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WRNB

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Coordinates:40°2′36.4″N75°14′31.6″W/ 40.043444°N 75.242111°W/40.043444; -75.242111(WRNB)
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WRNB
Broadcast areaGreater Philadelphia (Delaware Valley)
Frequency100.3MHz(HD Radio)
Branding100.3 RNB
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatUrban adult contemporary
SubchannelsHD2:Urban contemporary"100.3 HD2 R&B and Hip Hop"
HD3:Urban contemporary gospel"Philly's Favor 100.7"
Ownership
Owner
WPPZ-FM
History
First air date
1982
Former call signs
  • WKSZ (1982–1993)
  • WPLY (1993–2005)
  • WPHI (2005–2011)
Call signmeaning
"Rhythm and blues"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID25079
ClassB
ERP
  • 17,000watts(analog)
  • 650 watts (digital)
[2]
HAAT259 meters (850 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°2′36.4″N75°14′31.6″W/ 40.043444°N 75.242111°W/40.043444; -75.242111(WRNB)
Translator(s)100.7 W264BH (Mount Holly, New Jersey)
Links
Public license information
Webcast
Website

WRNB(100.3FM) is acommercialradio stationlicensedtoMedia, Pennsylvaniain thePhiladelphia/Delaware Valleyradio market.It is owned byRadio Oneand airs anurban adult contemporaryradio format.In afternoondrive time,WRNB carries thesyndicatedD. L. HughleyShow. WRNB'sstudiosand offices are in the Two Bala Plaza building on City Line Avenue inBala Cynwyd.

WRNB has aneffective radiated power(ERP) of 17,000watts.Thetransmitteris located in theRoxboroughneighborhood ofPhiladelphiaat (40°2′36.0″N75°14′32.0″W/ 40.043333°N 75.242222°W/40.043333; -75.242222).[3]The station is short-spaced with two other co-channel FM stations (seeSee § Signal notebelow). WRNB broadcasts in theHD Radiohybrid format, with its HD-2 subchannel airing theurban contemporaryformat that moved from its main signal, and the HD-3 subchannel airing anurban contemporary gospelformat.

History

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1942-1973: Early years

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In 1942, a station broadcasting on 100.3 FM firstsigned onas KYW-FM, which was licensed to Philadelphia. It was thesister stationtoKYW,owned by theWestinghouse Electric Corporation.By the late 1940s, KYW-FM moved to 92.5 MHz.[4]The 100.3 frequency remaineddarkfor a decade and a half.

In 1962, WXUR-FM began broadcasting, licensed to the suburban community of Media.[5]Its effective radiated power was 4,200 watts,simulcastingtheChristian programmingof its AM sister station 690 WXUR (nowWPHEinPhoenixville, Pennsylvania). WXUR-AM-FM were owned byCarl McIntire,aBible Presbyterianminister.

1973-1981: Silent

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In 1973, theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) revoked the licenses for both stations, with the FCC ruling that WXUR-AM-FM violated theFairness Doctrine,refusing to air competing viewpoints. The 100.3 frequency then went silent again for eight years.

1981-1993: Adult contemporary

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In 1981, after a seven-yearcomparative hearing,the FCC awarded the license to the Greater Media Radio Company, owned by Daniel Lerner. The name referred to the station's city of license, Media, and was not associated with the largerGreater Media,Inc., which locally ownedWMGK,WPENand other stations around the U.S. On November 8, 1982, 100.3 FM returned to the air, this time as WKSZ, "Kiss 100," with asoft adult contemporaryformat.[6]By 1987, Kiss 100 was the #1Arbitron-ranked station among women ages 25 to 54.

In the early 1990s, however, the battle for AC listeners heated up, with WEAZ (nowWBEB) becoming the dominant station for soft music in Philadelphia. WKSZ lost ground in the ratings, falling to 17th place in 1992. To improve ratings, WKSZ tried to combine AC andoldieswith what the station called the "50/50 Mix"; however, this failed to turn ratings around, and in 1993, WKSZ returned to aplaylistof AC love songs.

