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WGY-FM (103.1 Hertz) is a commercial radio radio station licensed to Albany, New York. It a talk radio radio format with sister station WGY 810 AM. They are owned by iHeartMedia with studios on Troy-Schenectady Road in Lathan.
WGY-FM is a Class A FM station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 5,600 . Its non-directional antenna is off Lape Road in North Greenbush, New York, near U.S. Route 4. Radio-Locator.com/WGY-FM
Weekends feature shows on money, health, law, retirement and religion. Syndicated weekend programs include Bill Handel, The Weekend with Michael Brown, Armstrong & Getty and Sunday Night with Bill Cunningham. Most hours nights and weekends begin with an update from Fox News Radio.
The easy listening format gradually added more soft vocals to the playlist the next two decades. It eventually eliminated all but a few instrumentals and made the transition to soft adult contemporary in 1987. It was known as "Easy 103.1" and "The Breeze".
WHRL enjoyed success in the smooth jazz format. Radio & Records reported on WHRL's "net gains" success on August 25, 1995, noting "WHRL Albany climbed from about a half share to over two in the same demo for a 214% increase." Similarly, in 1997, Radio & Records reported that "WHRL surged 2.5-3.4 12+." Before transitioning to all-smooth jazz, WHRL had played operas on the weekend and big band, only playing smooth jazz on the morning drive, but these were scrapped and WHRL added Dayparting, or segments during the day, of smooth jazz. The change was well received. Brant Curtiss, the Operations Manager at the time said that "listener reaction, via phones and e-mail, has been extremely positive. WHRL went from two or three daily complaints (some urging them to convert more quickly) to a over dozen listeners each day asking for title and album information of the new music they had begun playing. Smooth jazz is not just wallpaper music in Albany."
At this time, the new smooth jazz format was marketed with word-of-mouth because there was not the kind of budget for a large television and print campaign like smooth jazz stations in larger markets could afford. In this effort, WHRL launched its website in 1997, as well as a "Jazz Club" that listeners could join. In going through this change to all-smooth jazz, WHRL more than doubled its cume (cumulative audience) from 1996 to 1997. The station's "Today's Jazz" iteration logo had 103.1 on top of "TODAY'S JAZZ" written in a stylized font, above the station number which appeared on the bottom.
Today's Jazz used clips from Spyro Gyra's "Morning Dance" and Rick Braun's "Club Harlem" featuring Peter White as bumpers. WHRL aimed for "stress management" with its song list and format. In 1999, Brant Curtiss, then DJ, Station Programmer, and Director/Creative Services for WHRL described the station:
"Our ratings rise continuously through the day. During evenings with our 'Today's Jazz Tonight' and 'Lights Out' programs, the numbers go through the roof - No. 1 and 2 in certain demos - and we are kicking the hell out of 41 stations in Albany. That's because the format fits the function, and our function is stress management. When people leave work and are driving home, we're like a decompression chamber for them. It's sad, but our morning show is almost not a factor: middays are more like morning for us. That doesn't mean you should waste mornings; you've got to go after it. With great songs like "Urban Turban," Kombo and Brian Tarquin "Darlin' Darlin' Baby," you can pump up your sound. They have very strong hooks. Songs that are very smooth complement them and offer balance."
In 1997, Dame Media hired Peter Baumann as station manager of WHRL "Today's Jazz". Previously, Baumann had been director of sales for other Capital District Radio Stations WPYX and WTRY. Another Dame Media hire in that year was Brant Curtiss as operations manager for WHRL. Previously Curtiss had been production director of stations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Dame Media Inc. was acquired by Clear Channel Communications Inc. in 1998 for $85 million in stock and debt.
The station published a newsletter called "WHRL Smooth Jazz Scene" that featured "the lowdown on upcoming events plus cool photos of your favorite WHRL personalities". The newsletter could be picked up in the Capitol region at over twenty retail locations. In 1997, WHRL acquired a station van that had the 103.1 "Today's Jazz" logo emblazoned on the side.
In response to the public support of WHRL 103.1, Albany Broadcasting (now Pamal Broadcasting) picked up the smooth jazz format for its 104.9 WINU. Albany Broadcasting's Vice President of Programming concurred.
Today's Jazz WHRL continued to sponsor and promote jazz in the Capital Region right up until its departure in October 1999; for example, WHRL sponsored A Night of Jazz at the New York State Museum on September 9, 1999, featuring a live performance by jazz guitarist Dwight Sills.
In January 2005, 104.9 FM was still playing Christmas music for a few more days. It switched to country music, simulcasting co-owned "Froggy Country 107.1" in Glens Falls.
In 2009, WHRL adopted iHeartMedia's Premium Choice active rock format, becoming musically identical outside of morning drive time to sister stations KOKQ in Oklahoma City and KIOC in Beaumont. WHRL became the third active rock station in the Albany market in addition to competitors WZMR and WQBK-FM. During this period, the Albany market had the highest number of active rock stations for an American radio market, until WINU flipped to country music on February 26, 2010.
Throughout its history as a rock station, it played many Alternative rock, Punk rock, Goth subculture, emo, and metal bands and artists, including Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Korn, Linkin Park, Slipknot, and Atreyu. The station also held concerts known as the Channel 103-1 Big Day Out every summer until 2010, featuring modern and active rock artists.
At 12:01 AM on September 20, 2010, WHRL played its last song, "New Divide" by Linkin Park. WHRL dropped its active rock format and began simulcasting the same programming as 810 WGY. In addition, the station changed its call sign to WGY-FM. (A co-owned station on 99.5 FM, now WRVE, had been called WGY-FM from 1988 to 1994.)
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