WFAN

City of license	{{{city}}}
Broadcast area	New York, New York
Branding	Sportsradio 66
Slogan
First air date	March 2, 1922
Frequency	660 (kHz)
Format	Sports/Talk
Power	{{{power}}}
ERP	50,000 watts
Class	A
Callsign meaning	The FAN
Owner	CBS Radio Inc.
Website	wfan.com

"Sportsradio 66" WFAN AM 660 kHz, often referred to as "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station is on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio. [1] Its transmitter is located on High Island in The Bronx, New York. WFAN logo This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... In the United States (and potentially elswhere), each radio station or TV station is assigned a city of license by the Federal Communications Commission that they must serve. While this has become far less meaningful over the decades, stations are still required to post their public file somewhere within the... The city is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture, and is one of the worlds major global cities (along with London, Tokyo and Paris) with a virtually unrivaled collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations, and stock exchanges. ... Look up Slogan on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A slogan is a memorable phrase used in political or commercial context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sine waves of various frequencies; the lower waves have higher frequencies than those above. ... A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz (1,000 cycles per second). ... A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. ... Nominal power is a measurement of a mediumwave radio stations output used in the United States. ... In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or ERP is determined by subtracting system losses from system gains. ... The watt (symbol: W) is the SI derived unit of power. ... This is the list of broadcast station classes. ... Call sign can refer to different types of call signs: Airline call sign Aviator call sign Cosmonaut call sign Radio and television call signs Tactical call sign, also known as a tactical designator See also: International Callsign Allocations, Maritime Mobile Service Identity This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid... CBSs first color logo, which debuted in the fall of 1965. ... The front page of the English Wikipedia Website. ... AM radio is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. ... A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz (1,000 cycles per second). ... A radio station is a sound broadcasting service. ... The city is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture, and is one of the worlds major global cities (along with London, Tokyo and Paris) with a virtually unrivaled collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations, and stock exchanges. ... Clear channel stations are AM radio stations that are designated as such so that only one or two 50,000 watt powerhouses operate at night on each designated frequency, covering a wide area via sky wave propagation. ... CBSs first color logo, which debuted in the fall of 1965. ... High Island is a small private island next to City Island. ... The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. ...

WFAN pioneered, and has been the most successful example of, the sports radio format. Over the years, WFAN has been the broadcast home to several big names in the world of radio, including the sports-talk team of Mike and the Mad Dog (Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo) and the political commentator Don Imus, whose Imus in the Morning program is now nationally syndicated. Sports-talk radio is a form of talk radio devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of sporting events. ... A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. ... Mike and the Mad Dog is a afternoon drive sports radio program. ... Mike Francesa is a New York radio Talk Show host and Television Commentator. ... Christopher Mad Dog Russo is a sports radio personality. ... John Donald Imus, Jr. ...

The New York 660 frequency had a long history as WNBC prior to this format, which was the flagship station of the historic NBC Radio Network, and later was a local station with a tumultuous programming history.

NBC network radio

In 1922 AT&T Western Electric began broadcasting as WEAF. It was acquired in 1926 by NBC as the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network (later the NBC Red Network), and moved to 660 kHz in 1928. The station's call letters were changed to WNBC in 1946, then to WRCA in 1954, and back to WNBC in 1960. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... AT&T Inc. ... Western Electric (sometimes abbreviated WECo) was a US electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995 . ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... In radio (including television), a callsign or call sign (also call letters) is a unique designation for amateur, broadcast, and sometimes military radio use, as well as for broadcast television. ...

See NBC Radio Network for network programming during this time. The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ...

