WPYA
| City | Gardendale, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Birmingham, Alabama |
| Branding | 97.3 Play |
| Frequency | 97.3 MHz (also on HD Radio) 97.3 HD-2 AAA "Birmingham Mountain Radio" |
| Translator(s) | 107.3 W297BF (Birmingham, relays HD2) |
| First air date | 1998 (as WEDA) |
| Format | Hot AC |
| ERP | 6,200 watts |
| HAAT | 404 meters (1,325 ft) |
| Class | C2 |
| Facility ID | 71417 |
| Callsign meaning | WPYA: "Play" (Portmanteau of branding) |
| Former callsigns | WEDA (1998-1999) WRLR (1999-2001) WODL (2001-2004) WNCB (2004-2011) WZNN (2011-2013) WEZZ-FM (2013-2016) |
| Owner | Summit Media LLC (SM-WZNN, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WAGG, WBHJ, WBHK, WBPT, WENN, WZZK |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website |
play973.com bhammountainradio.com (HD2) |
WPYA (97.3 FM, "97.3 Play") is an American radio station licensed to Gardendale, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, USA. It is owned by Summit Media. It is currently airing a hot adult contemporary format. It shares studios with six other sister stations in the Cahaba neighborhood in far southeast Birmingham, and the transmitter is based atop Red Mountain.
As of 2017, 97.3 is the newest full-powered station to sign on in the Birmingham market. WEDA, then licensed to Homewood, signed on with a CHR format in 1998, calling itself "Hot 97.3". Birmingham had not had a CHR station since WAPI-FM (now WJOX-FM) changed formats in 1994, and the owners were hoping to fill that niche. However, WQEN, a CHR station licensed to Gadsden, began broadcasting from a tower closer to Birmingham earlier in the year and was more successful than WEDA.
In 1999, Cox Radio purchased WEDA from the local investors who owned the station, changed the call letters to WRLR, and changed the format to active rock. The new on-air name of the station was "Real Rock 97.3". Initially, the station was moderately successful. However, a weak signal (initially, the station broadcast at 640 watts ERP) and competition from modern rock/alternative station WRAX caused WRLR to become one of the lowest rated FM stations in Birmingham.
In October 2001, sister station WODL (Oldies 106.9) unexpectedly changed its format to all 1980s music and became known as WBPT, "106-9 the Point". Cox moved the oldies format and call letters to 97.3, and the station became known as "Oldies 97.3". Once again, the weak signal of 97.3 proved to be a hindrance to the station’s success. Also, the popularity of oldies stations focusing on music from the 1960s began to decline. In June 2004, the power of the station increased from 640 watts to 6,400 watts and the station's city of license was changed from Homewood to Gardendale. In July of that year, the station changed its emphasis from oldies to music strictly from the 1970s. Core artists of the station known as "70s Hit Radio, 97-3 WODL" included Chicago, the Doobie Brothers, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind and Fire, James Taylor and other 1970's Top 40 artists.
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