WFAY
| City | Fayetteville, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Fayetteville, North Carolina |
| Branding | ESPN Fayetteville |
| Frequency | 1230 kHz |
| Translator(s) | 100.1 W261CX (Fayetteville) |
| First air date | 1947 (as WFAI) |
| Format | Sports |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| Class | C |
| Facility ID | 72055 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 35°4′20.00″N 78°52′26.00″W / 35.0722222°N 78.8738889°W |
| Callsign meaning | W FAYetteville |
| Former callsigns | WFAI (1947-2000) |
| Owner | Jeffrey M. Andrulonis, CEO; Colonial Media and Entertainment |
| Sister stations | WFBX |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | fayettevillenow.net |
WFAY (1230 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA. The station is owned by CRS Radio Holdings Inc. WFAY serves the Fayetteville area.
WFAI signed on the air in 1947.
At one time, WFAI was a CBS Radio affiliate carrying Arthur Godfrey, Art Linkletter and Ma Perkins.
Jack Lee bought WFAI in 1960, and his "Open Mike" may have been the first talk show in Fayetteville. Danny Highsmith hosted "Talk Back" in the 1970s. "Talk Back" aired from 10–11 am Monday to Friday. Lee had worked with Joy Pyne in Delaware, and her show was on WFAI at one time. Curt Nunnery hosted "Curt's Coffee Club" from 1960 to 1991, later moving the show to WFLB.
WFAI was owned by Beasley Broadcasting in late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1970s, WFAI carried ABC Radio News from the American Entertainment Radio Network. The radio station slogan as a country station was "Fayetteville's Friend WFAI." Other slogans used were "WFAI Plays Favorites" coming out of ABC news at the bottom of the hour and the Station ID was "A Proud Part of the Beasley Broadcast Group, WFAI Fayetteville, NC". The line up on WFAI in the mid to late 1970s was Rudy Hickman 6-10, Smoky King 10-2, Terry Jordan 2-6, and Scott Matthews 6 to midnight. Also on the air was Ted Harris, who had come from WFNC; Mike Edwards, who had come from WHPY Clayton; and overnights 12-6 was Mike Huffman. Bob Brandon, who was in high school, went under the name Bob Clark at that time, and worked weekends. He went on to WFNC Fayetteville, and later, WSOC-FM in Charlotte. Bob Lee Chilcote handled Sunday mornings. Such programs as Fort Bragg Public Affairs, FCCYC, and Country Crossroads aired. Using the name "Bob Lee" and his show was "Turn Your Radio On" from 9–10:30 am, Bob played southern gospel music and used the Ray Stevens' song "Turn your Radio On" as the theme. Woody Gosnell usually handled the Sunday afternoons from 12–6 pm. One of the Sunday standards was Terry Jordan's "At the Console" in which he played organ music both church oriented and classical, recorded at various churches in the Fayetteville area. "At the Console" aired from 10:30–11 am. From 11–12 noon a church service aired live. In the area of local news, the standard bearer was Johnnie Joyce, having come over from WFBS Spring Lake, whose newscasts aired from 5:30 am to 9:30 am each day Monday to Friday and also in the afternoons, with updates as needed. Sue Morrison, a graduate of the Radio TV program at CCTI, now CCCC in Sanford, provided those news updates in the late 1970s. In the 1970s WFAI also carried Winston Cup NASCAR races,now known as Sprint Nextel racing, which at that time was provided by MRN the Motoring Racing Network.
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