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WPBZ-FM
WPBZ-FM (103.9 MHz, "Zoey 103.9") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Rensselaer, New York, and serving the Capital District, including the Albany–Schenectady–Troy radio market. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The studios and offices are on Kings Road in Schenectady.
WPBZ-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 6,000 watts, with its transmitter off Smultz Road in Glenmont, New York.
On December 1, 1972, the station signed on as WQBK-FM. It was owned by the People Communications Corporation and was the FM simulcast of WQBK 1300 AM (now WGDJ).
WQBK was a daytimer, required to go off the air at night. WQBK-FM was able to continue the AM station's middle of the road programming after dark for listeners with FM radios.
In the early 1970s, some FM stations around the country were experimenting with Free Form music hosted by youthful disc jockeys. By early 1975, WQBK-FM began to air progressive rock, starting each afternoon at 4 p.m., with the earlier hours of the day still being a simulcast of WQBK. The rock music proved popular and WQBK-FM flipped to a full-time progressive rock format in August 1975. The original broadcast day was 7 a.m.-1 a.m., with WQBK-FM signing off overnight. The station began promoting itself as WQBK-FM... The Progressive 104. Two years later, WQBK-FM debuted the simpler Q104 branding for the station.
In 1980, former beautiful music station WHSH switched to a new format as WPYX, a more mainstream album rock format that only played the biggest selling albums. WPYX also had a full power signal while WQBK-FM was a Class A station, limited to only 3,000 watts. As a result, WQBK-FM saw its ratings slip. In 1984, the original owners sold the station, along with co-owned WQBK AM 1300, to Dick Berkson. Berkson tweaked WQBK-FM's format with its wide-ranging playlist to a more mainstream format with elements of the Big Chill rock (which had a heavy lean on 1960s hits). WQBK-FM was rebranded as The New QBK FM 104 with the slogan "The Rock That Matters".
The Big Chill format did not catch on. In 1987, the station relaunched as a more mainstream classic rock outlet, returning to the Q104 branding. During this period, the programming was harder-edged classic rock with a limited number of current songs, mainly new material from core artists of the time.
In 1988, WQBK and WQBK-FM were sold to Albany Broadcasting. In 1992, WQBK-FM began carrying the syndicated Howard Stern Show from New York City. Stern's show proved to be very popular in the Capital District, unseating the previous top morning show, WGY's Don Weeks, for the next thirteen years.
WPBZ-FM
WPBZ-FM (103.9 MHz, "Zoey 103.9") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Rensselaer, New York, and serving the Capital District, including the Albany–Schenectady–Troy radio market. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The studios and offices are on Kings Road in Schenectady.
WPBZ-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 6,000 watts, with its transmitter off Smultz Road in Glenmont, New York.
On December 1, 1972, the station signed on as WQBK-FM. It was owned by the People Communications Corporation and was the FM simulcast of WQBK 1300 AM (now WGDJ).
WQBK was a daytimer, required to go off the air at night. WQBK-FM was able to continue the AM station's middle of the road programming after dark for listeners with FM radios.
In the early 1970s, some FM stations around the country were experimenting with Free Form music hosted by youthful disc jockeys. By early 1975, WQBK-FM began to air progressive rock, starting each afternoon at 4 p.m., with the earlier hours of the day still being a simulcast of WQBK. The rock music proved popular and WQBK-FM flipped to a full-time progressive rock format in August 1975. The original broadcast day was 7 a.m.-1 a.m., with WQBK-FM signing off overnight. The station began promoting itself as WQBK-FM... The Progressive 104. Two years later, WQBK-FM debuted the simpler Q104 branding for the station.
In 1980, former beautiful music station WHSH switched to a new format as WPYX, a more mainstream album rock format that only played the biggest selling albums. WPYX also had a full power signal while WQBK-FM was a Class A station, limited to only 3,000 watts. As a result, WQBK-FM saw its ratings slip. In 1984, the original owners sold the station, along with co-owned WQBK AM 1300, to Dick Berkson. Berkson tweaked WQBK-FM's format with its wide-ranging playlist to a more mainstream format with elements of the Big Chill rock (which had a heavy lean on 1960s hits). WQBK-FM was rebranded as The New QBK FM 104 with the slogan "The Rock That Matters".
The Big Chill format did not catch on. In 1987, the station relaunched as a more mainstream classic rock outlet, returning to the Q104 branding. During this period, the programming was harder-edged classic rock with a limited number of current songs, mainly new material from core artists of the time.
In 1988, WQBK and WQBK-FM were sold to Albany Broadcasting. In 1992, WQBK-FM began carrying the syndicated Howard Stern Show from New York City. Stern's show proved to be very popular in the Capital District, unseating the previous top morning show, WGY's Don Weeks, for the next thirteen years.