Editing WQHT (section)

== History ==
[[File:1945 RCA advertisement featuring WEAF-FM's facilities.jpg|thumb|1945 RCA advertisement featuring WEAF-FM's facilities<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting28unse/page/12/mode/2up RCA Advertisement] (featuring WEAF-FM), ''Broadcasting'', June 25, 1945, pages 12-13.</ref>]]
WQHT began as an experimental station, W2XWG, licensed to the [[National Broadcasting Company]] (NBC) and located at the [[Empire State Building]] in New York City. W2XWG started operations in April 1939, initially as an [[Apex (radio band)|"Apex"]] station, used for determining the coverage area of transmitting frequencies higher than those used by the standard AM broadcast band.<ref name="togo">[https://archive.org/details/Radio-Craft_1942_03/page/n19/mode/1up "NBC New York FM Station to go to 10,000 Watts"] by O. B. Hanson, ''Radio-Craft'', March 1942, pages 402-403.</ref> These tests also compared [[amplitude modulation]] (AM) transmissions with the then-new technology of wide-band [[frequency modulation]] (FM). On January 11, 1940, W2XWG began regular FM broadcasts,<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele41unse/page/n84/mode/1up "NBC's 25 Years: 1940]. ''Broadcasting'', July 2, 1951, page 79.</ref> and that July, it was reported that the station was broadcasting on 42.6&nbsp;MHz from 3 to 11 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting19unse/page/n155/mode/1up Notice], ''Broadcasting'', July 15, 1940, page 58.</ref>

In May 1940, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) announced the establishment, effective January 1, 1941, of an FM band operating on 40 channels spanning 42–50&nbsp;MHz.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112059131711&view=1up&seq=767 "FCC Order No. 67"], ''Federal Register'', May 25, 1940, page 2011.</ref> The [[List of the initial commercial FM station assignments issued by the Federal Communications Commission on October 31, 1940|first fifteen]] commercial FM station construction permits were issued on October 31, 1940, including one to NBC for 45.1&nbsp;MHz in New York City,<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting19unse/page/n1074/mode/1up "New FM Call Letters Proposed"], ''Broadcasting'', November 15, 1940, page 77.</ref> which was issued the call sign W51NY.<ref>The initial call sign policy for commercial FM stations included an initial "W" for stations located east of the Mississippi River, followed by the last two digits of a station's frequency assignment, "51" in this case, and closing with a one or two character city identifier, which for New York City area stations was "NY".</ref> However, NBC reported that equipment shortages resulting from the outbreak of [[World War II]] meant it was unable to get delivery of W51NY's high powered transmitter,<ref name="togo"/> and on June 10, 1942, the construction permit for commercial operation was canceled, and the W51NY call sign deleted.<ref>[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=84018 History Cards for WQHT] (FCC.gov)</ref> Meanwhile, the station continued broadcasts under its W2XWG experimental authorization, using its original, lower powered, transmitter, now on 45.1&nbsp;MHz.

Effective November 1, 1943, the FCC modified its policy for FM station call letters.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mwwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT6 "Standard Broadcast Station Call Letters for All Outlets Starting Nov. 1, FCC Rule"], ''The Billboard'', September 4, 1943, page 7.</ref> Thus, when the construction permit for commercial operation was reactivated, it was assigned the call letters WEAF-FM. The station's last broadcast as W2XWG took place on September 23, 1944,<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting27unse/page/n1455/mode/1up/ "Actions of the Federal Communications Commission: Decisions: October 23"], ''Broadcasting'', October 30, 1944, page 68.</ref> with its debut as WEAF-FM coming the next day, now with seven-day-a-week programming from 3-11 p.m. that was an expansion over W2XWG's schedule of only operating Saturday through Wednesday.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting27unse/page/n1149/mode/1up/ "WEAF-FM Airs Net On 7-Day Schedule"], ''Broadcasting'', October 2, 1944, page 60.</ref>

The FCC later reassigned the original FM band frequencies to other services, and ordered existing stations to move to a new band from 88 to 106&nbsp;MHz, which was later expanded to 88–108&nbsp;MHz. During a transition period from the original FM "low band" to the new "high band", some stations for a time broadcast simultaneously on both their old and new frequencies. However, WEAF-FM did not, and in October 1945, it was announced that the station was shutting down the broadcasts on 45.1&nbsp;MHz and was temporarily going silent while it made the technical adjustments needed to operate on its new assignment at 97.3&nbsp;MHz.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting292unse/page/n473/mode/1up "Nets Take FM Off Air For Transition"], ''Broadcasting'', October 29, 1945, page 98.</ref>

