WTSS

Infobox_Radio_station | name = WTSS


city = Buffalo
area = Buffalo, NY
branding = Star 102.5
slogan = "Home of the 9 to 5 No Repeat Workday"
airdate = 1934 "(as W8XH)"
frequency = 102.5 MHz HD Radio
format = Hot Adult Contemporary/Christmas music
power =
erp = 110,000 watts
class = B
callsign_meaning = W The Star Station
former_callsigns = W8XH (1934-1946)
WBEN-FM (1946-1987)
WMJQ (1987-2000)
owner = Entercom Communications
website = http://www.mystar1025.com

WTSS is an FM radio station located in Buffalo, New York. The station, branded as "Star 102.5", is located at 102.5 MHz and is owned by the Entercom Communications. The station's transmitter is located west of Colden, New York, in south Buffalo.

The station itself is the oldest radio station in America currently on FM, signing on in 1934 as an ultra-shortwave station.

History

The station now known as WTSS actually began as early as 1934 as "W8XH", an ultra-shortwave radio station broadcasting at a wavelength of 5 meters, predating the country's first FM station by three years. The station broadcast on an interrupted schedule during World War II. In 1946, W8HX moved to 106.5 and became WBEN-FM (see WYRK).

The 102.5 frequency was first used by WBEN-FM when the station moved to that frequency from 106.5 and became "Rock 102" under the leadership of Roger Christian. The station has also operated as WMJQ, branded as "Majic 102" and "Q102", the latter of which lasted until the late 1990s. The "Star" moniker was adopted when Sinclair Broadcast Group bought the station at that time.

The station has, ever since the early 1980s, been a hot adult contemporary format geared heavily toward a female audience.

In 2006, WTSS began streaming its programming on the Internet.

Programming and playlists

Star's playlist consists of two categories, each of which takes about half of the playlist. One half consists of hits from the 1970s through the 1990s. The other half, which is shared with sister station WKSE, is current and recurrent hits. [http://yes.com/station/WTSS]

The station employs a number of gimmicks during the daily schedule, most notably a "9 to 5 No Repeat Workday" where no song is repeated between 9am and 5pm (if a song is repeated between these hours, the first caller through will win $1,000), 30-minute commercial-free music sweeps, and several 80s blocks, including a one-hour "80s after work" block that airs weekdays at 6:00 p.m. (formerly the "80s at 8"), and the three hour "Saturday Night 80s Party" at 7:00 p.m. The station shuffled its lineup in March 2008, eliminating an exercise-oriented "Cardio Radio" hour to make room for Entercom's syndicated women's lifestyle offering, "Your Time with Kim Iverson".

Star also switches to the moniker "Buffalo's Christmas Station" around the Thursday before Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, offering 100% Christmas music. After December 25, WTSS begins to ease back into its normal format; however Christmas music is still mixed within through January 1.

News is provided from sister station WBEN and weather comes from television station WGRZ.

In its regular format, artists frequently heard on WTSS include John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, KC and the Sunshine Band, the Dixie Chicks, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Phil Collins, Maroon 5, the Goo Goo Dolls, Billy Joel, Avril Lavigne, The Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Huey Lewis, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Nickelback.

DJs and programs

Local personalities include longtime morning jock Rob Lucas, Roger Christian (who has been with the station since the WBEN-FM era in the 1970s), Sue O'Neil, Brian Demay, and John Anthony.

The following syndicated programs air on WTSS: Your Time with Kim Iverson, Backtrax USA (both 80's and 90's versions) with Kid Kelly, American Top 20 with Casey Kasem, and Fox All Access with Chris Leary.

According to R&R - Radio and Records Magazine, WTSS is one of the leading Hot Adult Contemporary stations in the country, nominated for Hot AC Station of the Year in 2006 and 2007.

Broadcast signal

WTSS has the strongest FM signal in the western New York area. The station can be heard into the Rochester area, where it begins to interfere with WVOR, on the adjacent 102.3 frequency. East of WVOR, the station can sometimes still be heard along Lake Ontario until interference from WUMX in Utica factors in; it has been reported being heard as far east as SUNY Oswego. The signal can be heard going southwest well into Pennsylvania, and during good DXing conditions, can be heard into Erie. The station can also be heard into the Greater Toronto Area, where it has a mild signal that can be reached in most car radios. Some of WTSS' audiences comes from Toronto.

WTSS is the strongest FM signal in the Northeastern United States at 110,000 watts ERP, and in 2006 began broadcasting its signal in HD, offering an HD-2 side-channel called "The Delta", which features 100% Delta blues music.

External links

* [http://www.mystar1025.com Star 102.5 Official site]
*FMQ|WTSS
*FML|WTSS