WNBC local programming

1960s

By the early 1960s the station was switching from NBC network programs to more local, WNBC-specific programs. In 1964 they adopted a talk radio format, the first in New York. Hosts included actor Robert Alda, comedian Mort Sahl, and early talk radio provocateur Joe Pyne. For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Talk radio is a radio format which features discussion of topical issues. ... A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. ... Actor Aldas record release of Italian songs Robert Alda (born Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto DAbruzzo on February 26, 1914, died May 3, 1986) was an Italian-American actor. ... Time Magazine, August 15, 1960 Morton Lyon Sahl (born May 11, 1927) is a Montreal-born comedian credited with pioneering a style of stand-up comedy that paved the way for Lenny Bruce, Nichols & May, Dick Gregory, and others. ... Joe Pyne (December 22, 1925- March 23, 1970) was a radio and television talk show host. ...

Later in the decade WNBC evolved to an MOR music format featuring music from the 1940's to the 1960's with only the non-rock and soft rock hits after 1955. The format would feature such artists as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, The Everly Brothers, Tom Jones, The Fifth Dimension, Peggy Lee, and Dionne Warwick. By 1971, music from such acts as Sinatra and Cole would disappear. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ol Blue Eyes belts one out. ... Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known as The King of Rock n Roll or The King, was an American singer and actor. ... Nat King Cole in The Blue Gardenia (1953) Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) was a hugely popular American singer and jazz musician. ... The Everly Brothers Don (born Isaac Donald Everly February 1, 1937 in Brownie, a small coal-mining town (now defunct) near Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky) and Phil Everly (born Philip Everly January 18, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) are country-influenced rock and roll performers who had their greatest success... Tom Jones is the name of: A novel by Henry Fielding, see The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling A movie by Tony Richardson, based on the novel, see Tom Jones (movie) A singer and sex symbol, see Tom Jones (singer) A writer of musicals, see Tom Jones (writer) This... The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire also includes R&B, Soul, and Jazz, best-known during the late 1960s and 1970s for popularizing hits of songwriters like Jimmy Webb, Laura Nyro, Ashford & Simpson, and others, and helping to popularize flower power music with both... Peggy Lee (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002) was an American popular music and Jazz singer. ... Dionne Warwick on the cover of her Christmas album My Favorite Time of the Year Dionne Warwick (born December 12, 1940 as Marie Dionne Warrick) is an American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...

1970s

Don Imus was hired in 1971, which gave New York its first exposure to the shock jock genre. Imus stayed with the station for most of the next two decades, except for a couple of years in the late 1970s when there was a general purge of the air staff. John Donald Imus, Jr. ... A shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of radio broadcaster (sometimes a disk jockey) who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. ...

Despite somewhat different formats, WNBC saw itself as a mostly unsuccessful competitor to New York Top 40 powerhouse WABC. Thus they brought Wolfman Jack in opposite WABC's "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow in 1972. This did not improve ratings much. Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ... WABC AM (770 kHz New York City) NewsTalkradio 77 is the flagship station of the ABC Radio Network. ... Robert (Bob) Smith was born on January 21, 1939 and became world famous in the 1960s and 1970s as a disc jockey using the stage name of Wolfman Jack. ... Bruce Morrow (born October 13, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American radio disc jockey, known to generations of New York metropolitan area listeners as Cousin Brucie. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

By 1973 WNBC was an Adult Contemporary radio station featuring The Carpenters, Carole King, Elvis Presley, The Stylistics, Neil Diamond, James Taylor, etc. They also began to play more rock and roll 60's oldies at that point. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreciated to just AC, is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, without hip-hop or rap since, as per the name, it is geared more towards adults than teens. ... Karen and Richard Carpenter This article is about a musical group. ... Tapestry (1971) Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is a Jewish American singer and songwriter. ... The Stylistics are one of the most well-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. ... Essential Neil Diamond album cover. ... The Best of James Taylor album cover James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts. ...

Ted Brown would leave in the very early 70's and return to WNEW. In 1974, WNBC hired Cousin Brucie/Bruce Morrow himself away from WABC. Norm N. Nite arrived from WCBS-FM in 1975, as did Joe McCoy in 1976. The ratings were still mediocre. Ted Brown (b. ... WBBR is a radio station, broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... WCBS-FM is a New York City radio station, broadcasting on 101. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Joe McCoy (born May 11, 1905 – died January 28, 1950) was an African American blues musician. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

By 1975 WNBC was playing an Adult Top 40 format and competying with WXLO 99X. They featured hits from 1964 to what was then current product. Most of the decisions were mediocre at best. WRKS-FM, better known as 98. ...