=== WNBC-FM / WRCA-FM / WNWS-FM (1946–1977) ===
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In late 1946, the station's call letters were changed to WNBC-FM.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/nbctransmitter1111nati/page/n122/mode/1up "WEAF, Key NBC Outlet Changes Call to WNBC"], ''NBC Transmitter'',  October 1946, page 5.</ref> Programming was usually [[simulcast]]s of [[WFAN (AM)|WNBC (AM)'s]] programming. A reallocation in the fall of 1947 moved the station to its current frequency assignment of 97.1&nbsp;MHz.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-06-23-BC.pdf#page=38 "New Frequency Assignments for FM Stations in the United States"], ''Broadcasting'', June 23, 1947, page 38.</ref> In the 1950s, WNBC-FM played classical music, later switching to pop music. It ran network programming for some time, such as the [[Monitor (NBC Radio)|NBC Monitor]] weekend series. On October 18, 1954, the call letters were changed to WRCA-FM,<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele47unse_0/page/n83/mode/1up "RCA Replaces NBC in O&O Calls"], ''Broadcasting'', October 4, 1954, page 78.</ref> reflecting NBC's then-parent company, the [[Radio Corporation of America]], but returned to WNBC-FM on May 22, 1960.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele58unse_0/page/n873/mode/1up "A lesson in memory"], ''Broadcasting'', May 16, 1960, page 114.</ref>

By the 1970s, the station was playing a pop-rock [[radio format|format]].  Beginning on June 4, 1973, it experimented with fully automated programming with local inserts known as "The Rock Pile", a forerunner of today's DJ-free [[adult hits]] format, with a wide diversity of pop, rock and R&B that proved to be 30 years ahead of its time. However, technical glitches were frequent and listenership dropped.  For a brief period starting in late 1974, the station attempted a fully automated [[Easy listening|beautiful music]] format for a younger [[Demographic profile|demographic]], called "The Love of New York".

In 1975, NBC Radio launched the ''[[NBC Radio Network#Other programming ventures|NBC News and Information Service]]'' (NIS), a network service providing up to 50 minutes an hour of news programming to local stations that wanted to adopt an [[all-news]] format without the high cost of producing large quantities of local news content. WNBC-FM's small audience was deemed expendable to allow NIS to have a New York outlet, and on June 18, 1975, the station became WNWS-FM, branding itself ''NewsCenter 97'', an allusion to sister station [[WNBC-TV]]'s ''NewsCenter 4'' local newscasts. Ratings were low{{Clarify|reason=vague|date=April 2015}}—at the network's peak, only 57 stations across the country carried NIS, most of them already NBC Radio News affiliates—and the service did not attract enough stations to allow NBC to project that it could ever become profitable.

On December 31, 1976, the station discontinued carrying NIS (which NBC would end by June 1977). The final story on ''NewsCenter 97'', was reported by Wayne Howell Chappelle, known professionally as [[Wayne Howell]]. The station then went to a commercial break and, after airing the hourly [[legal ID]] at midnight, switched to an [[adult contemporary music]] format with a [[soft rock]] lean, under the moniker ''Y-97''. The first song played under the new format was "[[Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)|Tonight's the Night]]" by [[Rod Stewart]].<ref>{{cite web |title=WNWS-FM Becomes Y97 WYNY |url=https://formatchangearchive.com/wnws-fm-becomes-y97-wyny/ |website=formatchangearchive.com |date=March 2013 |access-date=April 19, 2021}}</ref>

=== WYNY (1977–1988) ===
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Shortly after adopting the new music format, the station call letters were changed to WYNY. The station was now primarily competing against [[WINS-FM|WKTU]]. Ratings were fair at best.{{Clarify|reason=vague|date=April 2015}}

By the end of 1978, after toying briefly with an all-[[Beatles]] format, WYNY evolved to a [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] (MOR) sound featuring artists such as [[Frank Sinatra]], [[The Carpenters]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Barry Manilow]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Neil Diamond]], [[Elton John]], [[Carly Simon]], and [[Barbra Streisand]]. They were an [[easy listening]] station without the instrumental "elevator music" heard on [[WWPR-FM|WRFM]] or [[WPAT-AM]]-[[WPAT-FM|FM]]. Ratings went up gradually.

By 1980, WYNY moved away from Frank Sinatra and [[Nat King Cole]], though the station continued running "Saturday with Sinatra" hosted by [[Sid Mark]]. Musically, WYNY added [[Motown]] songs, [[The Beatles]], [[The Beach Boys]], [[Fleetwood Mac]], [[The Eagles]], [[The Doobie Brothers]], [[Donna Summer]], and soft hits from the contemporary artists.  By 1981, the station format was that of pop hits from 1964 to what was then current music, with an occasional pre-'64 [[rock & roll]] song. Ratings went up from 1981 through 1983. By 1982, WYNY trimmed the '60s music slightly. Some of the air personalities included Dan Daniel, Bill St. James, Bruce Bradley, Randy Davis, Carol Mason, Mike McCann, Floyd Wright, Steve O'Brien, Bill Rock, Margaret Jones, Paulie, and Ed Baer.

