WINU
WINU (104.9 FM, "Big Country 104.9 & 97.9") is a commercial radio station licensed to Altamont and serving New York's Capital District.
In early 1984, it got its own call sign as WSRD ("The Wizard") as it switched to a short-lived live and local album rock format.
In early 1998, longtime WIZR/WSRD owner Joe Caruso obtained a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) construction permit to move WZMR to the Albany suburb of Altamont.
The switch to Modern AC was an attempt to capitalize on the then-recent flips of WXLE (now WTMM-FM) to rhythmic oldies, WRVE to a more mainstream format, and the then-stunting WKLI.
It was WKLI which spoiled these plans, as Albany Broadcasting was sued by CBS Radio, then-owners of the Point name, on the behalf of WKLI-owner-in-waiting Tele-Media.
On October 2, 1999, WHRL (now WGY-FM) switched from smooth jazz to modern rock, Albany Broadcasting took advantage of the format hole.
[7] However, the new format failed to attract listeners as well as advertising revenue, and the station was up for sale in 2004 to prepare WNYQ (105.7 FM) for a move-in.
[9] WZMR saw the most success during this time, with the station's Edgefest concerts, and brought in John Mulrooney for its morning show.
The simulcast lasted until December 13, when, for 24 hours, WZMR began stunting with sound effects of a man hiking.
[11] At Midnight on January 12, 2015, after playing "Be My Wife" by David Bowie, WZMR flipped to sports talk under new call sign WINU and the "Win 104.9" moniker.
On March 16, 2018, at 5 p.m., WINU returned to an alternative rock format after nineteen years, this time branded as "Alt 104.9.
However, on March 1st 2018, Townsquare's "Remix 105.7" rebranded to "Alt 105.7", making it the second Alt branded station in the Capital District, and the 3rd station (at the time) with an alternative format in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy radio market, the 3rd one being WEQX, which has a rimshot signal to Albany but is considered a part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy radio market by Nielson Media.
