Media in New York City - Radio

Radio

New York City has a tradition as an important place in radio broadcasting. Edward R. Murrow defined American broadcast journalism with his World War II reporting from Europe relayed back to CBS in New York and onward to the rest of the nation.

WNYC, New York's flagship public radio station, is the most-listened to commercial or non-commercial radio station in Manhattan and has the largest audience of any public radio station in the United States. It produces several news and cultural programs for national syndication.

WQXR-FM, New York City's only classical radio station, is now a public radio station as of November 1, 2009. It was formerly owned by the New York Times. It is located at 105.9 on the FM dial (it was previously located at 96.3 on the FM dial)

WRXP-FM, New York City's only Alternative Rock station is broadcast on 101.9 FM as New Rock 101.9.

WFMU, along with KCRW in Los Angeles, is considered by music industry insiders to be one of the most influential open-format indie radio stations in the country. WBAI in Manhattan, with news and information programming, is one of the few socialist radio stations operating in the United States. Fordham University's WFUV and Columbia University's radio station, WKCR, are also important non-commercial stations in the city.

The first New York City radio station to feature a phone-in talk format was WNBC in the late 1960s, (with Long John Nebel in the early morning hours) but the format began in earnest in New York in 1970, when WMCA radio dropped its "Good Guys" top-40 radio format in favor of the "Dial-Log Radio" slate of call-in shows. In addition to mainstay Barry Gray, the format featured such prominent talkers as Nebel, Alex Bennett and Bob Grant.

Right-wing talk radio came to New York when WABC switched from an all music format to talk in 1982. Though it began with a moribund "Talkradio" format delivered via satellite from KABC Los Angeles, the station eventually became the home of nationally syndicated conservative powerhouse Rush Limbaugh, who in the Reagan years railed against liberal figures like civil-rights advocate Jesse Jackson and former New York Governor Mario Cuomo. Other high-profile conservative talk radio hosts with national profiles include Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity at WABC.

Liberals responded, first with the short-lived (only five years) WEVD format with Bill Mazer's Mazer in the morning and Sam Greenfield in the afternoon followed by Alan Colmes from 11 PM to 2AM. In March 2004 the Air America Radio network started, based in New York City, with actor-comedians Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo as their front line stars. A personality who goes by one name, "Lionel", who was a host on WABC also joined the Air America's New York local lineup. Air American's flagship station was originally WLIB, then WWRL at the time of its January 2010 demise. WWRL and listener supported WBAI continue broadcasting progressive talk.

New York is also home to several famous "shock jock" morning drive shows. They include the new current flavor Opie and Anthony as well as old timer Don Imus, (famous for his controversial statements, interviews of politicos and morning satire) and Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on Z-100. The nation's first female shock jock, Wendy Williams, had a popular syndicated afternoon show on Urban AC WBLS from 2002-2009. WXRK, formerly known as 92.3 "K-Rock", used to be the home of Howard Stern until his move from terrestrial radio to Sirius Satellite Radio, though Stern still broadcasts from New York City.

WQHT, also known as "Hot 97", is an influential high-profile commercial radio station that is arguably the nation's premier hip-hop station. Doctor Dre and Ed Lover were morning hosts at the station in the 1990s. The highest-rated Spanish-language radio show in the United States is the morning radio program El Vacilón de la Mañana, broadcast on WSKQ and formerly hosted by Luis Jimenez.

New York became home to America's first 24-hour sports talk station, WFAN, in 1987.