In 1977, Bob Pittman took over WNBC and laid the entire airstaff off. He hired younger staff and changed the format to mainstream Top 40 similar to what WABC was doing. Norm N. Nite would return to WCBS-FM as would Joe McCoy. Bruce Morrow would go into business for himself buying regional radio stations which he eventually resold. Imus returned to Cleveland. The station began saying "WNNNNBC" (emphasising the N). The station at that time was playing artists like Andy Gibb, KC & the Sunshine Band, Boston, Peter Frampton, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Billy Joel, Bee Gees, etc. For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Andy Gibb — Cover of the Shadow Dancing album Andy Gibb (March 5, 1958 – March 10, 1988) was an Anglo-Australian singer and teen idol, and the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, also known as the Bee Gees. ... KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. ... Boston is a town and small port c. ... Peter Framptons solo career skyrocketed after the release of Frampton Comes Alive!, one of the most successful live albums. ... Fleetwood Mac during their 1970s commercial heyday. ... Eagles are an American rock music group that originally came together in Los Angeles, California in the early 1970s. ... Billy Joel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. ... The Bee Gees were a British band, formed in Australia. ...

Ratings did not go up substantially. By the end of 1978 Imus and others would return to the station and Bob Pittman would leave; Pittman would soon become the founder of MTV. By 1979 WNBC was back to an adult top 40 format similar to what WABC was evolving to at the end of 1979. Ratings weres still mediocre with this format. The late 70's/early 80's saw people like Frank Reed, Johnny Dark, and Michael Sarzynski among others. Also in 1979, Imus returned from his two-year exile in Cleveland to 660 AM, where he has been ever since. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... MTV (abbreviation for Music Television) is a cable television network which was originally devoted to music videos, especially popular rock music. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Johnny Dark is a comic with many past appearances on television who appears nowadays on CBS Late Show with David Letterman, doing a comic spot as the oldest page at CBS (serving an extraordinary 38 years when a normal pages career lasts not much longer than a year or... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

1980s

In 1981 when WABC added evening talk and evolved musically to adult contemporary, WNBC followed suit musically moving to a similar AC format to fraternal twin sister station 97.1 WYNY. In the early part of 1982 WNBC was playing music from 1964 through 1982. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... WQHT, also known as Hot 97, is a New York City-based radio station at 97. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

WNBC's slogan in the early-80s was "The Next One", meaning that it would be the #1 ranked station in New York City. When an Arbitron report was released that WNBC believed confirmed that it was in fact the most popular radio station in New York City, the slogan was changed to "The New One". Arbitron is a radio audience research company in the United States. ...

Once WABC moved to all talk, WNBC added a few rock songs not heard on an AC station. By summer 1982, WNBC was near the top with some of their best ratings ever.

In fall 1982 to much fanfare, über-shock jock Howard Stern was brought in to New York from Washington, D.C. and DC-101 to do afternoon drive. Initially Stern played music (about 10 to 12 songs an hour) much to his dismay. Ratings were high and remained high. Then, in 1983 with WPLJ 95.5 evolving to CHR (Contemporary Hit radio) as well as Z-100's debut on 100.3, WNBC began to lose some ratings but still held their own. In 1984 Stern cut down to 4 songs an hour and began to talk much more. That fall Soupy Sales was added, whose show was also very talk-intensive. Some evening professional sports broadcasts were added in 1983. Self-proclaimed King of all media Howard Stern, circa 2000. ... WWDC is a FM radio station which broadcasts in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... WPLJ is a New York City radio station, broadcast on 95. ... WHTZ, also known as Z-100, is one of the most successful (and copied) radio stations in America today. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Soupy Sales (born Milton Supman, January 8, 1926, in Franklinton, North Carolina) is an American comedian and actor best known for his daily noontime childrens television show. ... Professional sports are sports in which the participants receive payment for playing, as opposed to amateur sports where they are not. ...

