WAAL


WAAL is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Binghamton, New York. It airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. WAAL is the oldest FM radio station in the Binghamton metropolitan area. It is an affiliate of the New York Giants Radio Network.
The studios and offices are on Court Street in Binghamton. The transmitter is off Ingraham Hill Road, also in Binghamton, amid other towers for local TV and FM stations.

History

WKOP-FM

In March 1954, the station signed on as WKOP-FM at 95.3 MHz. It was the FM counterpart of AM 1360 WKOP. The two stations simulcast and were network affiliates of the Mutual Broadcasting System. They were owned by Binghamton Broadcasters, Inc. At first, WKOP-FM broadcast at only 420 watts, a fraction of the station's current power.
In the 1960s, WKOP-FM received Federal Communications Commission permission to move to 99.1 MHz, with an increase in power to 33,000 watts. By 1970, it ended its simulcast with WKOP 1360 and began playing a progressive rock format.

WAAL

In 1975, the station was sold to Butternut Broadcasting, which switched the call sign to WAAL. The station was known as "WAAL Stereo FM 99." In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was known as "The Hot FM," playing Top 40 hits. It was affiliated with the ABC FM Network.
WAAL changed hands again in 1990, along with AM 1360, know then as WBSK. The two stations came under the ownership of All Channel TV Service. 1996 brought another ownership change, this time to Wicks Broadcasting, which changed WAAL's format to classic rock.

Citadel Ownership, then Townsquare

WAAL was acquired by Citadel Broadcasting in 1998 from Wicks Broadcast Group in a $77 million deal that included a total of 16 radio stations. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.
In 2013, in a $281 million, multi-staton deal involving Cumulus, Townsquare Media and Peak Broadcasting, 99.1 WAAL and AM 1360, now known as WYOS, were acquired by Townsquare. The classic rock format has remained in place on WAAL.

On-air lineup

On Air Alumni - The Oz, Pete Bucky, Big Wally, Thunder Reynolds, Rick Kelly, Mr. Mandyke, Steve Willet, The Wildman, The Banana Queen, John Carter, Doug Mosher, Captain, Doc Wells

Shows