WFAY

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WFAY
City of license Fayetteville, North Carolina
Broadcast area Fayetteville
Slogan La Tremenda
Frequency 1230 kHz
Format Regional Mexican
Power 1,000 watts
Class C
Facility ID 72055
Transmitter Coordinates 35°4′20.00″N 78°52′26.00″W / 35.0722222, -78.8738889
Owner Norsan Consulting And Management, Inc.

For the TV station in Fayetteville, North Carolina, see WFPX.

WFAY (1230 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format.[1] Licensed to Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Fayetteville area. The station is currently owned by Norsan Consulting And Management, Inc.[2]

[edit] History

WFAI signed on in 1947.

At one time, WFAI was a CBS Radio affiliate carrying Arthur Godfrey, Art Linkletter and Ma Perkins.

Jack Lee bought WFAI in 1960, and his "Open Mike" may have been the first talk show in Fayetteville. Danny Highsmith hosted "Talk Back" in the 1970s. Lee had worked with Joy Pyne in Delaware, and her show was on WFAI at one time.[3] Curt Nunnery hosted "Curt's Coffee Club" from 1960 to 1991, later moving the show to WFLB.[4]

On March 1, 1991, WFAI changed from music of the big band era to traditional gospel music targeting African-American listeners. Station owners Henry Hoot and Rev. Gardner Altman also owned WFLB, which played more contemporary gospel music. WFAI would play Shirley Caesar, Willie Neal Johnson and The Gospel Keynotes, and the Rev. James Cleveland, while WFLB would play The Kingsmen, Chuck Wagon Gang and The Bishops. Station manager Rosa "Lady Gospel" Freeman said the station's announcers would be Don Reid, Bob Gay, Omega Sutton, Danny Davis and Dwayne Collins, and that WFAI would also have area ministers.[5]

Jeff Andrulonis and Colonial Radio Group bought WFAI from Altman in 1995 and changed it to news/talk. At the time, it had Spanish language broadcasts at night.[6] The station began airing Michael Reagan and Oliver North, "Fayetteville's Morning News," and sports broadcasts including the Carolina Panthers, North Carolina State, and college and professional basketball playoff games.[7] After a year, "The Fort" made changes to de-emphasize "political" talk. Gary Burbank was added and Reagan and Pete Rose were dropped.[8] WFAI later added The Fabulous Sports Babe and G. Gordon Liddy.[9]

Madeleine Raymond hosted a controversial, often sexually-oriented talk show from 1997 to 1999, with a target audience that included men on the nearby military bases.[10]

WFAI became WFAY and dropped the "Fort" name in 2000 as part of an image change, though the station kept its talk format.[11]

In 2001, WFAY added a full-time sports talk station, WCIE.[12] Allen Smothers, news director for WFAY and WCIE, started Fayetteville's first local sports talk show in June 2001.[13]

WFAY changed to mostly ESPN Radio in 2002 when WCIE went Spanish.[6]

In January 2006, Norsan Consulting and Management applied to buy WFAY from Colonial Radio group.[14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ WFAY Facility Record. United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ^ Station Information Profile. Arbitron.
  3. ^ Michael Futch, "Recalling the First Call-in," The Fayetteville Observer, March 18, 2001.
  4. ^ Michael Futch, "Familiar Sound Back on Radio," The Fayetteville Observer February 16, 1997.
  5. ^ David Bourne, "WFAI-AM Goes Gospel on Friday," The Fayetteville Observer, February 28, 1991.
  6. ^ a b Michael Futch,"Radio Station to Go Spanish," The Fayetteville Observer, June 22, 2002.
  7. ^ Michael Futch, "New Owner Has Big Ideas for Small Station," The Fayetteville Observer, March 1, 1996.
  8. ^ Michael Futch, "WFAI Owner Is Changing Station's Tune," The Fayetteville Observer, December 8, 1996.
  9. ^ Author: Michael Futch,"WFAI Radio to Carry Liddy Show, The Fayetteville Observer, September 7, 1997.
  10. ^ Michael Futch, "Talk Show Host Leaves 'The Fort'," The Fayetteville Observer, March 28, 1999.
  11. ^ Michael Futch, "Kiss Makes Its Niche with Love Songs," The Fayetteville Observer May 21, 2000.
  12. ^ Michael Futch, "Local Sports Talk Station May Be Near," The Fayetteville Observer, January 14, 2001.
  13. ^ Michael Futch, "WFAY to Begin Sports Talk Show," The Fayetteville Observer, June 10, 2001.
  14. ^ Michael Futch, "AM Station WFAY Sold to Hispanic Radio Group," The Fayetteville Observer, January 27, 2006

[edit] External links


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