Throughout his three years at WNBC, Stern had continuous battles with station management and other jocks at the station, specifically Don Imus. Much of these conflicts were dramatized in Stern's film and book Private Parts which included an amusing scene where he is instructed by the program director on the preferred "W-ehhNNN-B-C" pronunciation of the station's call letters. John Donald Imus, Jr. ... Private Parts is an autobiographical story of Howard Sterns rise to shock jock success. ...

By early 1985, WNBC had evolved to more of a full service AC station, with music as a background and personality as the foreground. On weekends they became oldies-based, emphasizing 60's oldies while still playing current product in moderation; they were basically out of the Top 40/CHR realm by then. Their younger audience base had already gone to Z-100 or WPLJ, but with Stern in afternoons and Imus in the morning they continued to do reasonably well. This article is about the year. ...

On September 30, 1985, Howard Stern was terminated abruptly after a series of outrageous bits and listener complaints. In "Private Parts", Stern detailed how WNBC management expected that his last day would be Thursday September 26th, and that Stern would not go in to work on September 27th due to Hurricane Gloria. However, Stern went in, and because there was no station management on hand, Stern did his show as normal. September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... Duration: Sept. ...

The final WNBC logo, used from 1986 to 1988.

After Stern's dismissal, ratings plummeted and they were under a 2 share by 1986. Initially they played a bit more music and then went through several afternoon shows like Joey Reynolds, Bill Grundfest, and Alan Colmes. Soupy Sales then left. They also added sports talk in the evenings, as well as bringing back Wolfman Jack on overnights on a syndicated show before his untimely death. Image File history File links Wnbc. ... Image File history File links Wnbc. ... A logotype, commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface and/or font, or arranged in a particular, but legible, way. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been claimed by some that Joseph Reynolds III, born July 1 1989 in a small, comfortable hospital, is the founder of the line of Dennys food chain outlets. ... Alan Colmes (born September 24, 1950 in New York City, New York), is the liberal half of the conservative Fox News Channels popular political debate program Hannity and Colmes, along with the staunch conservative Sean Hannity. ...

By the fall of 1986, WNBC was in crisis with Imus mornings, a blend of talk and a bit of music till 7 PM, then sports and all talk on overnights. Weekends had this blend of shows with more music in evenings. Ratings stayed very low.

On the afternoon of October 22, 1986, the station's "N-Copter" traffic helicopter crashed into the Hudson River killing traffic reporter Jane Dornacker and severely injuring pilot Bill Pate. As millions of WNBC listeners heard Dornacker giving her traffic report she suddenly paused, a grinding noise could be heard in the background and Dornacker screaming in terror "Hit the water! Hit the water! Hit the water!", then the radio transmission was cut off and a very shaken radio host Joey Reynolds awkwardly tried to figure out what had happened by saying "Uh I think we're going to play some music now." Dornacker had recently gotten back to flying in a helicopter after surviving a previous crash of the N-Copter into the Hackensack River in New Jersey a few months earlier. An episode of NBC's television show Third Watch featured a similar incident. October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... In many parts of the world traffic is generally organized, flowing in lanes of travel for a particular direction, with interchanges, traffic signals, or signage at intersections to facilitate the orderly and timely flow of traffic. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... A crash or Crash may mean: A car or other vehicular crash is a collision with something, including another vehicle. ... View of the Hudson in the 1880s showing Jersey City The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican, is a river running mainly through New York State but partly forming the boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey. ... Jane Dornacker Jane Dornacker (October 1, 1947 in Albuquerque – October 22, 1986 in New York) was an American rock musician and comedienne turned traffic reporter for WNBC 66 AM (later WFAN 66). ... In communications, transmission is the act of transmitting electrical messages (and the associated phenonomena of radiant energy that pass through media). ... It has been claimed by some that Joseph Reynolds III, born July 1 1989 in a small, comfortable hospital, is the founder of the line of Dennys food chain outlets. ... The Hackensack River, as seen from the New Jersey Turnpike. ... State nickname: The Garden State Official languages None defined Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D) Acting, Outgoing Jon Corzine (D) (Governor-Elect) Senators Jon Corzine (D) (Outgoing) Bob Menendez (D) (named as Corzines replacement) Frank Lautenberg (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 47th 22,608 km² 14. ... Third Watch was an NBC television drama that ran from 1999 to 2005. ...

In the summer of 1987, WNBC modified their format, keeping Imus in the morning playing a few AC cuts and a couple oldies an hour with his usual talk, Ray D'Ariano (Soupy Sales' former cohost) middays playing oldies, Alan Colmes afternoons with a talk show, Sports Night along with whatever pro sports WNBC had in evenings, and Jay Sorenson overnights with an oldies format playing hits from 1955-74 called "The Time Machine" with old jingles and an echo effect. This "Time Machine" was also heard all day and night on weekends. So for all intents and purposes WNBC was an oldies/talk station by then. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The beginning of WFAN and the end of WNBC: 1987-1988

Across town WFAN, then on 1050 kHz AM, was launched at 3PM on July 1, 1987, replacing WHN, and billing itself as the world's first twenty-four-hour-per-day sports talk station. The first voice heard on WFAN was that of Suzyn Waldman on a sports update, followed by the first show, which was Jim Lampley's drive-time show. Waldman would report for the station, covering the Yankees and Knicks, for 14 years. Other personalities that hosted shows besides Lampley in the 1050 AM years included Bill Mazur, Pete Franklin, and Ed Coleman. WFAN also inherited broadcast rights to the defending World Series champion New York Mets from WHN, who had held the rights for several years. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 KHZ. It played country music from 1972 to 1987 when it switched to all-sports formatted WFAN. Today 1050 is New Yorks ESPN radio station. ... Suzyn Waldman is an American sports broadcaster. ... Jim Lampley (born on April 8, 1949 in Hendersonville, North Carolina) is an American sports broadcaster, movie producer and restaurant owner. ... Pete Franklin (1928 - November 23, 2004) (The King) was a U.S. sports radio talk show who worked in San Francisco, Cleveland and New York. ... Ed Coleman is a radio broadcaster for the New York Mets on WFAN. He also did some radio work for the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics, as well as the 1994 Winter Olympics. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962-present) East Division (1969-present) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1986 â€¢ 1969 NL Pennants (4) 2000 â€¢ 1986 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1969 East Division titles (4) 1988 â€¢ 1986 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1969 Wild card berths (2) 2000 â€¢ 1999 Major league nicknames New York Mets (1962-present) Major... WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 KHZ. It played country music from 1972 to 1987 when it switched to all-sports formatted WFAN. Today 1050 is New Yorks ESPN radio station. ...

When NBC eliminated their radio division in 1988, the WNBC license was sold to Emmis Communications who had 1050 WFAN and 103.5 WQHT. On October 7, 1988 at 5:30p.m., WFAN moved down the radio dial to replace it at 660 kHz (which has a much stronger signal) while 1050 kHz was sold off. The last voice heard on WNBC was Alan Colmes, who counted down the seconds to WNBC's demise with the legendary NBC chimes (the notes G-E-C) playing in the background. After 66 years, the long history of NBC radio in New York had come to an end. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emmis Communications is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based radio and television group. ... WQHT also known as Hot 97 is a New York based radio station. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... Alan Colmes (born September 24, 1950 in New York City, New York), is the liberal half of the conservative Fox News Channels popular political debate program Hannity and Colmes, along with the staunch conservative Sean Hannity. ...

In the complicated switch that saw WFAN move to the 660 frequency, the 1050 frequency that was formerly the home of WFAN became the home of a new Spanish station. Over on the FM side, Emmis's Hot 103.5 WQHT moved to 97.1 FM (which was NBC's then Country WYNY). Emmis sold 1050 to SBS and 103.5 to Westwood One. Westwood One moved the intellectual WYNY country unit to 103.5. However, SBS had an AM station already on 620, and in those days, radio station owners could own only one AM station in a market. As a result, SBS received a temporary waiver to run 1050 as a non-commercial spanish music station while selling 1050 for 97.9 from a Jewish group. The group, which went by the name of Forward Communications, then took 97.9 WEVD's programming and moved it to 1050. SBS would then begin to program 97.9 FM as a Spanish-music station.

WFAN

Early History

One of the keys to WFAN's early success was acquiring Don Imus to do the morning show. At the time of the switch, sports talk radio was still an untested format with questionable prospects, and the idea of bringing on board a host that appealed to a broader audience would get more people to try the station out. WFAN also benefitted from the inertia from Imus's fans who were used to tuning in to 660 AM on weekday mornings to listen.

It quickly became apparent that WFAN's gambit of bringing Imus on board worked. Ratings for the morning show were strong, and it was successful to a point in driving ratings for the rest of WFAN's programming day. This model of using a general-interest morning host for a sports talk radio station (especially at launch) has been used at other sports radio stations across the country.

WFAN was also the first station in the country to roll out sports updates every 20 minutes. These updates, called "20-20 Sports" on the Fan, are now considered an industry standard. Additionally, in a nod to the former WNBC, update anchors often end their updates with the catchphrase "And that's what's happening...", which is how WNBC on-air news readers had ended their updates. A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ...

Other programming that WFAN had at launch included a midmorning show with Ed Coleman and Mike Francesa, and a drive time show with talk radio icon Pete Franklin, who in Cleveland had become one of the first polarizing, outrageous talk show hosts. During his stay in New York, Franklin would probably become best known for an incident where he used a four-letter expletive on air, in error, when trying to say "All you folks" (he was not disciplined for the incident.) Ed Coleman is a radio broadcaster for the New York Mets on WFAN. He also did some radio work for the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics, as well as the 1994 Winter Olympics. ... Mike Francesa is a New York radio Talk Show host and Television Commentator. ... Pete Franklin (1928 - November 23, 2004) (The King) was a U.S. sports radio talk show who worked in San Francisco, Cleveland and New York. ...

Running a close second was a 30-second Franklin diatribe on whether he had been offensive -- "Do I offfend anyone? I'm not here to offend you, dammit!" -- that has been replayed ever since, especially on the July 1 WFAN anniversaries.) July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ...

In a further drive to boost ratings, Imus instigated a feud with Franklin, much as he had with Howard Stern at WNBC in the mid-80's. Both Imus and Franklin would take shots at each other during their shows, Franklin calling Imus "Minus" and Imus recording parodies of radio commercials where he would bash Franklin as a "dinousaur", among other things.

Franklin would leave WFAN in August 1989. On September 5, 1989, a jointly hosted afternoon drive show with Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo - who had been a weekend/fill-in host to that time - would premiere. The Mike and the Mad Dog show would become the defining show of WFAN, one of the most consistently popular radio shows in New York, and one of the most influential sports talk radio shows in the country. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... Christopher Mad Dog Russo is a sports radio personality. ... Mike and the Mad Dog is a afternoon drive sports radio program. ...

Recent History

Over the years WFAN has continued to have a broad-based sports talk and play-by-play format. WFAN ratings gradually rose and in fact at some points it has been the top-billing station in New York and the country. In 1992 Emmis sold WFAN to Infinity, which would merge with CBS in 1997. CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) is a major television network and radio broadcaster in the United States. ...

In addition to those mentioned above, some hosts that have come and gone include Greg Gumbel, Russ Salzberg, Dave Sims, and Jody McDonald. Greg Gumbel (born May 3, 1946 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American television sportscaster. ...

