WDCD-FM

WDCD-FM

City	Clifton Park, New York
Broadcast area	Albany, New York
Branding	New Light 96.7
Slogan	The Best in Christian Talk Radio
Frequency	96.7 MHz
First air date	March 1987 (as WCSF)
Format	Christian Talk
ERP	4,700 watts
HAAT	100 meters
Class	A
Facility ID	30571
Callsign meaning	W Donald CrawforD (see WDCD (AM))
Former callsigns	WCSF (3/1987-9/1987) WVKZ-FM (1987-1992) WWCP-FM (1992-1996) WXXO (1996) WDCD-FM (1996-2004) WPTR (2004-2011)
Owner	DJRA Broadcasting, LLC
Sister stations	WDCD
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	newlight967.com

WDCD-FM, known on-air as "New Light 96.7", is a Christian Talk radio station licensed to Clifton Park, New York and serving New York's Capital District. The station is owned by DJRA Broadcasting (a subsidiary of Crawford Broadcasting), and broadcasts at 4.7 kilowatts ERP from a rental tower in Clifton Park, New York which is owned by Fitch Communications of New York (FCNY) and shared with WKKF and WTMM-FM.

The station has been assigned several call letters over the years, including the heritage WPTR calls (longtime of 1540 AM and briefly on 96.3 FM); it has also aired various formats, including three attempts at oldies, as well as the first full-time Contemporary Christian music station in the Capital Region. It was also the first station to broadcast in HD Radio in the market in 2005, preceding WGY by several months (WDCD-FM has since switched off their HD Radio transmitter).

History

What is now WDCD-FM first signed on in March 1987 as WCSF, airing a Saratoga County-targeted oldies format, even though the signal covered the main cities of the Capital District well. In one of the first of the high ticket purchases that set the now astronomical prices for Albany stations, WCSF's ownership sold the station to WV Communications of Schenectady. WCSF-FM was the first oldies station on the FM dial in the Capital Region, and was moving up in the ratings when sold to WV.

WV Communications already owned WWWD, an AM station in neighboring Schenectady. In September 1987, WWWD and WCSF joined in a rock-based CHR simulcast, with WWWD becoming WVKZ and WCSF becoming WVKZ-FM. The two stations would later split off for most of the day, with 96.7 taking the "KZ-96.7" branding. KZ-96.7 shifted to album-oriented rock in 1989, and then to a harder current-based rock format in 1990, now known as "Power Rock KZ-96.7". In 1991, it returned to CHR as "Power Hits KZ-96.7".

Changes in CHR music as a genre, coupled with a glut of CHR stations in the Albany market, led ownership to change WVKZ-FM to an early hot adult contemporary format in 1992 as WWCP-FM (Capital 96-7). Though set apart from several rival stations and a mild success, financial problems led to the sale of WVKZ to Capital OTB (the regional off-track betting agency) and that of WWCP-FM to Jarad Broadcasting, owners of famed Long Island station WDRE, a move done in part due to the large amount of Long Island expatriates and college students in the Albany area.

On Memorial Day weekend, 1994, several months after closing on WWCP-FM, Jarad Broadcasting launched the WDRE-based Underground Network, a progressive-leaning alternative rock format. Though a critical success in lieu of being a networked format, the format did not attain any ratings success, and on some occasions, nearly did not show in quarterly ratings. Making things even more difficult was the flip to alternative rock of WQBK-FM/WQBJ in 1995, as well as the consistent ratings of local hard rock Z-Rock affiliate WZRQ. These difficulties led Jarad to break from the network in late 1995, and flipped WWCP-FM to oldies as WXXO. With no FM oldies station in the market, the station entered the top 10 in its first book; however, this success would be short-lived as Jarad began to sell its non-Long Island holdings.

Early in 1996, Jarad would find a buyer in WDCD owner Crawford Broadcasting, which took WXXO over that March and began a simulcast of WDCD's Christian Talk format. That July, the calls would change to WDCD-FM; the format would remain on the 96.7 frequency after WDCD split off and flipped to adult standards, reclaiming its heritage WPTR calls, at the start of 2000.

