Around 1982 or 83, WGY-FM was a CHR station that quite suddenly appeared as a new Capital Region top 40 station known as “Electric 99”. The station entered a hit music race largely dominated by WFLY 92.3, which was the FM sister station of former Top 40 giant 1540 WPTR.
This aircheck was made towards the end of the station’s days as WGY-FM, as 99.5 would change call letters to WGFM very shortly after this recording was made. The on air name would also change from Electric 99 to WGFM concurrently. This would last until March of 1994, when the CHR era ended, as 99.5 flipped to AAA as WRVE, “The River”, a format that continues as of this writing.
In a twist of irony that could only happen in today’s corporate dominated radio business, 103.1 FM is NOW WGY-FM and has been since 9/20/10. WGY-FM today is a straight forward simulcast of the AM side, News Talk 810 WGY.
As for this recording, we know virtually nothing of Steve Chick, and we hope our site visitors will fill-in-the-blanks as to who else graced the airwaves of WGY-FM 99.5.
After “Electric 99″…WGY -FM became “Oldies 99.5″….and after that, became “The River”….as it stayed for many years !Just wanted to offer my Historical Clarification.
I was hired for weekends at Oldies 99.5 in Feb. 1992.
This is ONE GREAT AIRCHECK…Steve is ON …ON…ON ! PLUS…what an AWESOME Jingle Package ! Always loved the station when it was “Electric” !
wgfm was one of the first fm stations in the country (I believe 1939) … wgy is a no brainer 1922… and wrgb tv was or is claiming to be the first tv station as well… truth be told wgfm (rock 99) and the automated format in the early to mid 70s helped wtry where I started as a teenaged inturn, take wptr down. that was also the birth of “fly 92” … and the “G” in all the original call letters stand for general electric…
wgfm were the original call letters… the station was one of the first fm stations in the country (1939) I believe. in the mid 70s they were automated top 40 which sliced enough audience off wptr to give wtry the ratings lead. that led to wptr (rust communications) to go top 40 on thier fm side todays fly 92. I was part of that original air staff leaving wtry to do overnights there. in 1980 wptr went country after trying a hot a/c format for 3 years.
Yes, I knew the Chickster well and still do. Ace talent. We worked WGFM together, great days.
Wow, so strange to hear my air check after all these years. Mike Joseph, who created the Hot Hits format, had been brought in to re-energize WGFM. We practiced the new format in a production studio after our regular shifts. He wanted us fast, researched and tight. The music, as in the original Top 40 era, was whatever was selling even if it wasn’t strictly pop. I remember the jocks thinking all the jingles sounded the same. The format didn’t last long and as mentioned the station went to oldies before becoming the River.
Thanks for preserving this (even if my name was mis-spelled)
Steve Chick
I moved to the Capital District in the spring of 1989 and this is one of two stations I distinctly remember for their jingles. The other one was SHO 98.3 & 103.5 FM, which is also now defunct. If anyone has an aircheck of SHO FM I’d love to hear it as well. Not the oldies version of SHO FM but the original Top 40 era. Thanks