WDRE (former Philadelphia radio station)
| City | Jenkintown, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Philadelphia (Delaware Valley) |
| Branding | Boom 103.9 |
| Slogan | Hip Hop, R&B and Throwbacks |
| Frequency | 103.9 MHz |
| First air date | November 1, 1960 (as WIBF-FM) |
| Format | Urban Contemporary |
| ERP | 270 watts |
| HAAT | 338 meters (1,109 ft) |
| Class | A |
| Facility ID | 30572 |
| Callsign meaning | We're PHIladelphia |
| Former callsigns |
WPPZ-FM (2005-2016) WPHI-FM (1997–2005) WDRE (July 1996–April 1997) WIBF-FM (1960–1979, 1979–1996) WIBF (January–September 1979) |
| Owner |
Radio One (Radio One Licenses, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WPPZ-FM, WRNB |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | boomphilly.com |
WPHI-FM, also known as "Boom 103.9", is a Radio One-owned Philadelphia-area radio station licensed to Jenkintown, Pennsylvania and featuring an urban contemporary format. It has studios located in Bala Cynwyd, and broadcasts from a transmitter site in Philadelphia's Roxborough section. The station has always been short-spaced due to adjacent channel interference from WMGM in Atlantic City, WXCY in Havre de Grace, Maryland, and WNNJ in Newton, New Jersey (all located on 103.7 FM), WAEB-FM in Allentown and WNNK in Harrisburg (both located on 104.1 FM), as well as WRFF (104.5 FM), and co-channel interference from WRCN on Long Island and WNBM in Bronxville, New York. As such, the station broadcasts at only 270 watts, making it the weakest station broadcasting from the Roxborough tower farm.
103.9 originally started out on November 1, 1960 as WIBF-FM, which was owned by Fox Broadcasting, not related to the more recent Fox Broadcasting Company television network. The call letters stood for the station's owners — William, Irwin, and Benjamin Fox.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the station featured a format of MOR, big bands, Dixieland jazz and the area's first FM country music show, plus religious and ethnic programs. By the mid-1970s, the station switched to religious and ethnic programming during the day and Spanish music at night. The Barry Reisman Show, featuring Jewish music and programming, was broadcast during the afternoon drive time from 1969 through the station's sale in 1992. In 1965, the station picked up a television sister in WIBF-TV, channel 29 (now WTXF-TV, a station coincidentally owned by the Fox Broadcasting Company).
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