WXRK's format varied between different iterations of rock, including classic and alternative, until Stern's highly publicized departure for Sirius Satellite Radio forced a relaunch.

The day that CBS Radio's Reverse Morris Trust merger into Entercom closed in November 2017, WBMP was relaunched as alternative WNYL.

"[5][6] The announcement attracted interest from a syndicate of buyers headed by Stanley Joseloff, president of Storecast Corporation of America, acquired the station for $7,500 in February 1950.

[7][8][9] In late 1950, the owners of WHOM acquired the station and WHOM-FM went on the air on February 26, 1951,[10] featuring a variety of formats, including ethnic, background music, classical, Spanish, and easy listening.

Unlike today's adult contemporary music formats, WKTU, by early 1978, was only playing artists heard on album-oriented rock stations, using the softer songs from their popular albums.

Air personalities of this era included Kenn Hayes, Randy Place, Paul Robinson, Trip Reeb, Mary Thomas, Dave Mallow and Joe Guarisco.

Holiday (Paul Zarcone), Dale Reeves, Bob Bottone, Jim Harlan, Carlos DeJesus, Joe Causi, Guy Broady, Jay Thomas, Freddie Colon, Don Geronimo, Al Bandiero and Diane Pryor.

Shortly thereafter, WKTU received new competition from WHTZ and WPLJ, both of which adapted a contemporary hit radio (CHR) format.

Even though WAPP moved back to playing mostly rock music in the form of a rock-based CHR in June 1985, giving WKTU one less competitor, the station management thought a more drastic change was needed.

On July 13, 1985, at midnight, on the same day WKTU aired the historic Live Aid concert, the station switched to an album-oriented rock format, adopted the moniker "K-Rock", and changed their call letters to WXRK.

Initially, the format at WXRK was similar to the pre-1983 WPLJ, as the air personalities left the station gradually in the next several months (exceptions were Maria Malito and Jo Maeder, who became known as "The Rock and Roll Madame").

By 1987, Stern stopped playing music on his show altogether, while the station changed to a classic rock format at 6 p.m. on June 5 of that same year.

[15] The airstaff, which included Flo & Eddie from classic rock band The Turtles, became full of veterans from other New York rock stations, including Dave Herman, Pete Fornatale, Meg Griffin, Vin Scelsa, and Alison Steele from WNEW-FM, along with Jimmy Fink, Tony Pigg, Marc Coppola, and John Zacherle from WPLJ.

[16][17] Most of the classic rock DJs, including Jimmy Fink, Tony Pigg and Marc Coppola, disappeared from the station with this change, as did The Greaseman.

To prevent any backlash from fans of modern rock, an Internet-only radio station called "K-Rock2" was launched at the same time as the format adjustment.

On October 25, 2005, as a result of the imminent departure of Howard Stern to Sirius Satellite Radio, Infinity announced that WXRK would adopt a Hot talk format on January 3, 2006.

[19] At 10 a.m. on Friday, December 16, after the last terrestrial Howard Stern show, "K-Rock" began a 20-minute stunt with a melange of audio sound bites, music and program line-up announcements.

Other talk shows from hosts such as The Dog House with JV & Elvis, Penn Jillette, Leslie Gold, Chris Booker, and Jake Fogelnest & Jackie Clarke aired weekdays, while an active rock music format continued to be played on weekends, called "Free Rock Weekends."

Simultaneously, the WXRK call sign moved to the former WXTM in Cleveland, also owned by Infinity/CBS Radio, and coincidentally at the same 92.3 frequency, and was rebranded as "92.3 K-Rock."

The abrupt end of his show, which had evolved to afternoon drive before the format switch, led the station to revert to "Free Rock" music at nights.

The following day, on April 26, 2006, Opie and Anthony replaced David Lee Roth in morning drive on Free FM, while simulcasting on XM Satellite Radio.

On January 2, 2007, Larry Wachs, who was half of The Regular Guys morning show on WKLS-FM in Atlanta, began hosting the 10 p.m. to Midnight slot on the station for two weeks.

On May 12, 2007, AP News reported that CBS Radio spokeswoman Karen Mateo said, "The Dog House with JV and Elvis will no longer be broadcast [on Free-FM]."

CBS fired JV and Elvis as well as the producer of The Dog House, after numerous complaints were received from various civil rights groups.

As a result of the format shift, on December 16, 2008, FMQB announced that afternoon jock Ian Camfield had left K-Rock to go back to XFM in London.

At 4:45 p.m. on March 11, 2009, after playing a block of goodbye-themed or departure themed songs, ending with Nirvana's "All Apologies" (a near-bookend to the format's 2007 relaunch) and "Right Now" by Van Halen, WXRK began stunting with the sound of a ticking clock.

At 4:55 pm, the station announced that K-Rock was moving to 92.3 HD2, and after an introductory package, officially flipped to a rhythmic-leaning CHR format, branded as 92.3 Now.

On November 8, 2012, a full 3+1⁄2 years after the launch of the Top 40/CHR format, the station changed call letters to WNOW-FM to match the Now moniker.

[37][38] On June 23, 2014, WNOW-FM changed its call letters to WBMP to match the "AMP" branding (unlike Los Angeles sister station KAMP-FM, the WAMP call letters are held by an American Family Radio religious talk radio station in Jackson, Tennessee, and the network's conservative foundational owner was unlikely to give them to a commercial operation).

[41][42] On November 17, at 10 am, after playing "Too Good at Goodbyes" by Sam Smith and "Encore" by Brooklyn native Jay-Z, WBMP flipped back to alternative as Alt 92.3, launching with "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters.