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WYCD
WYCD (99.5 FM, "New Country 99-5 YCD") is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It airs a country music radio format, and is owned by Audacy, Inc. WYCD's offices and studios are on American Drive in Southfield, Michigan.
WYCD has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 17,500 watts, its transmitter, is on Radio Plaza in Ferndale. WYCD broadcasts using HD Radio technology.
In 1948, the 99.5 FM frequency was used by WCAR-FM in Pontiac, Michigan, it was the FM sister station of WCAR (now WDFN). In 1956, WCAR moved from Pontiac to Detroit, however few people owned FM radios in that era, so the FM signal was dropped, leaving 99.5 FM open in Detroit.
The 99.5 frequency returned to the air on May 4, 1960, as WABX, which began as a classical music station. It switched to Middle of the Road music in 1964. For a short period beginning in August 1967, the station adopted an all-female disc jockey staff during the day, in an era when women were rarely heard on the radio. They played jazz-oriented pop music and humorous bits. The idea came from Mickey Shorr, who was program manager and creative director of Century Broadcasting Corp., the station's owner.
During the fall of 1967, WABX began airing a new music show called "Troubadour" from 7 to 8 pm, hosted by station manager John Small. The show featured blues, folk music and rock music. During this time, WABX was still airing an MOR format, with an emphasis on jazz-influenced music from artists like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Mel Tormé, Nancy Wilson and Joe Williams.
The strong, positive response generated by "Troubadour" was enough to convince the station's owners to adopt a full-time freeform progressive rock format. On February 1, 1968, a playlist of acceptable tunes went out: the DJs picked their own music, and Century Broadcasting Corporation bit its tongue. With a progressive rock format, WABX became a springboard for the new music that no other station in the market aired. During the 1960s, the top music stations were WJR, with its MOR format, and CKLW, the Top 40 leader.
The ABX revolution was one of style as well as sound. The station made itself a community catalyst for fun: free concerts and movies, kite-flying and bike-ins. The station played a role in giving many artists the recognition that they did not have at the time, including The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Iron Butterfly, and The Who. The success of WABX inspired other Detroit stations such as WKNR-FM and WXYZ-FM to adopt the progressive-rock approach. One of the WABX DJs was "Air Ace" Dave Dixon, himself a musician who co-wrote the Peter, Paul and Mary hit "I Dig Rock and Roll Music."
During the 1970s, WABX evolved into a more mainstream album oriented rock (AOR) station playing the biggest selling albums. WABX took a softer, more laid-back approach than its competitors. The station was branded as "WABX 99" during this era with a logo featuring yellow lettering on a black background. The station's studio moved from its original location in the David Stott Building in downtown Detroit to a new facility in suburban Oak Park during this period.
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WYCD
WYCD (99.5 FM, "New Country 99-5 YCD") is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan. It airs a country music radio format, and is owned by Audacy, Inc. WYCD's offices and studios are on American Drive in Southfield, Michigan.
WYCD has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 17,500 watts, its transmitter, is on Radio Plaza in Ferndale. WYCD broadcasts using HD Radio technology.
In 1948, the 99.5 FM frequency was used by WCAR-FM in Pontiac, Michigan, it was the FM sister station of WCAR (now WDFN). In 1956, WCAR moved from Pontiac to Detroit, however few people owned FM radios in that era, so the FM signal was dropped, leaving 99.5 FM open in Detroit.
The 99.5 frequency returned to the air on May 4, 1960, as WABX, which began as a classical music station. It switched to Middle of the Road music in 1964. For a short period beginning in August 1967, the station adopted an all-female disc jockey staff during the day, in an era when women were rarely heard on the radio. They played jazz-oriented pop music and humorous bits. The idea came from Mickey Shorr, who was program manager and creative director of Century Broadcasting Corp., the station's owner.
During the fall of 1967, WABX began airing a new music show called "Troubadour" from 7 to 8 pm, hosted by station manager John Small. The show featured blues, folk music and rock music. During this time, WABX was still airing an MOR format, with an emphasis on jazz-influenced music from artists like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Mel Tormé, Nancy Wilson and Joe Williams.
The strong, positive response generated by "Troubadour" was enough to convince the station's owners to adopt a full-time freeform progressive rock format. On February 1, 1968, a playlist of acceptable tunes went out: the DJs picked their own music, and Century Broadcasting Corporation bit its tongue. With a progressive rock format, WABX became a springboard for the new music that no other station in the market aired. During the 1960s, the top music stations were WJR, with its MOR format, and CKLW, the Top 40 leader.
The ABX revolution was one of style as well as sound. The station made itself a community catalyst for fun: free concerts and movies, kite-flying and bike-ins. The station played a role in giving many artists the recognition that they did not have at the time, including The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Iron Butterfly, and The Who. The success of WABX inspired other Detroit stations such as WKNR-FM and WXYZ-FM to adopt the progressive-rock approach. One of the WABX DJs was "Air Ace" Dave Dixon, himself a musician who co-wrote the Peter, Paul and Mary hit "I Dig Rock and Roll Music."
During the 1970s, WABX evolved into a more mainstream album oriented rock (AOR) station playing the biggest selling albums. WABX took a softer, more laid-back approach than its competitors. The station was branded as "WABX 99" during this era with a logo featuring yellow lettering on a black background. The station's studio moved from its original location in the David Stott Building in downtown Detroit to a new facility in suburban Oak Park during this period.