This page is on the current home of WTRY on 98.3 MHz and that frequency's history. For the original home of WTRY and its history at 980 kHz, see WOFX.

WTRY-FM, or 98.3 WTRY, is a Classic Hits station licensed to Rotterdam, New York and serving New York's Capital District and Mohawk Valley. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP from a tower in between Altamont and Duanesburg, New York off U.S. Route 20.

Though the 98.3 frequency has only been on the air since 1987 and had an oldies format since 1996, the format was a direct continuation of the oldies format (and the Top 40 format from which it evolved) which was previously on 980 kHz, a streak that went back over 40 years.

History (of 98.3 FM)

The first decade of the frequency's life was quite unstable, a testament of this can be seen even before the air. In its construction permit stage, 98.3 was to become WDNZ with a dance-pop format, however permit owner Dennis Jackson (now a noted community broadcaster in smaller communities throughout the Northeast) was forced to sell the station before it hit the air. Under new owners, another set of call letters (WERV) came and went before the frequency signed on as Adult contemporary WNYJ in November 1987. Being a new frequency, completely satellite-fed, and going up against a surging WKLI, the format was changed in late 1988 to Oldies as "Cruisin 98.3, still WNYJ. In mid 1989, WNYJ was sold and became Adult Contemporary WSHZ "Show FM", adding a simulcast on WACS-FM Cobleskill, which became WSHQ.WSHZ/WSHQ's Adult Contemporary format failed miserably, and in late September, 1990, the format was flipped back to Oldies, still known as "Show FM". A few days later, WGY-FM flipped to Oldies as well, causing major problems for both WSHZ/WSHQ and WTRY.Looking for a boost, then-WTRY owner Liberty Broadcasting entered into a local marketing agreement with WSHZ in late 1991 and flipped 98.3 to a simulcast of 980. This arrangement proved successful, outlasting WGY-FM which left the format in 1994, though by the end of that year the simulcast ended with 98.3 flipping to 1970s music as WYSR "Star 98.3".

In August 1996, WYSR became an outright sister to WTRY when SFX Broadcasting (which bought Liberty earlier that year) bought WYSR from its local owners. Three months later, the simulcast was restored but with a couple wrinkles: 980 would be simulcasting 98.3 rather than vice versa and 98.3 obtained its own morning show as opposed to Imus in the Morning on 980. This arrangement lasted until September 2000, when 980 flipped to sports radio as WOFX.

In 2005, WTRY-FM upgraded to IBOC digital radio alongside the rest of Clear Channel's Albany stations. On August 17, 2006, WTRY-FM began airing an HD2 channel with a smooth jazz format.

From Oldies to Classic Hits

On December 26, 2007, after its annual temporary Christmas format ended, WTRY surprised its listeners with a switch from Oldies to Classic Hits, mainly playing songs from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.

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