WBXY-FM 99.5 La Crosse

WBXY-FM 99.5
La Crosse

Original Call Letters: WBEQ (Construction Permit)

Originally Licensed: Jul 17, 1998

Original City of License: La Crosse

Original Frequency: 99.5

Origin of Call Letters:

Original Power: 2,200 watts

Original Location:

Original Format: Adult Contemporary

Network Affiliation(s):

Owner(s):	1995-Wilks Florida Broadcasting, Inc.
	1998-Asterisk Communications, Inc.
	2013-JVC Broadcasting (LMA)
	2014-RDA Broadcasting Holdings, LLC ($350,000)

History Of Call Letters and Formats:	WBEQ-1998-Construction Permit
	WWFX-1998-Construction Permit
	WQVR-1999-Classic Rock “Real Rock 99.5”
	WRKG-1999-Classic Rock “Real Rock 99.5”
	WBXY-1999-Adult Contemporary “Star 99.5”
	WBXY-2001-Oldies “Star 99.5”
	WBXY-2004-News/Talk “Star 99.5”
	WBXY-2013-Rhythmic/Dance Hits
	WGMW-2014-Adult Standards

History of WBXY-FM
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WBXY
WBXY began broadcast operations in 1998 as a first local radio service to La Crosse, Florida, a small rural town of a few hundred residents, located about 10 miles North - North East of Gainesville. Wilks Broadcasting of Florida, Inc. had initially petitioned the FCC for the new FM station that now operates on 99.5 with 2,200 watts. Once Wilks was given authorization to build the new station as WBEQ, the construction permit was sold to Asterisk Communications, Inc. as WWFX. The call letters were changed again to WGVR and then again to WRKG which were originally moved from Asterisk’s 104.9 High Springs to 100.5 Newberry. The “Real Rock” moniker and classic rock programming were also moved to the 99.5 frequency. What had become the third WRKG-FM broadcast from the WNDT-FM 92.5 tower located about five miles North of Gainesville which is approximately halfway between Gainesville and Alachua. The tower is located at the WGFL-TV 53 High Springs studio location although WGFL’s tower is located in Newberry. The “Real Rock” format didn’t last very long on 99.5 and the format and call letters were moved to 100.5 in favor of moving the call letters WBXY and the “Star” moniker from 100.5 to 99.5 becoming Hot Adult Contemporary formatted “Star 99.5”. Three years later, unable to effectively compete against 100kw WKTK-FM 98.5, the format was changed to oldies hits of the 60s and 70s but remained “Star 99.5”. Oldies didn’t last very long either and in 2001, WBXY switched to News-Talk, but still as "Star 99.5". Programs heard on the new “Star 99.5” now include Mancow in the Morning, Laura Ingram during the mid morning, Heath Cline in the early afternoons, Sean Hannity in the afternoon, financial guru Dave Ramsey in the evenings and Fox Sports Radio during the overnight hours with Fox News Radio at the top of every hour.

New owners swiftly pull the plug on local political talk show 5-30-13
By Anthony Clark
Gainesville Sun Business editor
Two Gainesville radio stations are changing formats at midnight Friday, but a local political talk show ended a little prematurely Thursday when the incoming owners took issue with comments the hosts made about the changes on the air. Jake Fuller and Ward Scott were told not to return for the second hour of the conservative talk show Talk of the Town on The Star 99.5 FM following their comments during the first hour. Scott said they have had trouble getting information about the looming changes but finally heard Thursday morning that they might not be on the air Monday. He said they felt an obligation to tell their listeners and started the show talking about that before moving on to an interview with new Gainesville Mayor Ed Braddy, who previously hosted the show with Fuller before running for mayor. "As the show progressed, we got more and more concerned callers," Scott said. Fuller, who also draws editorial cartoons for The Gainesville Sun, said they were told the last straw came when he responded to a caller who asked if it was a liberal plot by saying, "It's these out-of-state owners that really don't have a feel for the community, so they're changing the format." "Apparently that didn't sit well with them," Fuller said. JVC Media of Long Island, N.Y., has an agreement to buy five FM stations in the Gainesville/Ocala market from Asterisk Communications of Fort Lauderdale pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission. CEO John Caracciolo said he made the decision to end the show immediately after getting a call from station General Manager John Starr about the comments. If not for the comments, he said he might have found a time slot for the show on one of their stations. "I'm sorry it ended the way it, did but when you're not professional on the airwaves, I have to make a decision that benefits the company," he said. "Shows come and go. That's the business." The format changes that take effect at midnight Friday are: WBXY The Star 99.5 talk format becomes Party 99.5 FM electronic dance music, which includes artists such as Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. WYGC 105 The Game at 104.9 FM changes from sports and talk to a country music simulcast of Ocala-based WTRS Thunder Country 102.3, which is being rebranded My Country. "The stations in Gainesville were under performing and I had to make an economic decision to do the right thing to bring a format that would make the station profitable and serve the community in a format that's underserved," Caracciolo said of The Star becoming dance music. He said some programs from the current formats may find a place on the five stations. Smooth FM 100.9 will remain smooth adult contemporary and Q92.9 will remain hot adult contemporary. Scott and Fuller said they have been talking to a few other radio stations in town that are very interested in airing their show. In the meantime, they will start hosting the show online starting at 11 a.m. Monday at AlachuaTalks.com. Scott said they have been told Talk of the Town had 6,000 to 10,000 listeners per 15 minutes. Fuller and Braddy started the show about four years ago. Scott, a frequent guest, started hosting a second hour with Fuller a year ago and took over for Braddy when he left to run for mayor earlier this year.

At midnight Saturday, June 1, 2013 WBXY becomes "Party 99.5 FM" electronic dance music, which includes artists such as Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake.

Gainesville/Ocala Stations Sales Finalized 1-20-14
JVC Media, which took over WTRS-FM 102.3, WYGC-FM 104.9, WMFQ-FM 92.9 and WXJZ-FM 100.9 from Asterisk Communications, Inc. through an LMA back in May, has finalized the deal. The total is $3.5 million. The other property in the cluster, WBXY-FM 99.5 has been sold by JVC to RDA Broadcast Holdings, LLC for $350,000.

Names In WBXY History

Fred Ingham-1998-President-Asterisk Communications, Inc.

Reynolds Hawk-1998-General Manager-Asterisk Communications, Inc.

John Rutledge-1999-Asterisk Communications, Inc. Biography In Memory

Heath Cline-2005-11AM-1PM-Asterisk Communications, Inc.
Jake Fuller-2009-2013-Co-host of "Talk of the Town" -Asterisk Communications, Inc.
Ed Braddy-2009-2012-Co-host of "Talk of the Town" -Asterisk Communications, Inc.
Ward Scott-2012-2013-Co-host of "Talk of the Town" -Asterisk Communications, Inc.
John Carraciolo-2013-2014-President/CEO-JVC Media
Shane Reeve-2013-VP/Market Manager-JVC Broadcasting
Sarita Negron-2013-General Sales Manager-JVC Broadcasting
Dyann (Lesnever)-2013-10AM-2PM-JVC Broadcasting
Ben Jammin'-2013-2PM-6PM-JVC Broadcasting
Jason Hines-2013-6PM-Midnight-JVC Broadcasting
John Star-General Sales Manager-Asterisk Communications, Inc.