City Westhampton, New York Branding La Nueva Fiesta First air date 1993 (as WMRW) | Broadcast area Long Island Frequency 98.5 MHz Format Tropical | |
WBON (98.5 FM, "La Nueva Fiesta") is a Spanish-language FM radio station licensed to Westhampton, New York and operating at 98.5 MHz with a Tropical format. Its transmitter is located in Manorville, New York. The station is licensed to JVC Media LLC.
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History
98.5 FM went on the air in 1993 as WMRW, simulcasting the modern rock of WDRE (92.7 FM). This would continue throughout the 1990s, with the call sign of 98.5 changing to WLIR-FM, WLRI, and finally WDRE. In 2004, the modern rock simulcast ended, 98.5's format changed to classic rock, and the call sign changed to WBON ("98.5 the Bone"). The classic rock format lasted until March 2007. At that time, Jarad Broadcasting was attempting to sell its stations to the Business Talk Radio Network, and as a result the station became WBZB, "Business Talk New York." Programs on WBZB included Doug Stephan's morning show, American Scene with Steve Crowley, an afternoon show hosted by Ray Lucia, and Chick Chat, a talk show geared toward women. The sale fell through, and the call letters were changed back to WBON on September 10, 2007.
After stunting with a simulcast of sister WDRE (now WPTY), Party 105, and a pre-produced loop of random sound bites, WBON became Long Island's newest 24/7 Spanish-language station at noon on September 20, 2007. The station kicked off by airing 10,000 songs in a row.
On Friday, February 27, 2009 at 5 pm, WTAA Pleasantville-Atlantic City dropped its Regional Mexican format and began simulcasting La Nueva Fiesta.
On October 2, 2009 the sale of the station by The Morey Organization to JVC Media LLC was completed. JVC Media LLC also owns WPTY ("Party FM") licensed to Calverton-Roanoke in Eastern Suffolk County, Long Island.
On Saturday, November 21, 2009, WBON began simulcasting on a translator in Plainview, New York at 101.5 MHz, replacing the WPTY ("Party FM") simulcast of 105.3 MHz in Calverton-Roanoke, New York, but it then returned to simulcasting "Party FM" on January 21, 2010.