WDSY-FM

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WDSY-FM
City of license Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Branding Y108
Slogan Pittsburgh's Best Country Variety
Frequency 107.9 MHz (also on HD Radio)
107.9-HD2-"The Wolf" (Classic Country)
107.9-HD3-"The Bull" (New country)
First air date September 1962 (as WEEP-FM)
Format Country
ERP 17,500 watts
HAAT 252 meters
Class B
Facility ID 18525
Callsign meaning "DAISY" former on-air moniker
Former callsigns WEEP-FM (1962-1977)
Owner CBS Radio
(CBS Radio Stations Inc.)
Sister stations KDKA, KDKA-FM, WBZZ
part of CBS Corp. cluster with TV stations KDKA-TV & WPCW
Webcast Listen Live
Website y108.com

WDSY-FM is located in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area and broadcasts at 107.9 FM. It is a country music station commonly known as Y108. It is owned by CBS Radio. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh's Spring Hill district and its studios are located west of downtown.

History

First signing on in September 1962, this station was known as WEEP-FM, the sister of former AM station WEEP (now WWNL). Originally as a fully simulcast outlet of its AM sister, WEEP-FM operated primarily as a vehicle to serve listeners after the AM station was mandated to shut down after sunset.

The station continued operations as WEEP-FM until the late 1970s, doing break-aways from its AM sister as part of the 1965 FCC mandate requiring AM/FM combination license holders to originate separate programming on each station for half the broadcast day. During the break-away period, WEEP-FM would carry a softer vocal based country music format, while its AM sister played more contemporary country hits. In 1977, WEEP-FM changed its call letters to WDSY, and adopting the moniker "Fresh as a Daisy!...WDSY FM 108", making the WEEP-FM format full-time.

As FM began to emerge as radio's leading technology, it took on more of a flagship approach between the two stations, with WEEP simulcasting it, rather than the other way around, as the new WDSY began to evolve into a contemporary country station, and eventually was recognized as the exclusive country music outlet serving the Pittsburgh area. The station's ratings flourished in the late 1980s with the addition of two on-air personalities from top rocker WDVE joining the WDSY lineup: morning DJ Jimmy Roach and midday personality Chris DeCarlo.

In 1991, then-owner Entercom decided to change the station's branding and the station became known as "Pittsburgh's Country, Y108", though the music and call letters remained the same. Channel mentions of 107.9 later were incorporated into the branding as more and more vehicles came equipped with digitally tuned radios.

WDSY today

Chris DeCarlo, after completing ten years of service, resigned her midday slot to accept a position with a record company, but was asked to return to the staff a few years later to become part of the morning show. She resigned again in September 2007. Morning show host Brian "Monty" Montgomery has been part of the station's morning show lineup since 1993.

The current edition of the Y108 Country Crew is hosted by Brian "Monty" Montgomery. The morning show's producer is Brian "Wookie" Kostek.

The midday slot Monday through Friday is home to Ally. She can be heard from 10 am to 3 pm.

Afternoons belong to Stoney Richards (Monday through Friday, 3 pm to 7 pm).

Nights is home to Big Country Nights with Mike Tyler (Monday through Friday 7 pm to midnight).

WDSY was sold by Entercom to CBS in the late 1990s. In 1993, it moved from its longtime home in the Fulton Theatre (now known as the Byham Theatre) building in downtown Pittsburgh to Gateway Towers, occupying space formerly used by WPIT, which had moved to Greentree. WDSY then moved its current location at Foster Plaza in Greentree, about three miles south of downtown Pittsburgh, at the turn of the century.

WDSY HD2

WDSY-HD2 airs a classic country format, branded as "The Wolf."

WDSY HD3

WDSY-HD3 airs an all-new country format, branded as "The Bull."

External links

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