On March 16, 2004, WDCD and WPTR would swap formats and calls with 96.7 flipping to adult standards. This format would serve merely a placeholder, as on July 15 of that year, the first Contemporary Christian format in the Albany market would debut on the frequency as Pulse 96-7. Though Pulse was initially successful, the arrivals of K-LOVE (AC) and Air 1 (CHR) (on 94.5 FM and 93.7 FM respectively) in 2007 led to its eventual decline. DJRA Broadcasting bought both WDCD and WPTR in 2007.

Former logo of Legends 96.7, 2011

After several books of flagging ratings under the Contemporary Christian format, DJRA changed WPTR's format back to classic hits at midnight on February 1, 2011, as "Legends 96.7" (a branding the station previously used during the adult standards format). The format change duplicates that used in Rochester, New York, another Crawford market, where WLGZ-FM has used the Legends format to much success.

However, Crawford was unable to repeat the "Legends" format success in Albany, and the station returned to Christian Talk, once again simulcast with AM 1540, on November 11, 2011, accompanied by a return to the WDCD-FM call letters; the simulcast is branded as "New Light 96.7," emphasizing the FM frequency. The "Legends" format was available online as a web stream until recently, however the stream is now no longer available.^[1]

References

↑ Venta, Lance (November 3, 2011). "Changes Coming to WPTR Albany". RadioInsight.com. Retrieved November 8, 2011.

External links

Official website

Query the FCC's FM station database for WDCD

Radio-Locator information on WDCD

Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WDCD

Radio stations in the Albany / Schenectady / Troy market

by FM frequency	88.3 89.1 89.7 89.9 90.3 90.7 90.7 90.7 90.9 91.1 91.5 92.3 92.9 93.1 93.5 93.7 94.5 94.7 94.9 95.5 95.9 96.3 96.7 97.3 97.5 97.7 97.9 98.3 98.5 98.5 99.1 99.5 99.9 100.3 100.9 101.3 101.7 101.9 102.3 102.7 103.1 103.5 103.9 104.5 104.7 104.9 105.7 106.1 106.5 107.1 107.7

by AM frequency	590 810¹ 900 930 980 1160 1190 1230 1240 1300 1330 1340 1400 1440 1460 1490 1540 1570

NOAA Weather Radio frequency	162.550

Digital radio	810 980 89.1-1 89.1-2 90.3-1 90.3-2 98.3-1 98.3-2 99.5-1 99.5-2 102.3-1 102.3-2 103.1-1 103.1-2 105.7-1 105.7-2 106.5-1 106.5-2 107.7-1 107.7-2

by callsign	W226AC W235AY W256BU W260CH W284BZ W291BY WABY WAIX WAJZ WAMC WAMC-FM WBAR-FM WBPM WCDB WCKM-FM WCQL WCSS WCTW WDCD WDCD-FM WENT WEQX WEXT WFFG-FM WFLY WFNY WGDJ WGNA-FM WGXC WGY¹ WGY-FM WHAZ WHAZ-FM WHUC WHVP WINU WIZR WJIV WJKE WKBE WKKF WKLI-FM WLJH WMHT-FM WMYY WNYQ WOFX WOPG WOPG-FM WPGL WPTR WPYX WQBJ WQBK-FM WQSH WRIP WROW WRPI WRUC WRVE WSDE WTMM-FM WTRY-FM WVCR-FM WVTL WXL34 WYAI WYJB WYKV WZCR

Defunct stations	WCKL WGFM WHRL WRSA WROW-FM WTRI WXKW

New York radio markets Albany–Schenectady–Troy Binghamton Buffalo–Niagara Falls Elmira–Corning Hudson Valley Nassau–Suffolk (Long Island) New York City Olean Plattsburgh Poughkeepsie Rochester Syracuse Utica–Rome Watertown Other New York radio regions Ithaca Jamestown–Dunkirk North Country Saratoga See also List of radio stations in New York Albany television Saratoga radio ¹ = Clear-channel stations with extended nighttime coverage.