As of 2005, the WFAN broadcast day begins at 5:30 am (Eastern) with Imus in the Morning, hosted by Don Imus. Over the years Imus's show has evolved from a straight comedy talk show spiced with occasional political discussion, to primarily a political show spiked with sharp humor. It is syndicated to over 90 stations across the United States with an audience in excess of 10 million, according to the WFAN website. It has become a regular stop on the circuit for Washington insiders, both conservatives and liberals in the media elite, best-selling authors and the occasional presidential candidate. MSNBC began a simulcast of the show in September of 1996. The Eastern Standard Time Zone is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting five hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... John Donald Imus, Jr. ... MSNBC logo MSNBC (a grammatical blend of MSN and NBC) is a 24-hour cable news channel in the United States. ... Simulcast is a contraction of simultaneous broadcast, and refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium at the same time. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

The rest of the day is devoted to the world of sports. The 10:00 am to 1:00 pm timeslot is hosted by Joe Beningo, followed by the Mike and the Mad Dog show, which runs for five-and-a-half hours from 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm. As MSNBC does for Imus in the Morning, the YES Network has been simulcasting Mike and The Mad Dog since March of 2002. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... YES Network ID, 2002. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Steve Somers, other WFAN personalities including longtime New York radio fixture Richard Neer, or live sporting events are broadcast during the evening hours. Occasionally, events originate from Westwood One's NFL, NHL and NCAA radio broadcasts. Steve Somers Steve Somers is a radio host on the New York City sports radio station WFAN (660 AM). ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Westwood One, Inc. ... NFL logo For other uses of the abbreviation NFL, see NFL (disambiguation). ... The modernized NHL shield logo, debuting in 2005. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ...

As of January 2006, Tony Paige works the majority of the overnight shifts, as he will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, as well as on late Saturday nights. The overnight host before Paige, Chris Carlin, became the sports reporter for Imus in the Morning after the previous sports reporter, Sid Rosenberg, was removed for inappropriate comments made about Kylie Minogue's battle with breast cancer. Additionally, Rosenberg, who had also co-hosted the midday show at the station for four years, resigned from the station on September 12, 2005 after being given an ultimatum by station management for not showing up to host the New York Giants' pregame show the day before. It is unclear whether Benigno will land a co-host, but time has shown that the midday show typically ends up with two personalities. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Chris Carlin is an on-air personality for WFAN 660, an AM radio station in New York City. ... Sidney Arthur Rosenberg is an American radio personality. ... Kylie Ann Minogue (pronounced: , to rhyme with vogue, born May 28, 1968, Melbourne) is an Australian singer, occasional songwriter and actress. ... Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ...

Over the years WFAN has established a tight bond with its listeners, to the point where one of them (Beningo) eventually landed a plum mid-morning show. Beningo was a frequent caller to "The Fan" (especially the Mike and the Mad Dog show) as "Joe from Saddle River". His calls were typically interesting and insightful. He was chosen to host a one-hour show during a promotion where listeners were invited to host a show. The show went well, and he parlayed this into a regular overnight show, which was parlayed into a mid-morning show.

WFAN also features the "20-20 Flash", a one to two minute update on sports scores and news, which occurs every 20 minutes (on the hour, twenty after and forty after). The update team consists of Rich Ackerman, Harris Allen, Erica Herskowitz, Bob Heussler, Janice Kerkel, Marc Malusis, John Minko, Jerry Recco, and Joe Tolleson. The station also employs beat reporters to cover the Mets (Ed Coleman), Yankees (Sweeny Murti), Jets (Kevin Burkhardt) and football Giants (Recco). Ed Coleman is a radio broadcaster for the New York Mets on WFAN. He also did some radio work for the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics, as well as the 1994 Winter Olympics. ...