On Sunday evenings, the station aired a pioneering advice show, "Sexually Speaking", which made host [[Ruth Westheimer]] (better known as "Dr. Ruth") a national celebrity. The station was also a pioneer of [[Contemporary Christian music]] in the city, airing the weekly show ''Masterpeace'', hosted by Steven Joseph.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} Sid Mark continued hosting "Saturday with Sinatra". On weekend evenings call-in talk shows, such as "Mouth Versus Ear" with Dick Summer, was an alternative to other stations' public service shows.

In 1983, [[WHTZ]] and [[WPLJ]] both adopted a [[contemporary hit radio]] (CHR) format, attracting younger listeners. WYNY continued with its AC format. Then in January 1984, [[WLTW]] signed on with a  [[Soft AC]] sound, taking away older listeners. WYNY's ratings plummeted, and in 1986, the station was revamped with the music staying "[[Hot AC]]", but marketed as a "Z-100 for Yuppies". The station had new jingles and imaging, and became known as "The NEW 97.1 WYNY". The format, however, was that of the same pop hits from 1964 to the present. The station continued to rate low. Station owner NBC had problems with [[sister station]] [[WNBC (AM)|WNBC]] as well.

In April 1987, [[country music]] station [[WEPN (AM)|WHN]] announced plans to go to [[sports radio|sports]] full-time on July 1, becoming all-sports WFAN. In response, WYNY announced it would change to [[country music]] on the same day. This format change was told to the press in advance, but not over the air except on ''Saturday With Sinatra''. At 12:01&nbsp;a.m. on July 1, WYNY ended its AC format with "[[Hello, Goodbye]]" by The Beatles.  It flipped to country music, playing "[[Think About Love (song)|Think About Love]]" by [[Dolly Parton]].<ref>{{cite web |title=97.1 WYNY flips from AC to Country |url=https://formatchangearchive.com/971-wyny-flips-from-ac-to-country/ |website=formatchangearchive.com |date=July 1987 |access-date=April 19, 2021}}</ref> The airstaff all remained, though some gradually left later in the year. Dan Daniel (who had left WYNY in the mid-1980s and returned), Randy Davis, Carol Mason, Lisa Taylor, Floyd Wright, and others survived the format change and remained with WYNY's country unit even after it left 97.1 FM and moved to 103.5 FM, where it remained until its 1996 demise.

=== WQHT (1988–present) ===
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{{further|topic=the history of this station prior to its move to the 97.1 frequency|WKTU#WQHT (1986–1988)}}
In 1988, NBC began to sell its roster of radio stations, and [[Emmis Communications]] made arrangements to buy its two New York City stations, WYNY 97.1 and WNBC 660 AM.<ref>[https://apnews.com/6d2d55ab17fec6513e7bb9b76496ce94 "NBC Agrees to Sell Five Radio Stations to Emmis Broadcasting"], February 19, 1988. (AP.com)</ref> However, at this time, FCC regulations limited owners to just one AM and one FM station per market, and Emmis already owned stations WQHT (then at 103.5 FM), and WFAN (1050 AM). Because the NBC stations had better coverage, Emmis decided to move the call letters and formats from its current stations to its new ones, then divest the two original stations.

Emmis sold the 103.5 FM license for the original WQHT to [[Westwood One (1976–2011)|Westwood One]], as well as the intellectual property for WYNY, which resulted in the WYNY call letters and country format transferring from 97.1 to 103.5 FM. Conversely, Emmis transferred the WQHT call sign and [[rhythmic contemporary]] format from 103.5 to the former WYNY at 97.1 FM, becoming "Hot 97" at 5:30&nbsp;pm. September 22, 1988. The last song played on "Hot 103" was [[Debbie Gibson]]'s "Stayin' Together"; the first song played on "Hot 97" was [[MARRS]]' "[[Pump Up the Volume (song)|Pump Up the Volume]]".<ref>{{cite news |title=NY Dial Flips To Affect 34% Of Cume |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1980s/1988/RR-1988-09-16.pdf#page=41|access-date=April 19, 2021 |work=RandR |date=September 16, 1988}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=97.1 WYNY Becomes Hot 97 WQHT |url=https://formatchangearchive.com/97-1-wyny-becomes-hot-97-wqht/ |website=formatchangearchive.com |date=September 22, 1988 |access-date=April 18, 2021}}</ref> After the transition to Hot 97, [[Stephanie Miller]] and [[Howard Hoffman]] were brought in to do the morning show, [[J. Paul Emerson]] stayed on as newsman, with [[Daniel Ivankovich]] ("Reverend Doctor D") and brought in as producer.

