WFLY

Infobox Radio station


name = WFLY
airdate = 1950s
frequency = 92.3 MHz
erp = 17 kW
branding = FLY 92.3
callsign_meaning = W Frank Lord York (station founder)
area = Troy, New York
format = Contemporary Hit Radio
slogan = Albany's #1 Hit Music Station
owner = Pamal Broadcasting
licensee = 6 Johnson Road Licenses, Inc.
sister_stations = WAJZ, WKLI, WROW, WYJB, WZMR
coordinates = coord|42|38|16|N|73|59|55|W
website = [http://www.fly92.com/ www.fly92.com]

WFLY (Fly 92.3) is a Contemporary Hit Radio radio station licensed to Troy, New York and serving New York's Capital District as well as the surrounding areas, including the Adirondacks. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting (and was the first station purchased by that company) and broadcasts at 92.3 FM at 17 kilowatts ERP from the Helderberg Mountains antenna farm in New Scotland.

WFLY's Top 40 format, in place since 1976, is the second longest-running commercial format in Capital District radio and is one of the oldest "heritage" stations in the format.

History

WFLY signed on in the early 1950s as the radio station of the Troy Times-Record newspaper, then published by Frank Lord York. The station initially played classical music, for several years being part of a network which originated at WQXR in New York City, however by the late 1960s this became a losing proposition and in 1970 the station switched to a Top 40/Rock format. Though the station (the first commercial FM rock station in the Albany market) did very well with the new format, protests over the format flip among classical music listeners were intense and a partial victory was claimed in 1972 when the Times-Record sold WFLY to Muzak and the station flipped to an easy listening/classical hybrid. The partial return of classical was not successful given the sign-on of WMHT-FM as classical shortly before WFLY flipped and established three easy listening outlets in the market.

Muzak lost money on WFLY from the outset and sold the station in early 1976, after the sale the station flipped (back) to Top 40. The second go-around of Top 40 was the charm as WFLY caused the eventual deaths of AM powerhouses WTRY and WPTR in the following years and led to the deaths of most rivals though two (WGFM/WGY-FM from 1982-90 and WKKF since 2000) have survived for an extended period.

In July 2007, a number of personnel left WFLY, including afternoon jocks Mick Lee (to KKRZ in Portland, OR) and Christy Taylor (to sister station WZMR), overnight jock Mr. Alex (to NYC for commercial production), and promotions director JoAnn Razzano.

The current staff includes:

The FLY Morning Rush (Brian Cody, Chrissy Cavotta and Jim Clark) 5:30am-10amTerry O'Donnell on Middays 10am-2pmMarissa in the Afternoon 2pm-7pmTanch with the World Famous Night Show 7pm-12amEric V in the Overnight 12am-5:30am

In May 2008, it was announced that WFLY would be bringing back "Summer Jam," a concert the station is well known for but hasn't put on in almost a decade.

During the Summer of 2008 WFLY introduced a new format for their long running contest Last Student Standing. The contest, which had formerly been a last man standing, month long torture aboard a school bus, was converted into a reality show format coined "Reality Radio". 8 college students moved into an emptied out store in Clifton Park Center and voted each other out week after week.

External links

*fmq|WFLY
*fml|WFLY