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WBTZ
WBTZ (99.9 MHz "99.9 The Buzz") is a commercial FM radio station in Plattsburgh, New York, and serving the Plattsburgh area, the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area and Greater Montreal. The station is owned by Hall Communications, and airs an alternative rock radio format. On-air personalities include Pete Powers, Mays, and Johnny Utah. The station also plays the syndicated show Alternative Soundcheck.
WBTZ is one of a handful of stations in New York State with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts as a Class C outlet. The transmitter is located off The Ninety Road in Morrisonville. The studios are in Winooski, Vermont, and offices are in South Burlington.
On February 3, 1960, the station first signed on as WEAV-FM. It was put on the air by the Plattsburgh Broadcasting Company, owned by George F. Bissell, who also served as its General Manager. WEAV-FM was the sister station to WEAV. WEAV-FM simulcasted the full service middle of the road (MOR) music format heard on WEAV.
At the time, WEAV-FM was only powered at 3,700 watts, limited in coverage to the area around Plattsburgh. By the early 1970s, the simulcast ended as the AM station moved to a Top 40 format, while WEAV-FM stayed with MOR and easy listening music that was largely automated.
On December 24, 1973, the station switched its call sign to WGFB, using owner George F. Bissell's initials. Under the new call letters, WGFB at first continued its easy listening format, but with less chatter than the AM station.
Around 1980, WGFB switched to a mostly automated album rock format, while the AM station continued its Top 40 format with live DJs. As listening to contemporary music moved from AM to FM in the 1980s, the Plattsburgh Broadcasting Company decided to make a change. The Top 40 format moved over to the FM station while the AM station switched to a more adult direction, with a mix of adult contemporary music, talk and news from CBS Radio News.
WGFB called itself "B-100", because on an analog tuner, 99.9 MHz was close enough to FM 100. The power was also increased to 10,100 watts, giving B-100 coverage over the Canada–United States border into Montreal. The station began selling advertising in the much larger Montreal radio market, adding to its profitability, and competing against English-language Top 40 station CKGM (later switching to CHTX). At the time, Canadian rules said repetitive Top 40 formats could only be heard on AM radio and all stations had to play a considerable percentage of Canadian artists. Those rules limited Canadian FM stations to playing many non-hits, giving B-100 an advantage, heard in stereo on FM with all-hit music.
In the early 1990s, WGFB got an even bigger power boost, going to 100,000 watts. That is the maximum power permitted for American FM stations (other than a handful of grandfathered outlets). The height above average terrain also improved to 981 feet (299 m), giving WGFB even better coverage of Montreal, as well as into Burlington and other communities in Vermont. However, the income from Montreal advertisers trailed off when Canada imposed rules that tax deductions for advertising would only be permitted when the ads were placed on Canadian broadcast stations, not ones in the U.S.
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WBTZ
WBTZ (99.9 MHz "99.9 The Buzz") is a commercial FM radio station in Plattsburgh, New York, and serving the Plattsburgh area, the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area and Greater Montreal. The station is owned by Hall Communications, and airs an alternative rock radio format. On-air personalities include Pete Powers, Mays, and Johnny Utah. The station also plays the syndicated show Alternative Soundcheck.
WBTZ is one of a handful of stations in New York State with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts as a Class C outlet. The transmitter is located off The Ninety Road in Morrisonville. The studios are in Winooski, Vermont, and offices are in South Burlington.
On February 3, 1960, the station first signed on as WEAV-FM. It was put on the air by the Plattsburgh Broadcasting Company, owned by George F. Bissell, who also served as its General Manager. WEAV-FM was the sister station to WEAV. WEAV-FM simulcasted the full service middle of the road (MOR) music format heard on WEAV.
At the time, WEAV-FM was only powered at 3,700 watts, limited in coverage to the area around Plattsburgh. By the early 1970s, the simulcast ended as the AM station moved to a Top 40 format, while WEAV-FM stayed with MOR and easy listening music that was largely automated.
On December 24, 1973, the station switched its call sign to WGFB, using owner George F. Bissell's initials. Under the new call letters, WGFB at first continued its easy listening format, but with less chatter than the AM station.
Around 1980, WGFB switched to a mostly automated album rock format, while the AM station continued its Top 40 format with live DJs. As listening to contemporary music moved from AM to FM in the 1980s, the Plattsburgh Broadcasting Company decided to make a change. The Top 40 format moved over to the FM station while the AM station switched to a more adult direction, with a mix of adult contemporary music, talk and news from CBS Radio News.
WGFB called itself "B-100", because on an analog tuner, 99.9 MHz was close enough to FM 100. The power was also increased to 10,100 watts, giving B-100 coverage over the Canada–United States border into Montreal. The station began selling advertising in the much larger Montreal radio market, adding to its profitability, and competing against English-language Top 40 station CKGM (later switching to CHTX). At the time, Canadian rules said repetitive Top 40 formats could only be heard on AM radio and all stations had to play a considerable percentage of Canadian artists. Those rules limited Canadian FM stations to playing many non-hits, giving B-100 an advantage, heard in stereo on FM with all-hit music.
In the early 1990s, WGFB got an even bigger power boost, going to 100,000 watts. That is the maximum power permitted for American FM stations (other than a handful of grandfathered outlets). The height above average terrain also improved to 981 feet (299 m), giving WGFB even better coverage of Montreal, as well as into Burlington and other communities in Vermont. However, the income from Montreal advertisers trailed off when Canada imposed rules that tax deductions for advertising would only be permitted when the ads were placed on Canadian broadcast stations, not ones in the U.S.