1993-2005: Alternative rock

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On March 15, 1993, at 6 a.m., with the station still struggling, WKSZ became "Z100", switching to aadult top 40format. The flip came three days afterEagle 106gave up Top 40 and switched tosmooth jazz,creating an opening which WKSZ hoped to fill.[7]New York'sWHTZ,located on the same frequency of 100.3 MHz, and calling itself "Z100" since 1983, demanded that WKSZ drop the name to avoid listener confusion. After a brief legal battle, the call sign and name were changed to WPLY, "Y100".

The station initially had a slightalternative rocklean, but still played other Top 40 hits, including pop and dance. By early 1995, WPLY evolved into a full-timealternative rockformat, which lasted nearly ten years.[8][9]Through the late 1990s, WPLY leaned towardsModern AC,and would shift towards anactive rocklean in 2000.

In 2000, the station was bought byRadio Onefor $80 million.[10]Radio One focuses mostly on urban music and didn't plan to program an alternative rock station. The company tried to make a deal to swap formats withGreater Media's WEJM (nowWBEN-FM), which at the time, ran arhythmic oldiesformat called "Jammin Gold," which would have better fit into Radio One's portfolio. The deal fell through, and Radio One continued to run WPLY as an alternative rock station for nearly five years. While ratings had gone down, the station still was moderately successful.

2005-2011: Urban contemporary

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On February 24,2005,at 11:50 p.m., WPLY ended its alternative rock format with "Alive"byPearl Jam(which was also the first and last song onWDRE).[11][12]WPHI, anurban contemporarystation at 103.9 MHz, also owned by Radio One and known as "103.9 The Beat," moved to 100.3 FM. The station at 103.9, in turn, flipped tourban gospelasWPPZ-FM,"Praise 103.9."[13]By2006,Nielsen BDS/Radio & Recordsmoved WPHI to theurban contemporarypanel.Mediabasefollowed suit in2011.WPHI-FM's chief rival wasWUSL,which had been Philadelphia's long-time Urban Contemporary leader.

In fall 2005, former rival personality Colby Colb was hired as the Program Director and afternoon host. For the next few years, 100.3 The Beat enjoyed high ratings, helped by Miss Jones in the morning and Colby Colb in the afternoon. Monie Love and Pooch took over mornings in 2005, with otherdisc jockeyson the station including Micheal Shawn, DJ Touchtone, DJ Jay Ski, Megatron, DJ Bent Rock, Moshay, Toshamakia, DJ JDS, Laiya and Hansoul. In late 2010, WPHI-FM became the Philadelphia home of the Star and Buc Wild Morning Show,syndicatedfromNew York City.The show had actually been heard in Philadelphia in early 2006 on WUSL but had drawn some controversy and was dropped.

2011-2013: R&B

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Logo as "100.3 WRNB" from 2011 to 2013

On August 27,2011,WPHI dropped the "Beat" moniker for "100.3 Philly." Radio One was preparing to make another frequency switch, this time moving WRNB'surban ACformat and branding from 107.9 MHz to 100.3 MHz on September 1.[14][15]WRNB was simulcast on both 100.3 and 107.9 until September 2, when the WPHI call sign moved to 107.9, adopted the former "Beat" format and rebranded as "Hot 107.9."

2013-2016: Classic R&B

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Logo as "Old School 100.3" from 2013 to 2016

On March 29, 2013, WRNB went jockless and began promoting a "big announcement" at 5 p.m. on April 1. At that time, after playing "Keep Your Head to the Sky"byEarth, Wind, & Fire,WRNB flipped tourban oldiesas "Old School 100.3." The first song on "Old School" was "Atomic Dog"byGeorge Clinton.[16][17]

The format playedMotown,disco,funk,new jack swing,freestyle,and earlyhip hopfrom the 1960s to the early 2000s. The new format was designed to better compete with the dominant Urban AC station in Philadelphia,WDAS-FM.

