City Mansfield, Ohio Branding Y105 First air date 1978 (as WCLW) | Broadcast area Mid-Ohio Frequency 105.3 MHz | |
Slogan Mansfield's #1 Hit Music Station | ||
WYHT (105.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Mansfield, Ohio, United States, the station serves the Mid-Ohio area. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc..
History
The station signed on October 18, 1962 as a sister to now defunct 1140 AM WCLW located at 791 McPherson Street in Mansfield, Ohio and owned by Mansfield Broadcasting Inc owned by Frederick Eckardt. Simulcasting 100% of the AM station 105.3 aired a Mainstream Rock/Pop format that was a first in the area. In 1975, the company changed names to Greater Mansfield Broadcasting Inc. having Lynn Eckardt join as Vice President of the company. In 1983, WCLW-AM would become country competing against nearby WNCO Ashland, Ohio and WCLW-FM would change to a MOR format. Greater Mansfield Broadcasting would sell both WCLW-AM/FM to Cleveland lawyer and radio specialist Harrison Fuerst's Treasure Radio on April 16, 1987 for $2 Million. Fuerst also was purchasing WMAN-AM/Mansfield for $1.6 Million to combine with his 1490 WMGW and 100.3 WZPR Meadeville, Pennsylvania, 98.1 WJJR and now defunct 970 AM WHWB Rutland. Fuerst had owned other radio stations in Colorado Springs, Albany, Denver, Nebraska and Akron. The station changed its call letters to the current WYHT-FM on August 3, 1987.
Treasure worked with consultant Nick Anthony, who'd programmed WKDD in Akron, and who currently is Vice President of Rubber City Radio Group. When Anthony joined the station, the entire format and lineup of the newly named Y105 changed adding Scott Bruner and Toni Foxx to mornings; Steve Casale to middays; Sheri Wharton in Afternoons; David G. Cook, evenings; and Eric Taylor, overnights. Program Director for the new Y105 was John Foster and music director Bob Dickey.
After nearly a decade of ownership, Treasure Radio began divesting properties around the country including WYHT and WMAN for $7.65 Million to Faircom Communications who also owned 1470 WFNT and 107.9 WCRZ in Flint. Less than one year later, Regent Communications (now Townsquare Media) purchased the entire Faircom portfolio for $32 Million. Shortly after the much anticipated Clear Channel/AMFM merger in 2000, Regent Communications announced it would swap WYHT and WMAN Mansfield, WSWR Shelby, 102.3 KZXY-FM Apple Valley, 960 KIXW (AM) Apple Valley, 106.5 KIXA Lucerne Valley, 100.7 KATJ-FM Victorville and 1590 KVTR-AM Victorville plus an additional $67 Million in cash. In return Regent Communications secured new markets with both Albany and Grand Rapids