WIBC (FM) - 93.1 FM History

93.1 FM History

The Indianapolis station at 93.1 FM began life, coincidentally enough, as WIBC-FM in 1961 under a classical music format. On July 1, 1968, WIBC-FM was re-launched as WNAP. It was the first FM station in the Indianapolis market to broadcast album-oriented rock music, and was in direct competition with WIFE-AM. Later, in the '70s and early '80s, the station was nicknamed as "the Buzzard".

On March 4, 1986, the format changed to a more rock-driven adult contemporary sound, and the call letters became WEAG using the name "Eagle 93." The format changed to classic hits with the call letters WKLR on August 14, 1987. On April 1, 1988 (April Fools' Day), WKLR changed from classic hits to oldies. Among WKLR's disc jockeys was current WIBC newsman Steve Simpson.

WNAP returned at 5 p.m. on Friday September 9, 1994, when WKLR changed back to a classic hits station with a strong focus on the "greatest hits of the 70s." WNAP later moved in a more classic rock direction playing "classic rock that really rocks" with Howard Stern in the morning. Despite on-air boasts that WNAP was going to "kick (competitor) Q-95's ass," the classic rock format was a failure.

After weeks of stunting, WNAP changed to contemporary hits on March 28, 2000, at 6 AM, with the call letters WNOU and the name "Radio Now." Radio Now's first song was "The Rockafeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim. The station received some national notice in December 2004, when their morning show conducted the first interview with Indiana Pacers player Ron Artest following the Pacers–Pistons brawl. The interview was simulcast on NBC's Today Show.

In 2006, WNOU launched a HD2 subchannel, dubbed "Orbital 93.1," which offered a Dance music format with emphasis on current and classic Dance product 24/7, but in 2007 it was replaced for one day with WNOU's Top 40 format. Orbital was discontinued with the switch to WIBC.

Upon the demise of "Radio Now" on 93.1 at Noon on Monday, October 8, 2007, Radio One purchased the intellectual property of the station from Emmis Communications. The "Radio Now" branding, format and logo were installed on the new WNOU (formerly WYJZ 100.9 FM). Local Radio One management claimed that they will offer the displaced staffers of WNOU the first chance of joining the station's lineup, and will use the same imaging as the former WNOU. Emmis also claimed that they would release displaced RadioNow staffers from their "non-compete" contracts.

During the interim period between the demise of the Radio Now format and the debut of WIBC on 93.1 FM, the frequency was known as WEXM and was programmed with the stunting format the "93 Days of Christmas", in which Christmas music was heard for nearly 3 months. (The original plan was to air 93 days of the format from October 8 to January 8; however, the move from WEXM to WIBC was made nearly two weeks earlier than originally stated, dropping the Christmas music the day after Christmas).

The WNAP calls are now used at a gospel-formatted AM station licensed in Norristown, PA serving the Philadelphia market area.