In November 2014, sister stationWPHI-FMmoved to aclassic hip-hopformat. In response, WRNB re-added some current music, although the station continued to focus on older urban hits.

2016-2020: R&B

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On October 6, 2016, WRNB returned tourban adult contemporarymusic, once more calling itself "100.3 WRNB," and dropping the "Old School" branding.[18]

Logo as "100.3 WRNB" from 2016 to 2019

2020-2022: Urban contemporary

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On November 16, 2020, at 10 a.m., WRNB absorbed sister station WPHI's urban contemporary format into its own and was rebranded as "100.3 R&B & Hip Hop" (subsequently, WRNB's urban adult contemporary format would move full-time to its HD2 sub-channel). This was a result of Urban One selling said station to Entercom; the two stations simulcasted for a week, as it had been previously announced that WPHI would begin simulcastingKYWahead of the sale's closure, on November 23.[19]

2022-present: R&B

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With the combined R&B/hip hop format failing to catch on in the market - bottoming out with a 1.0 share in the July 2022 Nielsen Audio ratings (well behind WUSL’s 3.6 share), the station ultimately reverted to its previous urban AC format and "100.3 RNB" branding on August 25, 2022. With the shift, Program Director/afternoon host Paris Nicole exited the station after twelve years; Nicole previously served in the same position at WPHI and moved over at WRNB with the previous format shift.[20]

Signal note

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WRNB is short-spaced to two other co-channel Class B stations:WHTZZ100(licensed to serveNewark, New Jersey) andWBIG-FMBig 100(licensed to serveWashington, D.C.). The cities WRNB and WHTZ are licensed to serve are only 86 miles apart,[21]while the cities WRNB and WBIG-FM are licensed to serve are only 112 miles apart.[22]The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on the same channel according to currentFCCrules is 150 miles.[23]

History of WRNB call sign

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Beginning in the 1950s, the call sign WRNB was licensed toNorth Carolina's first full-timerock 'n rollradio station, a 1000-watt outlet inNew Bernlocated atAM 1490(nowsports radioWWNB). WRNB 1490 was also famous for being one of the first radio stations to playCarolina Beach Music.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WRNB".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^"FCC 335-FM Digital Notification [WRNB]".fcc.gov.Federal Communications Commission.February 18, 2011.Retrieved2018-05-10.
  3. ^"FM Query Results for WRNB".fcc.gov.Federal Communications Commission.Retrieved2018-05-10.
  4. ^Informationfrom theBroadcasting Yearbook1950 page 260
  5. ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1968 page B-140
  6. ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1983 page B-208
  7. ^Joe Logan, "Eagle 106, Kiss 100 depart,"The Philadelphia Inquirer,March 15, 1993.
  8. ^Kevin L. Carter, "Radio's hot sounds: Nostalgia and urban,"The Philadelphia Inquirer,January 11, 1995.
  9. ^Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1996 page B-359
  10. ^Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook page D-385
  11. ^Y100 Announces Format Change
  12. ^Y100 100.3 WPLY Signs-Off
  13. ^"Buried Alive".
  14. ^107.9 WRNB Philadelphia To Move To 100.3 On September 1
  15. ^100.3 The Beat Becomes WRNB
  16. ^WRNB Philadelphia Goes Old School
  17. ^WRNB Goes Old School
  18. ^WRNB Drops Old School 100.3 BrandingRadioinsight - October 6, 2016
  19. ^Hip Hop 103.9 Philadelphia Moves To 100.3 Ahead Of SaleRadioinsight - November 16, 2020
  20. ^WRNB Returns to Adult R&B
  21. ^"How Far is it Between Media, PA, USA and Newark, NJ, USA".Free Map Tools.Retrieved2018-05-10.
  22. ^"How Far is it Between Media, PA, USA and Washington, DC, USA".Free Map Tools.Retrieved2018-05-10.
  23. ^"Minimum distance separation between stations. 47 CFR § 73.207 (b)(1)"(PDF).Retrieved2018-05-10.
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