WQHT started to lean towards [[top 40]] by 1989 due to decreasing ratings. By 1990, the station started playing more [[house music|house]], [[freestyle music|freestyle]], and [[rhythm and blues]] music, and launched the ''Saturday Night House Party'' show.<ref name="Charnas">{{cite book|author=Charnas, Dan|title=The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop|url=https://archive.org/details/bigpaybackhistor00danc|url-access=registration|place=New York|publisher=New American Library|year=2010|isbn=9780451229298}}</ref>{{rp|320, 334}} WQHT broadcast live from area night clubs such as The Tunnel, Roseland and Metrohouse from 2&nbsp;a.m. until 4&nbsp;am. Saturday into Sunday morning.

In 1991, ''Anything Goes with Clivilles & Cole'' debuted, where record producers [[Robert Clivilles]] and [[David Cole (record producer)|David Cole]] of [[C&C Music Factory]] mixed new house and dance music on Saturday nights.

==== From dance to hip-hop and R&B ====
Towards the end of 1992 and early 1993, Hot 97 dropped to "dead last among New York's three pop stations."<ref name="Charnas"/>{{rp|336}} In response, Emmis named Judy Ellis its general manager (a position in which she served until 2003), and WQHT started to add more R&B and [[hip hop music]]. The station started a gradual two-year change towards an urban-oriented [[rhythmic top 40]] format.<ref name="Charnas"/>{{rp|320, 334–336}}

A new generation of "hot jocks" began appearing on "Hot 97". [[Dan Charnas]] recounted the perception of this move: "The trades ran stories on the new trend, typified by the Emmis stations, Hot 97 and [[Power 106]]: hiring street kids or entertainers with little or no radio experience at the expense of longtime professionals who had paid their dues."<ref name="Charnas"/>{{rp|347}} Among the most famous was the addition of a new morning show hosted by [[Ed Lover]] and [[Doctor Dré]] of ''[[Yo! MTV Raps]]''. With rising ratings and a focus on [[East Coast hip hop|East Coast]] artists like the [[Wu-Tang Clan]], Charnas credited "Hot 97" as leading a comeback for East Coast hip hop.<ref name="Charnas"/>{{rp|347–348}}

In 1993, [[Funkmaster Flex]] joined the station and was host of the ''Friday Night Street Jam'' and a weekly two-hour show where he mixed hip-hop live from the studio.

Other noteworthy personalities included the addition of [[Wendy Williams]] to afternoon drive (Williams used to be the overnight jock back on "Hot 103" in 1988). [[Angie Martinez]], a researcher on [[WABC-TV]]'s ''[[New York Hot Tracks]]'' in the late 1980s and who previously worked in the promotions department, was promoted to nights. A few years later, the two had a public falling out, resulting in Williams being fired from WQHT and Martinez assuming afternoon drive, where she remained until she was hired by [[WWPR-FM]] on June 19, 2014.

In 1995, WQHT again became New York's top station in the [[Arbitron]] ratings. While the station reported as a rhythmic CHR, the station was musically more of an [[urban contemporary]] format leaning toward hip hop, though in some trades, they reported as a rhythmic CHR.

In the fall of 2008, WQHT served as the home of the nationally syndicated ''[[KPWR#Big Boy's Neighborhood|Big Boy's Neighborhood]]'', produced by [[Cumulus Media Networks|ABC Radio]] and based at WQHT's then-sister station, [[KPWR]] in Los Angeles. However, by July 2009, WQHT dropped the program and instead expanded their local morning show hosted by new morning jocks [[DJ Cipha Sounds]] and [[Peter Rosenberg]].

By 2010, WQHT switched to urban contemporary, ending the longtime rhythmic top 40 format at the station.

=== Sale to Standard General ===
On July 1, 2019, Emmis Communications announced that it would sell WQHT and sister station [[WBLS]] to the public company Mediaco Holding—an affiliate of [[Standard General]]—for $91.5&nbsp;million and a $5&nbsp;million [[promissory note]]. In addition, Emmis will take a 23.72% stake in the new company's common equity, and continue to manage the stations under shared services agreements. The sale was completed November 25, 2019.<ref name="allaccess.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/187565/emmis-forms-new-mediaco-holding-company-with-stand|title=Emmis Forms New Mediaco Holding Company With Standard General, To Transfer WBLS And WQHT (Hot 97)/New York To New Entity|website=All Access|language=en|access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rbr.com/emmis-mediaco-move-complete-as-are-cumulus-spins/|title=Emmis' Mediaco Move Complete, As Are Cumulus Spins|last=Jacobson|first=Adam|date=November 27, 2019|website=Radio & Television Business Report|language=en-US|access-date=November 28, 2019}}</ref>