WYGM

WYGM
City Orlando, Florida
Broadcast area Orlando, Florida
Branding 96.9 The Game
Slogan Orlando's Sports Leader
Frequency 740 kHz
Translator(s) 96.9 W246BO (Deltona)
Repeater(s) 101.1 WJRR-HD2 (HD Radio needed)
First air date February 8, 1947
Format Sports
Power 50,000 watts
Class B
Facility ID 51982
Callsign meaning W Y GaMe
Affiliations Fox Sports Radio
UCF Knights
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Orlando Predators
Owner iHeartMedia
(Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc.)
Sister stations WFLF, WJRR, WMGF, WRUM, WTKS-FM, WXXL
Webcast Listen Live
Website FM 96.9 The Game

WYGM, known on-air as 96.9 The Game, is an AM all sports station radio station in Orlando, Florida, United States. It broadcasts at a medium-wave frequency of 740 kHz. It is owned by iHeartMedia and operates out of iHeartMedia's Orlando area offices in Maitland. It broadcasts from a 50 kW transmitter in Clermont, Florida. 740 kHz is a Canadian clear-channel frequency.

In 2010, WYGM began simulcasting on WTKS-FM "Real Radio 104.1" as HD Radio subchannel WTKS-FM HD-3. On May 6, 2012, WYGM switched its HD Radio simulcast from WTKS-FM HD-3 to WJRR HD-2 with the demise of "Channel X".

Current programming

WYGM immediately picked up The Dan Patrick Show from 9am to Noon on weekdays, and airs Fox Sports Radio programming when local programming is not otherwise on. It has also picked up The Dan Sileo Show, which was on 540 WFLA during WQTM's brief move into the Hispanic music market. The station will remain the radio flagship of the UCF Knights, as it was in its previous incarnations, and has picked up affiliation for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The radio station also airs Orlando Solar Bears games exclusively online via their iHeart Radio feed.

The station resumed airing The Jim Rome Show, another show formerly on WQTM, in April 2009. Jim Rome left the station again at the end of 2012, coinciding with his move to CBS Sports Radio, resulting in his show moving to CBS affiliate WRSO in the Orlando market.

History

WWNZ

WORZ signed on February 8, 1947 at 740 AM. In the 1960s as WKIS, the station played adult contemporary music. In 1979, WKIS changed to news/talk. When the station became WWNZ ("Wins") on May 12, 1988, the change in call letters also meant a signal upgrade, from 5000 watts during the day and 1000 watts at night to 50,000 watts with a directional antenna all the time. Clive Thomas was the midday host, while Jim Philips was on in the afternoons.[1][2]

WQTM

WQTM debuted as a sports talk radio station, "The Team", in January 1995. From 1995-2001, WQTM broadcast on the 540 frequency previously used by WGTO. In January 2001, WQTM transitioned over to 740 AM by simulcasting on both frequencies for one month. Beginning in February, the transition was complete, and 540 AM became WFLF (NewsRadio 540 WFLA).

740 The Team was anchored by four local shows:

Format changes

On October 12, 2006, Clear Channel announced the dismissal of twelve-year program director, and show host Marc Daniels. The move was made as part of budget cuts. Steve Egan was also dismissed. Speculation in an Orlando Sentinel article suggested the station would possibly undergo a format change. On November 10, 2006, it was announced that WQTM's summer 2006 ratings fell to an average of 0.6 (84,000 listeners), falling behind competitor WHOO for the first time in at least 15 months.

On October 1, 2007, WQTM changed their morning lineup. It dropped Keep 'N Score, a one-hour show hosted by Orlando Sentinel columnists which ran from May 2003, and FSR's Out of Bounds, in favor of the newly re-launched Dan Patrick Show from 9 a.m. to noon.

In January 2008, further changes were made at 740 AM, and other Clear Channel-owned stations in the market. The station transitioned to a Spanish-language format. Pat Campbell left 540 WFLA's morning show. Dan Sileo's morning show was put in its place at 540, and it was simulcast on WDAE as well. The Finish Line with Mike Tuck and The Shot Doctor also moved to 540 (taking its normal 6-9 p.m. timeslot). The The Jim Rome Show was picked up by rival station WHOO, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers affiliation switched to RealRadio 104.1.

Transition back to sports radio

logo prior to simulcast on 96.9

After many rumors, Clear Channel Orlando announced on January 23, 2009 that the Sports talk format would return in February 2009.[4]

WQTM received new call letters WYGM on February 11, 2009. 740 began stunting at 5 p.m., on Friday, February 13. As expected, the station went back to sports, this time branded as "740 The Game" on Monday, February 16 (the previous " Team" moniker had been snagged during the sabbatical by WHOO). 740 The Game resumed affiliation with FSR from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Rick Everett is the station's Program Director. He is also the PD for sister rock station WJRR.

In May 2009, The Dan Sileo Show transitioned back from 540 WFLA and became the 6-9 a.m. morning anchor program on "740 The Game." The Finish Line, however, did not return. Initially, the Shot Doctor was fired by Clear Channel and Mike Tuck moved to WHOO to re-unite with Jerry O'Neill.

Later, the Shot Doctor returned in July to host a new afternoon show, The Sports Rx, from 3pm-6pm.

Eventually, Dan Sileo was dropped from Orlando to focus as a Tampa Bay show. He was eventually replaced by Mike Bianchi at the 6-9am slot in 2011.

By 2013, original anchor Marc Daniels (who had spent time at WHOO), returned to 740 am, and started a new morning program, The Beat of Sports from 9am-noon, co-hosted by Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel.

On October 1, 2015, WYGM began multicasting on FM translator W246BO, transmitting out of Deltona, Florida, and rebranded as "96.9 The Game".[5]

References

  1. ↑ "WWNZ-AM 740 Orlando". Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  2. ↑ "Call Sign History (WYGM)". Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  3. ↑ The `Shot Doctor' is in
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Orlando's Game Adds FM Signal

Coordinates: 28°28′53″N 81°39′43″W / 28.48139°N 81.66194°W / 28.48139; -81.66194

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