ERP 97,800 watts Class C0 Frequency 98.5 MHz Format Urban adult contemporary | HAAT 300 meters Facility ID 11972 City of license New Orleans Owner iHeartMedia Inc | |
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Broadcast area New Orleans metropolitan area First air date 1960s (former station)
February 1975 (WYLD) Area New Orleans metropolitan area Branding 107.5 WGCI, (stylized as "WGCi" in logo) Slogan Today's R&B and Back In the Day Jams | ||
Ruins of wyld fm new orleans
WYLD-FM is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio outlet in New Orleans, Louisiana, and one of the highest rated radio stations in the market. The iHeartMedia, Inc. station operates at 98.5 megahertz. Its transmitter is located in New Orleans' Algiers district, and its studios are located downtown.
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History
WYLD-FM, which began its life as WWOM-FM (companion to WWOM-AM), was better known as Top 40 WIXO ("98.5 - a little cooler than normal"), which made its debut in 1972 after it was converted into the format by its new owner, where it enjoyed a brief but successful run.
On September 24, 1974, WIXO signed off for good at 4:00 PM; "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End", tracks from The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, were the final tunes to be played on the station. After Program Director and morning jock Michael Greene (formerly of WTIX-AM) read the sign-off announcement, the station called it a day with "Her Majesty," the very last track from Abbey Road.
The WIXO callsign has been used by a few unrelated stations in other states; since the late 1990s, it has been in the Peoria, Illinois market, on a station that is now on 105.7 MHz.
98.5 MHz remained empty on the New Orleans radio dial until the following February, when WYLD signed on and began its successful run as a Contemporary Hit Radio/Urban Contemporary a.k.a. CHUrban outlet after the format was shifted over from WYLD (AM). For years, it was branded as "WYLD FM 98". But by the late 1980s it got into a battle with WQUE-FM, which would last until 1992 when it became Q93's sister station and in the process evolved to its current format as an Urban Adult Contemporary. Until December 2013, it carried the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. Crosstown competitor KMEZ picked up Joyner, and WYLD now airs Steve Harvey in the morning, which formerly aired on WQUE.
On August 1, 2012, the HD2 and translator K242CE (on 96.3 FM) dropped its Smooth Jazz format for Top 40/CHR as "96.3 KISS FM." This marks the second time in this market that Clear Channel has used the Top 40 "KISS-FM" brand, which was last used at KSTE. The "Kiss FM" format lasted until February 17, 2014, when K242CE switched to active rock, simulcasting WRNO-HD2.