STATION HISTORY: 98.9 PHILADELPHIA WUSL (Clear Channel Communications)

WPBS

In early 1960, a new FM broadcast license was granted to The Bulletin Company, publisher of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin newspaper. Previously, the Bulletin had owned WPEN AM/FM and WCAU AM/FM/TV. In December, 1961, WPBS went on the air from studios and transmitter located at 440 Domino Lane. The format was a syndicated music service provided by "Good Music." In early 1964, the station began stereo and 24 hour operation. WPBS cross-promoted the newspaper and was known as "The radio voice of the Philadelphia Bulletin." Some of the personalities on the station at this time included Jack Pyle, (who hosted "Miller to Midnight" on Saturdays) John Trent, Hal Moore, Dave Wolford, Steve Craig, Bern Penrose, Jane Cohen, Blake Ritter, and Joe Newman.

LIN Broadcasting Corporation

On July 14, 1976, WPBS was sold by the Bulletin to WFIL, Inc., A LIN Broadcasting Corporation subsidiary. LIN Broadcasting was a minor conglomerate, assembled on an opportunistic basis and encompassing radio and television broadcasting, direct marketing, 'information and learning', music publishing and record labels. The name derived from Louisville, Indianapolis and Nashville, the three locations of its initial radio stations.¹ Donald A. Pels was Chairman and President of the firm which also owned WFIL AM and continued to be located at 440 Domino Lane. (The AM sister station would not share this location until 1980)

In 1976, the station programmed the syndicated Easy Listening "FM 100 Plan" and call letters were changed to WUSL. In 1978 an MOR format was adopted and in 1981, the station switched to a country format billed "Continuous Country."

Urban Contemporary

On October 9, 1982, WUSL signed off the air around 1AM after playing their last Country song, "Get into Reggae, Cowboy." Over the next five hours the station was retooled to accomodate a new Urban Contemporary format. At 6 AM, the station signed back on with the song "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang. The new name was "Kiss 98" with plans to change call letters to WPKS. New Philadelphia station WKSZ FM, which was planning to begin broadcasting the following month under the name "Kiss 100" took WUSL to court over the use of the "Kiss" name. Ultimately, the stations settled and WKSZ kept the Kiss name while WUSL eventually took the name "Power 99."

By the spring of 1983, the format change to Urban Contemporary catapulted Power 99 from the number seven spot to the number two position in the quarterly Arbitron ratings. Soon stations in other parts of the country were using the "Power" name. In 1987, LIN Broadcasting sold WUSL for $32 million to TAK Communications, owned by Shared Tak. In 1991, Tak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and later went into receivership. In 1994, EZ Communications, then owner of WIOQ, purchased WUSL for $50 million. After a series of mergers and acquisitions, WUSL eventually came under the ownership of Clear Channel Communications. A popular program on WUSL in the 1980s and 1990s was the Carter and Sanborn Morning Show with Brian Carter and Dave Sanborn.

• Sources
  • (1) "LIN TV", Ketupa.net - a media industry resource, 2009
  • Bill Collins, "WKSZ WINS A RIGHT TO KISS 100, BUT THE FIGHT'S NOT OVER YET", Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/5/1982, D08
  • Hank Klibanoff and Steven X. Rea, "REVOLUTION ON THE FM RADIO BAND ", Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/8/1983, H01

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