KWYE

Infobox Radio Station


name = KWYE
airdate = December 13, 2006
frequency = 101.1 (MHz)
area = Fresno
format = Adult Contemporary
owner = Peak Broadcasting
erp = 10,000 watts
haat = 338 m
branding = "y101"
slogan = "80's, 90's, Now"
class = B
webcast = [http://www.y101hits.com/y101streaming.html Listen Live]
website = [http://www.y101hits.com/ www.y101hits.com]
callsign_meaning = The WYE (as in the word Wye) is sounded out from Y

KWYE is located in the Fresno, California area and broadcasts at 101.1 FM.

The original callsign for 101.1 FM was KARM-FM. KARM-FM was an automated easy listening station, subscribing to "The Century Sound" programming service. In late 1968, the call letters were changed to KFIG-FM and the format was changed to an "underground" rock format patterned after San Francisco's KMPX. This format lasted until the late 1970s, when the format was changed to Adult Contemporary, "Mellow Music". In 1984, the station adopted the "Yes/No Radio" format, where several times a day KFIG would play a song and invite listeners to call in and vote on whether or not KFIG should continue playing that song. After the "Yes/No Radio" format was retired, the station went back to being a regular Adult Contemporary station.

In September, 1992, the callsign was changed to KSXY. Despite the obvious connotation of "Sexy" implied by that callsign, station management initially insisted that they were NOT meaning to imply "Sexy" by that choice of callsign. For about six months, the airstaff read the call letters as K-S (pause) X-Y. After that time, the station nickname was changed to "Sexy 101.1".

Sexy 101.1 lasted until Headliner Broadcasting sold the station to EBE Broadcasting, who owned KNAX and KFRE-AM. The new owners changed the format of KSXY to country. They heralded the format change by playing nothing but Garth Brooks music under the "101.1 K-Garth" name. After that stunt had run it's course, "Froggy Country 101.1" KRBT took over the frequency. Froggy Country was a satellite format and did not make much of a ratings impact in the Fresno market.

When the station was sold to Infinity Broadcasting, owners of KSKS, the format was changed to a Modern A/C format with the nickname of "Star 101". The callsign was changed to KVSR at that time. Star 101 was successful until KTHT changed format to "Alice", which gave them some competition. Both stations competed with the format until Star 101 threw in the towel, becoming Y 101.

On December 13, 2006 new owners Peak Broadcasting pulled the plug on KWYE's Top 40 format for Adult Contemporary, billing themselves as the place for "Today's Hits, Yesterday Favorites." The reason for this might have to do with Fresno/Hanford/Visalia radio market already being saturated with two other Top 40s, Rhythmic rivals KBOS and KSEQ; it may also pertain to the recent addition of KFJK (JACK FM), the format of which the new Y 101 is based on. Although KWYE maintained good ratings in the market, it wasn't enough to overtake the Rhythmics, especially in a market with a large Hispanic population.

Recently, KWYE has tweaked its format to include more current hits, dropping the hits from the 70's from their playlist, and changing their slogan to "80's, 90's, Now."

Old Logo

External links

* [http://www.y101hits.com/ KWYE]
*FMQ|KWYE
*FML|KWYE