WNBM

WNBM (103.9 FM, branded as "Radio 103.9") is a radio station licensed to Bronxville, New York. The station features an urban adult contemporary format and is owned by Cumulus Media. WNBM's transmitter is located on the campus of Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.[1]

WNBM
CityBronxville, New York
Broadcast areaNew York City
Frequency103.9 MHz
Branding"Radio 103.9"
SloganNew York's Best Mix of R&B
Programming
FormatUrban adult contemporary
Ownership
OwnerCumulus Media
(Cumulus Licensing LLC)
Sister stationsWFAS
History
First air dateSeptember 1, 1947 (1947-09-01)
Former call signsWFAS-FM (1947–1974 and 1982–2014)
WWYD (1974–1982)
Call sign meaningW-New York's Best Mix
Technical information
Facility ID14380
ClassA
ERP980 watts
HAAT162.1 meters (532 ft)
Transmitter coordinates40°52′48″N 73°52′39″W
Links
Webcastplayer.listenlive.co/33641
Websitewww.radio1039ny.com

Station history

WFAS-FM

WNBM's broadcast frequency of 103.9 MHz was originally occupied by WFAS-FM, which first signed on the air September 1, 1947.[2] Licensed to White Plains, New York, the station's targeted listening area was Westchester County and the lower Hudson Valley region. WFAS-FM initially simulcast sister station WFAS (1230 AM) before adopting a separate full-service format; it later evolved into an easy listening station, and then an adult contemporary outlet by the mid-1980s. Its primary competitor through much of its history was another regional FM station, WHUD.

Move to New York City, switch to Urban AC

In order to increase their reach of the New York metropolitan market, as well as increasing the value of the station, in 2012 Cumulus applied to the Federal Communications Commission for a construction permit to move the station's transmitter tower location to the Bronx and subsequently change the station's community of license to Bronxville, all in order to better target New York City itself. The permit was approved in mid-2013. Rumors on radio industry insider websites speculated that the station would change its programming format, and flip to either urban contemporary (to compete against Emmis Communications' WQHT and WBLS, and Clear Channel's WWPR-FM) or modern rock (which would fill the format hole in the market after WRXP flipped to a simulcast of WFAN (AM) in November 2012).

On June 30, 2014, WFAS-FM's existing on-air staff departed. Five daya later, at Midnight on July 4, WFAS-FM signed off its transmitter (located at 365 Secor Road in Hartsdale), after a set of "goodbye"-themed songs, which ended with "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C. Later that day at 9:00 a.m., the new Bronx transmitter signed on, and 103.9 FM began stunting with a ticking clock, and at 1:03 p.m., the station officially flipped to Urban adult contemporary as "Radio 103.9" under the new callsign WNBM.[3][4]

The WFAS-FM callsign and its programming continued to exist via online streaming and as the HD2 sub-channel of sister FM station WPLJ (replacing the True Oldies Channel after Cumulus announced the end of that network, which came a few days earlier). Additionally, on August 29, 2014 at 2:00 p.m., "WFAS" returned to the analog airwaves, broadcasting on W232AL (a low-power translator station licensed to Pomona, New York) at 94.3 MHz.[5]

WNBM's primary competition is WBLS, New York City's heritage Urban Adult Contemporary outlet. The station serves as the New York affiliate of D.L. Hughley's syndicated afternoon program, which is distributed by Urban One-owned Reach Media. WNBM also carried the Tom Joyner Morning Show from the station's launch until Tom Joyner's retirement at the end of 2019.

Throughout 2019, Cumulus began to withdraw from the New York market in earnest to pay down debts from its 2018 bankruptcy, selling WPLJ to the Educational Media Foundation, WNSH to Entercom, and WABC to John Catsimatidis's Red Apple Media; after the WABC sale announcement, Cumulus stated that WNBM would be divested as well. WNBM's AM sister station, WFAS (AM), runs automated as a CBS Sports Radio affiliate, freeing WFAN from carrying programming from its network.

On November 8, 2019, WNBM, in anticipation of a future sale, ceased live programming and became fully automated, terminating its remaining airstaff in the process. In all time periods outside of the Hughley program, the station carries Westwood One's Adult Urban Contemporary-formatted The Touch radio service, delivered via satellite.[6] With the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic effectively ensuring a sale will not occur in the near future, the station added the Westwood One-distributed, Atlanta-based Rick & Sasha program to mornings in late April 2020.[7]

gollark: Well, I couldn't say, I've never actually interacted with phone company support.
gollark: Or it might randomly break because Apple.
gollark: I mean, 3D gaming maybe might benefit, but... mobile gaming is not good.
gollark: Do you actually *need* that for most phone use?
gollark: Apple do currency conversions oddly.

References
  1. "FCC ULS". FCC.
  2. "WFAS-FM" (PDF). Directory of Radio.
  3. "Radio 103.9 New York Debuts". RadioInsight. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  4. "'Urban Adult' Station to Join New York Airwaves". The New York Times. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  5. "WFAS-FM Returns To Westchester". RadioInsight. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  6. "Radio 103.9 New York Cuts Remaining Local Programming". RadioInsight. 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  7. Venta, Lance (23 April 2020). "Radio 103.9 New York Adds Rick & Sasha For Mornings". RadioInsight. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
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