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{{about|the Binghamton radio station|other uses|Waal (disambiguation){{!}}Waal}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = WAAL
| logo             = WAAL logo.png
| city             = [[Binghamton, New York]]
| area             = [[Binghamton metropolitan area]]; [[Southern Tier]]
| branding         = ''99.1 The Whale''
| frequency        = 99.1 [[Megahertz|MHz]]
| airdate          = {{start date|1954|3}} (as 95.3 WKOP-FM)
| format           = [[Classic rock]]
| erp              = 8,700 [[watt]]s
| haat             = {{convert|291|meters}}
| class            = B
| facility_id      = 7920
| callsign_meaning = Play on the word "Whale"
| former_callsigns = WKOP-FM (1954–1975)
| owner            = [[Townsquare Media]]
| licensee         = Townsquare License, LLC
| affiliations     = {{ubl|[[New York Giants Radio Network]]|[[Compass Media Networks]]|[[United Stations Radio Networks]]}}
| sister_stations  = [[WHWK]], [[WNBF]], [[WWYL]]
| webcast          = [https://991thewhale.com/listen-live/ Listen Live]
| website          = [https://www.991thewhale.com 991thewhale.com]
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''WAAL''' (99.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]; "The Whale") is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[radio station]] licensed to [[Binghamton, New York]].  It airs a [[classic rock]] [[radio format]] and is owned by [[Townsquare Media]].  WAAL is the oldest FM radio station continuously broadcasting in the [[Binghamton metropolitan area]].  It is an [[network affiliate|affiliate]] of the [[New York Giants Radio Network]].
The studios and offices are on Court Street in Binghamton.<ref>[http://991thewhale.com/help/ 991TheWhale.com/help]</ref>  The [[transmitter]] is off Ingraham Hill Road, also in Binghamton, amid other [[radio masts and towers|tower]]s for local TV and FM stations.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Waal&nav= Radio-Locator.com/WAAL]</ref>
==History==
===WKOP-FM===
In March 1954, the station [[sign-on|signed on]] as WKOP-FM at 95.3&nbsp;MHz.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1955/Radio-NE-Ter-1955-BC-YB.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1955 page 210]</ref>  It was the FM counterpart of WKOP (1360 AM; later [[WYOS]]).  The two stations [[simulcast]] and were [[network affiliate]]s of the [[Mutual Broadcasting System]].  They were owned by Binghamton Broadcasters, Inc.  At first, WKOP-FM broadcast at only 420 [[watt]]s, a fraction of the station's current power.
While WKOP-FM (now WAAL) has been continuously on the air since 1954, [[WNBF-FM]] (now 98.1 [[WHWK]]) went on the air 14 years earlier as an experimental station owned by the Howitt-Wood Radio Company.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting19unse/page/n1074/mode/1up "New FM Call Letters Proposed"], ''Broadcasting'', November 15, 1940, page 77.</ref>  But it left the airwaves from 1952 to 1956.
In the 1960s, WKOP-FM received [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) permission to move to 99.1&nbsp;MHz, with an increase in power to 33,000 watts.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1970/B%20N-Ter%20BC%20YB%201970%20All-3.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1970 page B-134]</ref>  By 1970, it ended its simulcast with WKOP 1360 and began playing a [[progressive rock]] format.
===WAAL===
In 1974, the station was sold to Butternut Broadcasting, which switched the [[call sign]] to WAAL.  It moved to an [[album-oriented rock]] (AOR) format, playing the top tracks from the biggest selling albums.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1978/C-2-Broadcasting-Yearbook-1978-Full.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1978 page C-144]</ref>  The station was known as "WAAL Stereo FM 99".  It pronounces its call letters as "[[Whale]]" and uses a cartoon whale as its mascot.
The station dropped its AOR format in October 1985 for [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40/CHR]] after contemporary hit station WWWT-FM switched to [[adult contemporary music]]. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, WAAL was known as "The Hot FM" and was affiliated with the [[ABC News Radio|ABC FM Network]].
Wicks Broadcasting bought WAAL in 1996.  It ended its run as a Top 40/CHR station and changed its format to [[classic rock]].
===Citadel ownership, then Townsquare===
WAAL was acquired by [[Citadel Broadcasting]] in 1998 from Wicks Broadcast Group.  It was part of a $77 million deal that included a total of 16 radio stations.<ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Citadel+Communications+Acquires+16+Radio+Stations+From+Wicks...-a053253254 Citadel Communications Acquires 16 Radio Stations From Wicks Broadcast Group for $77 Million]</ref> Citadel merged with [[Cumulus Media]] on September 16, 2011.<ref name=abj-citadelcumulus>{{cite news|title=Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2011/09/16/cumulus-now-owns-citadel-broadcasting.html|access-date=September 16, 2011|newspaper=Atlanta Business Journal|date=September 16, 2011}}</ref>
In 2013, a $281 million, multi-station deal was worked out between Cumulus Media, [[Townsquare Media]] and Peak Broadcasting.  Townsquare acquired all of Cumulus Media's Binghamton radio stations, including WAAL.<ref>[http://www.townsquaremedia.com/press/townsquare-media-acquiring-assets-from-cumulus-and-peak TownsquareMedia.com/press/"Townsquare Acquiring Assets from Cumulus and Peak"]</ref>  With Townsquare's take over, the classic rock format has remained in place on WAAL.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.991thewhale.com 99.1 The Whale - Official website]
*[http://www.stevethatdjguy.com/DawnPatrol.asp The Whale Morning Crew]
*[http://www.r80s.com The Rockin' 80's - Official website]
*[http://www.myspace.com/991wally Big Wally's MySpace]
{{FM station data|7920|WAAL}}
{{Binghamton Radio}}
{{Classic Rock Radio Stations in New York}}
{{Townsquare Media}}
{{coord|42.059|N|75.951|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Binghamton, New York|AAL]]
[[Category:Classic rock radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Townsquare Media radio stations]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1954]]
[[Category:1954 establishments in New York (state)]]