Currently, WFAN has broadcasting rights for New York Mets baseball, New York Giants football, New Jersey Nets basketball, Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football and New Jersey Devils hockey. The station was also the longtime radio home for the New York Rangers and New York Knicks as well as St. John's University basketball for several years. Major league affiliations National League (1962-present) East Division (1969-present) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1986 â€¢ 1969 NL Pennants (4) 2000 â€¢ 1986 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1969 East Division titles (4) 1988 â€¢ 1986 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1969 Wild card berths (2) 2000 â€¢ 1999 Major league nicknames New York Mets (1962-present) Major... Picture of Fenway Park. ... Conference NFC Division East Year Founded 1925 Home Field Giants Stadium City East Rutherford, New Jersey Team Colors Royal Blue, Red, Gray, and White Head Coach Tom Coughlin League Championships (6) NFL Champions: 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956 Super Bowl: 1986 (XXI), 1990 (XXV) Conference Championships (9) NFL Eastern: 1956, 1958... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... The New Jersey Nets are a National Basketball Association team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Basketball is very popular in U.S. colleges. ... ... A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ... The New Jersey Devils (NJD) are a National Hockey League team based in the Continental Airlines Arena of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... The New York Rangers (NYR) are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in New York City, New York. ... This article is about a professional basketball team. ... Saint Johns University can refer to: College of Saint Benedict/Saint Johns University in St. ...

Currently WFAN's primary competition is WEPN, the New York ESPN Radio affiliate, ironically located at WFAN's old 1050 kHz frequency. WEPN, more commonly known as 1050 ESPN Radio, is a round the clock all-sports talk station in New York City featuring national and local sports programming. ... ESPN, formerly an abbreviation of Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ...

Influence of sports format

WFAN's success - especially after the 1988 frequency switch - proved that sports-talk radio could in fact be a steadily profitable and popular format. This in turn fueled the explosive growth of sports-talk radio in the 1990's and 2000's. Once a novelty, every major market (and many smaller markets) now has at least one sports radio station, and often more. ESPN, Fox Sports and The Sporting News have all launched 24-hour national sports talk radio networks. There are also nationally syndicated radio shows, such as Jim Rome's show and 2 Live Stews. Additionally there are dedicated sports radio streams on satellite radio, such as NASCAR Radio and NFL Radio on Sirius and MLB Home Plate on XM Satellite Radio. With the migration of music station to FM and other carriers all but complete, sports talk radio are considered to have been critical in saving the AM band as a viable broadcast medium. ESPN, formerly an abbreviation of Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Fox Sports is a division of Rupert Murdochs U.S. television network, the Fox Broadcasting Company. ... The Sporting News (TSN) is an American-based sports newspaper. ... Sports talk show host Jim Rome. ... Doug and Ryan Stewart host 790 The Zones leading show 2 Live Stews (Here at the Sweet Auburn Market in Atlanta, GA). ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... Sirius (α CMa / α Canis Majoris / Alpha Canis Majoris) is the brightest star in the nighttime sky, with a visual apparent magnitude of −1. ... MLB Home Plate is a popular destination on the XM Satellite Radio dial for fans of Major League Baseball, as it features round the clock MLB related talk shows, as well as archives and live reports. ... XM Satellite Radio NASDAQ: XMSR is a satellite radio (DARS) service in the United States based in Washington, DC and controlled by News Corporations DirecTV, General Motors, American Honda, Hughes Electronics, and several private investment groups. ...

It is worth noting that, for all the success and influence that WFAN has had, its signature Mike and the Mad Dog show has never been syndicated outside of New York State (WROW in Albany is the only syndicate), although this is primarily due to a desire by the hosts to keep their show New York-centric. Motto: Nickname: Location in Albany County, New York Founded Incorporated 1614 1686  County Albany County Borough Parrish Mayor Gerald D. Jennings Area  - Total  - Water 56. ...

Reception of WFAN

WFAN's signal can be heard clearly on the East Coast of North America after sunset; however, its groundwave signal can be heard faintly as far south as Washington, D.C. during the day. Groundwave is the propagation of radio waves close to the surface of the Earth. ... Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. ...

External links

• WFAN website
• 66 WNBC Tribute Pages
• The Unauthorized Mike and the Mad Dog Radio Show Blog
• Query the FCC's AM station database for WFAN