WNYZ is a low-power television station that serves New York City. WNYZ's television signal broadcasts in analog on VHF channel 6 and now also broadcasts on digital channel 6.1 with a virtual channel of 1.1. The station operates its audio feed as a radio station, which runs anindependent music format on its audio channel known as the "Indie Darkroom."
| New York City | |
|---|---|
| City of license | New York |
| Branding | Russian Radio Radio Pozitiv, Indie Darkroom, Caribbean, Religious, Siberian and Korean programming |
| Channels | Analog: 6 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | Independent/audio |
| Owner | Island Broadcasting Company |
| Founded | April 10, 1998 |
| Call letters' meaning | 'W'New York Z |
| Sister station(s) | WNYX-LP |
| Former callsigns | W33BS (1998-2003) |
| Former channel number(s) | 33 (1998-2003) |
| Former affiliations | Pulse 87 (2008-2009)
WPTY (2009-2010) |
| Transmitter power | 3.0 kW(Analog)
.3 kW(Digital) |
| Height | 200 meters |
| Facility ID | 56043 |
The station's audio signal reaches the five boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island), Nassau and Western Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Northeastern New Jersey. Before June 12, 2009, the signal of ABC's WPVI-TV Channel 6 in Philadelphia made WNYZ-LP unavailable in most of central and parts of Northern New Jersey; WRGB Channel 6 in Albany also had similar effects in parts of the Hudson Valley in New York. After the transition to digital TV on June 12, 2009, reception of WNYZ improved in Central NJ and the Hudson Valley. However, it continues to impact reception of WPVI and WRGB's digital signals in these areas because they stayed on the channel 6 frequency.
Though WNYZ-LP broadcasts video, it is usually nature scenes that are repeated throughout the day, and only to fulfill the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirement that some sort of video be broadcast on the frequency. Since the digital transition, WNYZ broadcasts color bars, a legal ID, and a message telling viewers to listen to 87.7; the audio of the DTV channel is Pulse 87. WNYZ operates using a television license as opposed to an FM radio license, because the FCC only issues FM licenses between 88.1 and 107.9 MHz; the 87.7 frequency, though many radios can receive it, is specifically set aside for television by the FCC and by international organizations.
History
WNYZ signed on in 1998 as W33BS (on channel 33), but moved to channel 6 in 2003. It has, since moving to channel 6, effectively operated as an FM radio station ever since; the New York FM radio dial is significantly crowded, and had not added a station to the FM band since 1985, effectively necessitating the rather crude extension of the FM band.[1]
WNYZ was originally Russian Top 40 (Radio Vsyo - Russian for "Radio Everything"), but late in 2007, it was announced that it would be changing to a Dance-intensive Rhythmic Top 40 format as "Pulse 87". After several delays, the station flipped to the new format on Monday February 11, 2008 at midnight EST.
Pulse 87
Main article: Pulse 87
From 2008 to October 30, 2009, WNYZ operated as the dance music format Pulse 87.
Joel Salkowitz, the station's program director and an former employee of WQHT during their early days told the online website All Access about Pulse 87's musical direction: "The station is a Top 40/Rhythmic, leaning away from Rock and Rap and more towards Club and Dance sounds in their place. Familiar, rhythmic hits mixed with the very best new music. This is a current/recurrent-based radio station." The station's format, which features more cutting-edge dance music, is unique in New York City as WKTU currently plays a more classic Rhythmic Adult Contemporary dance format. The format is also rarely seen in the US as only a handful of stations carry this format in America." Its transmitter is on top of the Citicorp Building inLong Island City, Queens, and Pulse 87.7 IDs alluded to it as "that big blue building in Queens" [1].
On March 10, 2008, the station made a deal with Arbitron that will allow the station to be rated in its PPMs, but because it is a television station, WNYZ could not be rated in the official Arbitron radio books for the New York Metropolitan market. On March 31, 2009, it was announced that, according to a Mega Media press release, "due to the recent policy change at Arbitron, effective April 1, 2009 Pulse 87 will now be included and measured under the standard PPM Radio Ratings report effective April 2009 survey period." Pulse 87 has also been added to the Rhythmic and Dance panels at Mediabase, while Billboard/Nielsen BDS has the station monitored as a reporter on the Hot Dance Airplay panel.
Pulse 87 has been relaunched as an Internet station at http://www.pulse87ny.com/ ; the station is operated by Salkowitz, who purchased the Pulse 87 automation equipment and the intellectual property in a bankruptcy auction [2].
