 3 to 7 p.m.; played Country music from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and instrumental easy listening music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.. On Sundays, the station had many specialty shows.

In 1984 however, WDLC-FM began separate programming from the AM station, and eventually changed call letters to its current name, WTSX. The new station began playing an Adult Contemporary format. Both WTSX and WDLC-AM did rather well in terms of ratings and profitability through the 1980s, and later that decade, Oscar Wein retired and his son Bob Wein took over operations.

In the 1990s, both stations began to have financial troubles. As a result, in 1997, half the staff (including WDLC's newly hired morning man and program director) was laid off and WTSX began to automate evenings and overnights. WDLC had automated several years before using a satellite delivered adult standards format. In September 1998 Robert Wein began leasing WDLC and WTSX to Nassau Broadcasting in a local marketing agreement. The airstaff and sales staff stayed, but now became Nassau Broadcasting employees.

Nassau changed WTSX to a 1964-1969-based Oldies format, mixing in some early 70's, late 50's and early 60's oldies as well. The ratings were low in the Southern Hudson Valley, but decent in the Sussex County radio market. However, in February 2001, Nassau sold the Local Marketing agreement of WDLC and WTSX to Clear Channel Communications, along with full ownership of WSUS, WNNJ, and WHCY.

Under Clear Channel, the station was modified to a 1964-to-1975-based oldies format, with a small amount of late 70's and pre-1964 songs. The station began to focus more on the 1970s as most FM oldies stations began to do.

In September 2004 the Local Marketing Agreement with Clear Channel expired, and Bob Wein opted not to renew it. As a result, most of the staff of the station, with the exception of their morning DJ Robert Oefinger (known on-air simply as "Bob-O"), remained under Clear Channel employ, and moved aspects of the Oldies format on WTSX to WNNJ 1360. This made Bob-O the only on-air personality at WTSX.

By this time, Bob Wein had once again assumed operational control of WTSX and WDLC, however, the jingles and advertisers which the station had been using were Clear Channel's, and as a result, the station had no jingles or advertisers for a few days. The oldies format deepened to include the hits of 1955 to 1990. The station was announcing that they were "building a new radio station". By November another local owner took over operations of the station, while Bob Wein retained ownership. New on-air personalities were added, and jingles and advertisers were finally back. It was thought that WTSX Fox 96.7 would remain an oldies station.

Then, in January 2005, Fox 96.7 dropped most of the pre-1964 oldies. Port Jervis Broadcasting had now bought the station from Bob Wein. In March 2005, they began a local marketing agreement with then-Hits 103.1 WGNY-FM from New Windsor, NY. The two stations combined airstaffs. Each station would have their own local show, and local news was brought back. However, after the local morning show each day, both stations shadowcast, meaning they both had the same announcers after 10 a.m., but played different songs at different times. More 80's and 90's music was added as well as some current and recent product.

At this point, 1490 WDLC began simulcasting a 1955 to 1972 Oldies format with 1220 WGNY-AM, New Windsor. The station were then known as Fox 96.7/Fox 103.1, and began playing an uptempo, gold-based rock, leaning adult contemporary format.

In November 2006, WTSX separated from WGNY-FM, and began airing a Country music format. Bob-O once again remains in the morning show spot, other shows include Mike Coleman's well known "Coleman Corral", and John Robert's "Radio Ranch".

On Satuday August 2 2008 WTSX returned to a simulcast of WGNY-FM with local breaks. The combined stations are known as Fox 96.7 and Fox 103.1. On air personalities have stated that the Fox Country format will relaunch on WGNY-FM HD3 in the near future.

External links

* [http://www.foxradio.net Fox 96.7/Fox 103.1 WTSX-FM website]
* [http://www.nassauholdings.com/NassauPressCenter/BroadcastingWEBPress/Radio%20stations%20retune.htm Article concerning station ownership]
*FMQ|WTSX
*FML|WTSX

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