WBAB

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WBAB is the rock radio station on Long Island. Located at 102.3 FM, the station is licensed to Babylon, New York and is owned by Cox Radio. The station is also simulcast on WHFM 95.3 FM in eastern Suffolk County. Both WBAB's 102.3 and WHFM's 95.3 are broadcast in HD. The station also streams its signal worldwide at www.wbab.com.

WBAB first went on the air in 1958. It simulcasted with WNYG 1440 AM, then called WBAB AM, until 102.3 FM was sold.

WBAB is best known for playing AOR style rock and is considered one of the pioneering stations in the country to champion the format. Heritage bands like Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and Van Halen are heard on a regular basis. Newer singles include cuts by Nickelback, Daughtry, Green Day, and Bon Jovi. This music receives a fair amount of play as the station does not limit itself to a strict classic rock format.

The station consistantly manages to secure high numbers in the Arbitron ratings for the Nassau/Suffolk market, which is known for its competitive nature. (New York City radio stations which penetrate well within market confines).

In the latest Aribtron Ratings for Winter 2007 WBAB is #1 on Long Island with 25-54 year olds.

[edit] Air Personalities Past & Present

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PRESENT ON-AIR LINE UP:

• Roger Luce / John "JP" Parise "Roger and JP" with Ted Lindner News/Traffic/3rd chair Morning Drive.

• Donna Donna - Middays.

• Fingers - Afternoon/Evenings.

Weekends/Swing

• Joe Rock

• Steady Eddie

• Pete Rizzo

• "Jamie"

• "Raven"

• Rocky

• Matt Wolfe (Morning Show Board Op)

• • Fingers/Donna Donna alternate **

PREVIOUS ON-AIR PERSONALITIES

• Bob Buchmann - Now PD/On-Air at Q104.3 (WAXQ-FM)- New York.

• Tracey Burgess - Now On-Air at THE FAN (WFAN)- New York..News/Traffic.

• Ralph Tortora - Now On-Air at Q104.3 (WAXQ-FM)- New York and Sirius Satellite Radio, New York.

• "The Big E" Eric Wellman - Music Director / APD (WAXQ-FM) New York.

• Gerry Martire - Now On-Air at Q104.3 (WAXQ-FM)- New York.

• "Rockyn" Robyn Lane - Now Assistant Program Director/ Music Director On-Air at 95.9 "The Rat"(WRAT-FM)- New Jersey. On air Sirius Satellite Radio 2002-2008

• "Gabrielle Nistico" - Now with Voicehunter.com

• Steve "the Guy" Morris - Now in the Marketing/Community Affairs Department of Long Island daily newspaper, Newsday

• Tracey Speed

• "Ripley"

• Jeff Levine - former WBAB program Director, now with Tribune publications, Florida.

• Jodi Vale - now Music Director and on-air at WKJY-FM, NY.

• "Domonique" - Now On-Air at Island 94.3 - Long Island, NY.

• Morgan Thomas--National voiceover actor and on-Air at KSON-FM in San Diego, CA

• Ed Banas. Now with 610WIP Sportsradio. Philadelphia.

• AJ Gentile "Axl" -- MTV (XM Satellite) -- Now on Playboy Radio (Sirius Satellite)

• Gregg "Opie" Hughes - Now On-Air/Syndicated-Various Markets/"The Opie & Anthony Show"- XM Satellite Radio, WXRK-FM (92.3 K-Rock).

• Anthony Cumia - Now On-Air/Syndicated-Various Markets/"The Opie & Anthony Show"- XM Satellite Radio, WXRK-FM (92.3 K-Rock).

• Lynda Lopez - Now anchor, WCBS TV, Weekend News.

• Christina Lang (News & Traffic)- Now heard on 1050 WEPN (ESPN RADIO), afternoon's on "The Michael Kay Show".

• John Klug - Now On-Air at 100.7 "The Bay" WZBA-FM - Baltimore, MD.

• "Kayla" - Now On-Air at Sirius Satellite Radio "Octane" Channel - New York and a fill-in traffic reporter on WCBS-TV - New York.

• Bret Levine (News & Traffic)

• "Ally"

• Jerry Schaeffer - Now On-Air at 103.9 WRCN-FM - Long Island, NY.

• "Captain Kevin" - Now On-Air at 103.9 WRCN-FM - Long Island, NY.

• Joe Taggart

• Brett "The Brain" Fiumara - Now heard on Cablevision's News 12 Traffic & Weather Channel 61.

• Sara Karl

• Bob Stei- Now On-Air at 95.1 WZZO-FM Allentown, PA.

• Ed Robinson

• Bernie Wagenblast - The station's first Shadow Traffic reporter.

• Annrae Fitzgerald - Now On-Air at 91X (XTRA-FM) - San Diego, CA

• Bernie Bernard - On air in the 1970s - worked for Voice of America, now retired and teaching at C.W. Post College

[edit] Discography

• WBAB Homegrown Album (1981)
• WBAB Son of Homegrown (1984)

[edit] Transmitter Problems

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2007)

On May 17, 2006, WBAB's microwave studio-to-transmitter link (STL) was jammed for about 90 seconds while the signal jammers aired a song called "Nigger Hatin' Me" by the 1960s-era white supremacist singer known as "Rebel Johnny". The station apologized that same day in a news conference outside the station.^[1] The investigation of this matter is ongoing.

The incident made the newscasts of all the local tv outlets that night and also the front page on NEWSDAY on Thursday May 18th with the Headline- "JACKED FM"

Roger Luce the station's morning host said at the time "Whatever that was- it was very racist.....22 years at this radio station- I've never seen anything like this"

New General Manager John Shea- "I've only been here a week and we get hijacked"

Former Program Director John Olsen "This was not some child's prank, this was a federal offense."

The same incident occurred a couple of weeks earlier when the same song aired on sister station WBLI on a Sunday night.

The FCC's New york Field Manager Dan Noel made a visit to the Cox Radio Long Island building on Saturday May 20th 2006 to investigate the matter, which has never been solved.

Pirate broadcasters identified as "RED HOT RADIO" on 102.3 out of Flatbush Brooklyn, broadcasting many hours a day (especially after 5pm and all weekend) formerly from an apartment complex on East 35th street and Avenue H plague BAB's signal on 102.3 in Brooklyn, Queens and Western Nassau County.

On November 6th 2007 the FCC along with US Marshalls made a visit to the Red Hot Studios and seized equipment. The pirate "RED HOT RADIO" returned to the air less than a month later from a new location where they continue to broadcast from today. There are about 30 pirate radio stations on the air in Brooklyn interfering with radio stations on Long Island and the Hudson Valley daily.

Cox Radio Long Island has warned that they will move to go after any pirate broadcasters interfering with the WBAB signal on 102.3 or 95.3 FM, as well as sister 106.1 WBLI.

The investigation and follow up from the FCC continues.

[edit] Recurring Segments

• "Long Island Led", a block of three Led Zeppelin songs introduced by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Opie and Anthony - Opie met Anthony when Anthony submitted a song parody while Opie worked at WBAB

[edit] External links

• WBAB Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WBAB
• Radio Locator information on WBAB
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WBAB
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WHFM
• Radio Locator information on WHFM
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WHFM