Financial troubles and eventual closure
Mega Media had been in serious financial trouble long before it launched Pulse 87. This came to a head on August 12, 2009, when Mega Media filed for bankruptcy, reporting $3.5 million in liabilities against assets of just $180,000. Mega says it hopes to continue operating Pulse while it restructures under Chapter 11.[3]
On October 30, 2009, the current lease between the Mega Media Group and Island Broadcasting ended due to the fact that Island Broadcasting did not receive the $500,000 it was owed according to the Stipulation and Order regarding the Time Brokerage Agreement. Island Broadcasting was under no obligation to continue allowing Pulse 87 use their signal without payment for the lease. However, there was a tentative deal in place for a new company to buy out Mega Media and pay off the debt owed to Island Broadcasting. The new company planned to continue the dance format, but nothing ever came to fruition. The WNYZ-LP license was offered for sale by Island Broadcasting for $15 million. Pulse 87 went off the air on October 30, 2009 at 5 pm.
Former Pulse 87 on-air staff
Star & Buc Wild Morning Show -Morning show duties during the early days of the Pulse 87 era were handled by Star & Buc Wild, who started their show on Monday, February 18 (delayed from January 15 due to Star's liver surgery). The show, which had been yanked from Premiere Radio Networks several months earlier because of Star's overly violent smack talk toward a rival DJ's daughter, returned with Star, Buc Wild, DX21, and White Trash Helene, along with new producer DJ Yonny (formerly of Power 105.1). Star was also part of executive management at the station. On October 17, 2008, the Star and Buc Wild show left Pulse 87 on good terms as the station focused once more on dance music.
More Pulse 87 on-air staff
- Jewelz Lopez (2008–2009)
- Andre "The Dre Dog" Ferro (2008–2009)
- Showboat (2008–2009)
- DJ Lil' Cee (2009)
- Nick Marchesani (2009)
- Niko (2009)
- Borasio (2009)
- Laura Stylez (2008–2009)
- Ruby Tuesday(2008–2009)
- Abel Sanchez (2008–2009)
- Star & Buc Wild (2008)
- Vinnie T. (2008-2009)
- Glenn Friscia (2008-2009)
- DJ James Anthony (2008-2009)
- DJ Serg (2008-2009)
- DJ Yonny (2008-2009)
- Frankie Vasquez (2008-2009)
- Jonathan Peters (2008-2009)
Party 105 from Eastern Long Island takes over 87.7 for 81 days
A new format for WNYZ was announced on November 2, 2009, at 6 am. JVC Broadcasting's WPTY "Party 105" took over the 87.7 frequency in New York City. The same programming Party 105 in Suffolk County was heard on 87.7, but the music was not the same that the Pulse 87 audience had grown accustomed to. It was a hip-hop based format, with some dance music, but mostly nostalgic 1980s and 1990s rhythmic hits and current R&B and hip-hop. The studios and programming remained on Long Island as WNYZ served as a simulcast to WPTY. Pulse 87's audience, which had grown to over 1 million listeners per week before they went off the air, eventually stopped tuning in to this new format, and the inability of many potential listeners in the New York area to tune into the 87.7 signal made the simulcast unprofitable for JVC Broadcasting. On January 21, 2010, WPTY stopped simulcasting on WNYZ. Island Broadcasting let the signal go silent for one day and then began playing dance music for two hours the next morning. Due to a non-compete agreement, Island Broadcasting was not allowed to broadcast the dance music. Later in the day, a filler format of Jazz and Blues standards with station identification aired until January 27, 2010.
New format
Weekdays:
- Russian ("Radio Pozitiv") format 5am-8pm, Fridays 5am-3am (the next day).
- The Indie Darkroom 8pm-5am
Weekends:
- Caribbean and Indian broadcaster and koren radio
On January 28, 2010, 87.7 WNYZ began broadcasting a locally produced feed called The Indie Darkroom featuring music from local New York City bands.[4]
On March 21, 2010, the station began playing advisories that The Indie Darkroom would soon be relegated to the overnight hours not weekend of 8pm-5am. On Weekends, the station becomes CaribStar 87.7FM (Sat/Sun 6am - midnight). Although a number of stations offer brokered programming for New York's estimated 1.5 million English/French Caribbean nationals,(including a number of illegally operated stations in Bronx and Brooklyn, CaribStar on WNYZ-LP, represents the most significant effort to develop programing for this consumer market.
On March 31, 2010, Russian format is back for the second time ("Radio Pozitiv", a successor of "Radio Vsyo") and it is on weekdays 5am-8pm all day long and Fridays until 3am. Russian radio station offers a variety of talk shows and music.
On May 2, 2010, 87.7 has Hindi-language programming on Sunday mornings. on July 25, 2010 has Korean programing from WWRU AM 1660 Jersey City, New Jersey.
References
- ^ http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2009/091116/nerw.html
- ^ http://www.maltzauctions.com/auction_detail.php?id=125701
- ^ http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2009/090817/nerw.html
- ^ http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/note.php?note_id=279680326949