Wusl - History

History

In 1961, the 98.9 frequency signed on as WPBS "Philadelphia's Bulletin Station", under common ownership with the city's largest daily newspaper at the time, The Evening Bulletin. The station was cross-promoted with the newspaper and featured an easy listening format. At one point, WPBS was called "Velvet Stereo".

In 1976, the newspaper sold the station to LIN Broadcasting, which also owned WFIL 560 at the time. WPBS changed calls to WUSL, which stood for "US-1", and Program Director Jim Nettleton instituted a Soft Adult Contemporary format mixed with standards which had crossed over to the 1960s/1970's pop charts (eg Engelbert Humperdinck, Barbra Streisand, etc.). The morning newsman at this time was Jim Gearhart, who is now on NJ 101.5.

On July 3, 1981, the station switched to a "3-in-a-row" country music format as "Continuous Country 99 FM". Two months later, co-owned WFIL-AM switched to a more personality and information-leaning country station. Realizing that they were splitting their own audience, WUSL signed off the country format in the early hours of October 9, 1982. The last country song played was "Get Into Reggae, Cowboy" by The Bellamy Brothers, and went silent for 24 hours.

The next day, at 6AM, the station became Urban Contemporary as "Kiss 99" (copying New York's WRKS "Kiss FM"). The station even applied for new calls WPKS (which would stand for "Philadelphia's Kiss"); however, the owners of WKSZ (see below), who at the time hadn't put their station on the air yet, said they were signing on as "Kiss 100" and had already copyrighted the name, and had even started legal action against WUSL. At this time, LIN Broadcasting was the owner of WUSL.

So, WUSL backed off, dropped the "Kiss" name and was simply "99 FM" for a few weeks, until they began using the name "Power 99FM". Within months, they had surpassed WDAS-FM in the ratings, and other stations around the country began using the "Power" brandname. WUSL continues to be the dominant Urban leader in Philadelphia today.

EZ Communications would later purchase WUSL and WIOQ from LIN Broadcasting. EZ Communications was attempting to merge with American Radio Systems of Boston at this time, and would swap its 2 stations in Philadelphia with Evergreen Media's Charlotte, NC stations. EZ would exchange its Philadelphia stations, WIOQ-FM and WUSL-FM, plus $10 million for Evergreen's four FM and two AM stations in Charlotte: WPEG-FM; WBAV AM/FM; WNKS-FM; WRFX-FM and WFNZ-AM.

In 1995, when WDAS came under common ownership when Evergreen Media would purchase them, WUSL relinquished its urban format to the current mainstream approach.

One of the most famous programs to ever air on WUSL is the Carter & Sanborn Morning Show, which was hosted Brian Carter and Dave Sanborn. The show featured a cast of off-beat characters, all voiced by Sanborn, including wise-cracking horoscope reader Horace, the Taurus and fall down drunk blues singer Lunchmeat Mumford. Horace became such a popular character that many listeners had mini urban legends circulating that he was a relative or friend from school or the neighborhood, not realizing he was Sanborn. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the show was a main draw in Philadelphia among younger members of both demographics. Bill Simpson, who would later host a nighttime show on both incarnations of Smooth Jazz WJJZ (once at 106.1 and again at 97.5), used the alias Dave Sanborn on the show, which often created confusion with the well-known jazz saxophonist David Sanborn, especially among those who were not regular listeners. The show was briefly revived in 2005 on WDAS, after that station dropped Tom Joyner from its schedule. Some of the other personalities in the 1980s were Fred Buggs, who left the station in 1986 and went to WRKS/New York City, Jo Jo Davis, Mike Jackson (not to be confused with singer Michael Jackson), B.J in the Morning (before Carter & Sanborn started), Barbara Summers, and Don Juan Banks, who is still with the station today.

From 1991 to 1998, Power 99 aired the groundbreaking hip hop show "Radioactive", hosted by Colby Colb. Also on the show were DJ Ran, Cosmic Kev and Rob "Laid Back" Black. Colby Colb started as an intern at the station and following the success of Radioactive went on to host nights (6pm–10pm), Mornings with Wendy Williams and Dee Lee (The Dream Team). From 2002 until 2011, WUSL had been the only urban contemporary station in Philadelphia, when Radio One's WPHI-FM switched formats to urban contemporary from rhythmic contemporary again.

WUSL was the home of the controversial Star and Buc Wild Morning Show from late 2005 to May 2006. Today it is home of Miss Jones in the Morning, Shamara – "The Midday Princess", T-Roy in the Afternoon and The Hot Boyz with Mikey Dredd and Uncle O at night. Power 99 also has Tazz Daddy, who is their Director of Social Media/Web Personality. A Philadelphia native, he's best known for taking the Rickey Smiley Morning show into syndication. DJ Diamond Kuts, who is Nicki Minaj's Tour DJ, is also on staff as a personality/mixer, when she's not touring. Star and Buc Wild have since returned to the airwaves, this time as a locally based morning show on WPHI.

Power 99 FM is also home to The Come Up Show on Fridays from 10pm – 2am, hosted by DJ Cosmic Kev.