Radio stations in the Saratoga Springs / Glens Falls market

by FM frequency	88.3 89.1 89.7/90.7 89.9 90.3 91.1 91.5 91.9 92.3 92.7 93.5 93.7 94.1 94.7 95.1 95.5 95.9 96.7 97.1 97.3 97.5 98.1 98.3 98.5 99.5 100.3 100.9 101.3 101.7 102.3 102.7 103.1 103.5 103.9 103.9 104.3 104.5 104.9 104.9 105.3 105.7 106.5 107.1 107.7

by AM frequency	590 810 900 980 1160 1230 1300 1330 1340 1400 1410 1450 1460 1540

By callsign	WABY WAIX WAMC WANC WBAR-FM WBLN-LP WCKM-FM WCQL WDCD WDCD-FM WENU WEQX WFFG-FM WFLY WGDJ WGFR WGNA-FM WGY WGY-FM WHAZ WHAZ-FM WINU WJEN WJJR WJKE WKBE WKKF WKLI-FM WMHT-FM WMML WNGN WNYQ WNYV WOFX WOPG WPYX WQBJ WQBK-FM WQSH WROW WRPI WRVE WSLU WSPN WLJH/WSSK WTMM-FM WTRY-FM WVCR-FM WVTQ WWSC WXLG WYAI WYJB

New York radio markets Albany–Schenectady–Troy Binghamton Buffalo–Niagara Falls Elmira–Corning Hudson Valley Nassau–Suffolk (Long Island) New York City Olean Plattsburgh Poughkeepsie Rochester Syracuse Utica–Rome Watertown Other New York radio regions Ithaca Jamestown–Dunkirk North Country Saratoga See also List of radio stations in New York

Religious radio stations in the state of New York

Stations	WAPP-LP – Westhampton WBAR – Lake Luzerne WBLN-LP – Glens Falls WCHP – Champlain WCIH – Elmira WCII – Spencer WCIK – Bath WCIP – Clyde WCIY – Canandaigua WCOT – Jamestown WCOU – Warsaw WCOV-FM – Friendship WDCD – Albany WDCD-FM – Clifton Park WDCX-FM – Buffalo WDRX-LP – Cortland WEGB – Napeague WEGQ – Quogue WFBF – Buffalo WFGB – Kingston WFME – New York WFME-FM – Mount Kisco WFRH – Kingston WFRS – Smithtown WFSO – Olivebridge WGKR – Grand Gorge WGSS – Copiague WGWR – Liberty WHAZ – Troy WHIC – Rochester WHIH-LP – Whitesboro WHVP – Hudson WIHR-LP – Jamestown WJCA – Albion WJIH-LP – Oneonta WJIV – Cherry Valley WJUX – South Fallsburg WKEL – Webster WKHV – Kingston WLIR – Hampton Bays WLJH – Glens Falls WLJP – Monroe WLNL – Horseheads WLOF – Attica WMCA – New York WMHI – Cape Vincent WMHN – Webster WMHQ – Malone WMHR – Syracuse WMHU – Cold Brook WMYY – Schoharie WNAR-LP – Arcade WNGN – Argyle WOGM-LP – Jamestown WOPG – Albany WOPG-FM – Esperance WPGL – Pattersonville WRPJ – Port Jervis WSFW – Seneca Falls WSIV – East Syracuse WSSK – Saratoga Springs WTHE – Mineola WVOA-LP – Westvale WWRV – New York WYBY – Cortland WYRR – Lakewood WZXV – Palmyra

Defunct	WSVV-LP - Center Moriches

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in New York See also Classical Jazz Religious Spanish Smooth Jazz Other

Crawford Broadcasting

AM Radio Stations	KBRT KCBC KLDC KLTT KLVZ KLZ KSTL KKPZ WDCD WDCX WEXL WRDT WXJC WYDE

FM Radio Stations	WDAC WDCD-FM WDCX-FM WDJC-FM WLGZ-FM WMUZ WPWX WSRB WXJC-FM WYCA WYDE-FM WYRB

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