WBPM

Infobox Radio station
name = WBPM


city = Saugerties, New York
area = Hudson Valley, lower Capital District
branding = "Classic Hits 92.9"
slogan =
airdate = October 22, 1999
frequency = 92.9 MHz
format = Classic Hits
erp = 6,000 watts
haat = 88 meters
class = A
callsign_meaning = World's Best Popular Music (internal slogan from former home of 94.3 FM)
former_callsigns = WRKW (1999-2004)
owner = Pamal Broadcasting
licensee = 6 Johnson Road Licenses, Inc.
website = http://www.wbpmfm.com
sister_stations = WBNR, WGHQ, WHUD, WLNA, WSPK, WXPK

WBPM (92.9 FM, "Classic Hits 92.9") is a Classic Hits music formatted radio station licensed to Saugerties, New York and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley, Catskills, and lower Capital District of New York state. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts at 6,000 watts ERP from the a tower in the town of Ulster, New York.

The WBPM calls were previously on 94.3 MHz from 1975 to 2003, that station is today known as WKXP. The resurfacing of the WBPM calls and "Cool" moniker on 92.9 came alongside the launch of the oldies format in 2004, which 94.3 had abandoned in 2003. Though the oldies format and Cool name are gone, the WBPM call letters remained when the station flipped to Classic Hits in early 2007.

History

The 92.9 frequency was added to the FCC's Table of Allotments in late 1997, becoming a construction permit won by then-WRNQ/WKIP/WTND owner Eric Straus a year later. In its preparation to reach the air, its tower site changed (from WDST's original tower in Lake Katrine to a defunct AT&T microwave tower site in the Town of Kingson) given that a feasibility study showed that from the former very little signal would reach the main target market of Poughkeepsie.

In August 1999, the frequency gained the WRKW calls, signed on for testing that October 23rd, and made a full launch on November 1. WRKW's launch format was a Classic Hits-esque format called "Quality Rock" which was automated and jockless outside of the syndicated Bob & Tom morning show (though later a voicetracked PM drive jock and the syndicated weekend show "The Beatle Years" were added). Considering that the same music was available on the far stronger WPDH, the frequency began its life at the bottom of the ratings and struggled to make a showing.

After Clear Channel Communications purchased Straus' stations in 2000, rumors of a format flip were imminent among the poor performance and lack of resources given to the station; however, Straus had locked into a long-term deal with the programming firm who programmed Quality Rock. When these deals ran out in early 2002, improvements were made to the frequency and on June 26 of that year the station entered a 26-hour long stunt of Eminem's "Without Me. The next day, WRKW relaunched as active rock "92.9 Rock." Unlike its predecessor, the station launched with DJ's taken from sister stations and a heavy promotion blitz and quickly became a middle-of-the pack radio station.

From the outset of the new format, rumors of the station picking up the "Wakin' Up with The Wolf" program from sister WPYX in Albany (which originated at WPDH and has several Hudson Valley alumni on staff) circulated and, in March 2003, the show began airing on the station. However, the returns were lower than planned given that the show was a bit too "Albany-centric" and numbers were a bit lower than expected. Given the lack of compatibility of the format with the rest of the cluster and the struggles of the active rock format, its future was already in doubt.

On May 26 2004, WRKW flipped to oldies as "Cool 92.9" and soon thereafter took the WBPM calls which had served nearly three decades on 94.3 FM and with air staff formerly of that station and oldies predecessor WCZX.

In late May 2006, it was announced that WBPM and sister station WGHQ would be swapped to Pamal Broadcasting along with Clear Channel's Rutland, Vermont cluster and a station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for WRNX in Amherst, Massachusetts. The deal would make WBPM a sister station to market leaders WSPK and WHUD as well as WBNR and WLNA.

Although fairly successful as an oldies station considering its signal problems, the sale from Clear Channel to Pamal brought about talks of a format change. When Pamal took control of the station on February 1, 2007, the station flipped to Classic Hits at 12:00 p.m. that day after twelve hours of stunting. The programming of the station is rock-leaning music from 1964-89, described by the station as "the biggest hits from oldies and rock, pop, Hot AC and some great new wave hits of the 80s [with] a broad variety of proven and familiar hits." Currently, the station is programmed by Randy Turner, formerly of WCZX (sister station of WPDH, arguably the station's biggest rival).

Personalities

Current notable on-air personalities on WBPM include "The Electric Morning Show" hosts Jack Hammer and Andre Kane, mid-day host J.J. Carter, and afternoon drive host Randy Turner. Weekend programming includes Kid Kelly's "BackTrax 80's", Randy Turner's "The Music Blimp" with new wave and alternative rock of the 80's and beyond, and "Traci Adair on the Air".

External links

* [http://www.wbpmfm.com/home.php WBPM Classic Hits 92.9 official website]
*FMQ|WBPM
*FML|WBPM
*FMARB|WBPM