Broadcast area Fort Wayne, Indiana Audience share 3.0, #10 (Fa'07, R&R) HAAT 138 meters (453 ft) Frequency 98.9 MHz Format Active rock Branding 98.9 The Bear | First air date 1989 ERP 50,000 watts Class B City of license Woodburn Area Fort Wayne Slogan Fort Wayne's Rock Station | |
Owner Pathfinder Communications Corporation | ||
WBYR, branded as 98.9 The Bear, is a radio station licensed to Woodburn, Indiana with studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station broadcasts an active rock format at 98.9 on the FM dial. WBYR is owned by Federated Media.
History
WBYR was the former WERT-FM and WKSD in Van Wert, Ohio, owned by Ray Livesay. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, WERT-FM sinulcast its sister AM station. When the FCC gave the ultimatum for Class B FM stations to increase power to maximum levels or be downgraded, WERT-FM increased power to 50,000 watts and introduced a beautiful music format. Once the station was sold to Atlantic Resources, the call letters were changed to WKSD ("Kiss 99") with a satellite delivered adult contemporary format.
In January, 1989, comedy clips, construction sound effects and a vague but brief announcement was heard over and over again for about a week, "9890 songs in a row on Fort Wayne's new 98.9 FM". A classic hits format debuted on the 11th of the month at Noon, with the first song being "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger. Meanwhile, the WKSD calls resurfaced at 99.7 FM licensed to Paulding, Ohio; WKSD 99.7 FM now features oldies and sports talk as a sister station to WERT/1220.
The first Program Director of The Bear was John Robertson, formerly of WGTZ, Dayton, Ohio. The lineup included Les St. James and Roxanne McVey in mornings, Robertson in Middays, the late "Tuna" Jon Rose (Earl Rolling)- Production Director in afternoon drive, Hal Brandt evenings, Don Buettner APD/MD overnighhts.
The current morning show is the morning after with John The Mexican and Heather Rooney
bring back drew