WYLF


WYLF is a commercial AM radio station in Penn Yan, New York, serving the Finger Lakes region of New York and the Rochester metropolitan area. The station plays hit music of the 50s, 60s, 70s and early 80s. Weekends feature specialty music and talk shows.
The station is owned by Tim Stratton, of Scottsdale, Arizona, and his 850 FLX Radio, Inc. Stratton has made improvements to the FM translator and has added new programming and local features. The station is a Fox News Radio network affiliate and carries top of the hour five-minute Fox Newscasts, Fox Business Reports and other Fox Radio content. The stations's music format focuses on pop and contemporary hits of the 1950s thru the 80s.

Transmitter

By day, WYLF is powered at 1,000 watts. But because AM 850 is a clear channel frequency, the station must greatly reduce power at night to 45 watts to avoid interfering with longer-established stations. It uses a non-directional antenna at all times. The transmitter is located on East Sherman Road at Sutton Road in Penn Yan. WYLF is also heard on FM translator W230CZ at 93.9 MHz in Penn Yan.

History

The station got its Federal Communications Commission construction permit on November 11, 1981. The station took several months to build and signed on the air in 1982. It was owned by MB Communications. At first it was a daytimer, required to go off the air at sunset. It was powered at 500 watts and aired a middle of the road music format. In the 1990s, the power was boosted to 1,000 watts. In the 1990s, the FCC granted WYLF nighttime authorization to broadcast after sunset at 47 watts.
During the 1980s, it had different call signs: WOZO and WQKA. In 1988, it returned to its original WYLF call letters.
For a time, WYLF carried the syndicated Oldies/Standards format from Citadel Media's "Timeless" satellite feed. When Timeless was discontinued, WYLF began providing local content from its own music library.