WBLS - Early History

Early History

The 107.5 frequency in New York City signed on in July 1951 as WEVD-FM, simulcasting its sister station at 1330 AM. Within a few years, WEVD-FM moved down the dial to 97.9, and 107.5 went silent.

On September 15, 1965, the New Broadcasting Company, then-owners of WLIB, purchased the dormant license and reactivated 107.5 as WLIB-FM. As the Federal Communications Commission recently instituted a rule prohibiting full-time AM/FM simulcasting in large markets, WLIB-FM was programmed with a jazz music format. The stations were split up in 1972, when Inner City Broadcasting purchased WLIB (AM); WLIB-FM was then renamed WBLS. Inner City reunited the pair with its purchase of WBLS in 1974. THE TOTAL BLACK EXPERIENCE IN SOUND: History & Background; In the interim period prior to the Inner City takeover, WBLS continued as a jazz format station. WLIB-FM/WBLS Program Director FRANKIE CROCKER, with the assistance of LeRoy Gillead II(aka Lee Gillead)then the Record Librarian began blending the music of Black Musicans, including Gospel, RnB, Soul Music, Reggae, Salsa/Latin Jazz, African & Caribbean artists along with 'spoken word' segments, including comedy and poety which was reflective of the music/social scene in NYC of the late 60's and early 70's. Frankie Crocker and LeRoy Gillead II had worked together earlier in 1967 at WWRL-AM NYC (1600 AM - The Sound of Soul). This innovative Radio Programming would evolve into a more eclectic format that included rhythm and blues, soul music and vocalese (poetry and prose, such as Nikki Giovanni and the Last Poets). This format was called "The Total Black Experience in Sound", which was the theme of LeRoy Gillead's NYU Broadcasting School Finals presentation. Mr. Gillead first shopped his "Total Experience" concept with the Program Director at NYC's WNEW TV, Larry Frayberg, who had Mr. Gillead do a "demo" at WNEW-FM, where "Rosko" adapted it for WNEW-FM's NYC Rock Radio format. The Recording Engineer at WNEW-FM, Tom Tracy referred LeRoy Gillead to the WLIB-FM team, where he re-united with his WWRL friend, Frankie "The Love Man" Crocker, now the Program Director at WLIB-FM/WBLS. Together Frankie Crocker and LeRoy Gillead II, created and with the additions of Vy Higginsen, Ken "The Spider Man" Webb, LeMarr Renee Howard and G.Keith Alexander, championed WBLS to the Number # 1 Radio Station in the New York Radio Market as early as 1972. The evolution of "The Total Black Experience in Sound" as an innovative Radio Format became what is now called "urban contemporary" format.