Slogan The Lite on the Bays First air date 1996 (as WLIE) | Frequency 102.5 MHz Format Adult Contemporary | |
City Bridgehampton, New York Broadcast area Eastern Long Island, southeastern Connecticut | ||
WBAZ (102.5 FM) is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to Bridgehampton, New York and serves the east end of Long Island and southeastern Connecticut. The station is owned by Lauren and Roger Stone, through licensee LRS Radio, LLC, and broadcasts from a tower in Southampton. It broadcasts from studios in Water Mill, New York shared by WEHM & WEHN and WBEA.
Contents
History
The 102.5 frequency first signed on in 1996 as WLIE (no relation to the current holder of the calls in Islip), put on the air by WBAZ-owner Mel Kahn and his MAK Communications. At the outset, the new frequency went through some difficulties as a planned launch with AP All News Radio went awry and the station instead signed on with a satellite-fed country music format. Less than a year later, the country format was replaced with classic rock
In early 1998, the 102.5 frequency changed again as it took on new calls, WBSQ, and a new Hot Adult Contemporary format (again satellite-fed) as Q-(Bright)102.5. Launched as a compliment to WBAZ at 101.7 FM, and not much else, the station remained an afterthought in the scheme of East End radio.
When Kahn sold WBAZ and WBSQ to AAA Entertainment, owner of locally-run rival WBEA at 104.7 FM in 2000, the future of WBSQ's Hot AC format was limited. Studies by AAA showed that the majority of WBAZ's listeners were concentrated in the Southampton/Bridgehampton area and that the slightly worse 102.5 FM signal would be ideal for the station. In April 2001, WBSQ took the WCSO calls used by AAA as placeholders and would simulcast and assume WBAZ's format and calls that May. The 101.7 frequency soon became home to WBEA whereas WBEA's former home at 104.7 FM became home to a classic hits station targeted to New London, Connecticut.
In 2005, WBAZ, WBEA, and sister stations WEHM and WHBE would be purchased by Long Island Radio Broadcasting, a unit of Cherry Creek Radio.
Personalities
Walker Vreeland began hosting the Morning Show on WBAZ in May 2007. In September 2010 he moved to the Afternoon Drive time slot. Vreeland resigned from WBAZ on December 9, 2016.