WLTW (106.7 FM, "106.7 Lite FM") is a radio station with an Adult Contemporary format in New York City.

The station is often number one or close to it in Arbitron ratings for New York City. From 2002 to 2004, the station generated more revenue than any other radio station in the New York market. One reason for its success, in a city that heavily identifies with rap, hip hop, and dance music (formats whose stations make up many of the other top rated FM stations in New York), is that its playlist variety (where just about any popular song from the 1980s to today that is not rap/hip hop, hard rock, or non-crossover country is played)^{[citation needed]} has attracted an unusually broad demographic range of listeners. Some radio industry analysts^[who?] have likened the station's format to "a Jack FM with reporters giving weather/traffic news and financial reports."^{[citation needed]}

XM Satellite Radio currently simulcasts the station on Channel 13.^[1]

For many years actress Teri Garr was seen in television commercials promoting the station. In later years animated commercials were used with Lite music playing around offices and homes.

History[link]

The station first went on the air in 1961 as WRVR, a religious station owned by Riverside Church that also played some jazz. A remnant of this period is a 5 A.M. Sunday morning sermon from the church that airs on the station. As time went on, WRVR was a full-time jazz station with a strong following, but low ratings.

In 1976 WRVR was purchased by Sonderling Broadcasting, owner of WWRL, with the hope that it could move to an urban format and compete against WBLS, which had cut into WWRL's ratings. However, community opposition prevented the format change and WRVR remained a jazz station under Sonderling ownership. At that time it developed the precursor to what would later become known as the "smooth jazz" format.

1980s[link]

In 1980 Viacom bought the Sonderling chain, and the station adopted a country music format as "Kick" WKHK. The station was known as "Kick 106.7 FM." The format change, from jazz to country, took place in the middle of the night. The change brought many protests from New York jazz fans, and a petition to the FCC to deny the station's license renewal, which was denied. (The WRVR calls were moved to a radio station in Memphis, TN, that had once been owned by Viacom, but is now owned by Entercom.) However, ratings were low, as they were unable to compete with WHN, which also had a country music format at the time. In 1988, a new jazz station appeared on the New York airwaves, called CD101.9; it now exists as an HD2 station to WEMP, the station that replaced it.

Then, in January 1984, Viacom dropped country and changed the calls to WLTW. The station became an MOR station known as "Lite FM 106.7 WLTW". Initially they were an easy listening station without anything that would be classified as "elevator music". At this point, the station played music from such artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, the Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Barry Manilow, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and the Stylistics. The station also played softer songs from such artists as Elton John, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Everly Brothers, the Righteous Brothers and Billy Joel. The station wouldn't play any new music except for new songs by artists that were familiar to listeners of the station. With this format change, ratings did increase from its previously low levels. (Almost immediately after the call letter switch, the WKHK calls were picked up by an FM station at 95.3 in Colonial Heights, Virginia that was also doing a country format. That station still has the WKHK calls and is now Heritage-owned Richmond, Virginia Country station "K95".)

By the late 1980s, WLTW started to play songs from such artists as Whitney Houston, Chicago, Foreigner, the Doobie Brothers and Bruce Springsteen. As other competing New York City stations changed their focus, the station stayed with their soft adult contemporary format, even though they were phasing out songs from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, and the Carpenters. At this point, the station's ratings were at or near the top compared with other New York City radio stations.

1990s[link]

By 1996, with WPAT-FM adapting a Spanish adult contemporary format, WPLJ adapting a hot adult contemporary format, and WMXV (now WWPR-FM) switching to a modern adult contemporary format, WLTW segued to a mainstream adult contemporary format. The station added more uptempo songs from such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel, as music from artists such as Neil Diamond and Kenny Rogers were phased out, and new songs were now being played on the station. Despite the fact that the station had now changed its approach musically, they still refused to play any jingles or have their airstaff talk over the music (they would change in due course, with the former just recently added). The station had been number one more often than not in the ratings, and since 2002, they have continuously been the number one radio station in New York City.

Merger with Clear Channel Communications[link]

Chancellor bought Viacom Radio in 1997 making WLTW a Chancellor Station. In 1999 Chancellor and Capstar merged, as the station would then be owned by AM/FM. After a 2000 merger between Clear Channel Communications and AM/FM, the station would be owned by its current owners, Clear Channel Communications. (Of note, Viacom would not be out of the radio business for long, for when they bought CBS, they also bought their radio properties, which were owned by the radio subsidiary Infinity Broadcasting-which interestingly owned WLTW's future competitor, WNEW-FM.)

WLTW was simulcast nationwide on XM Satellite Radio from 2001 to the end of 2003, under the channel name "Lite." WLTW on XM was replaced by The Blend on February 2, 2004. In 2004, all XM music channels went commercial free, and WLTW was replaced with a unique-to-XM channel called Sunny, which had an easy listening format. Since then, Clear Channel has regained the right to air commercials on their XM music channels.Sunny then began carrying commercials, but was still exclusive to XM. After a few format tweaks, Sunny played soft oldies until it became The Pink Channel.

During the holiday season (Thanksgiving through Christmas), WLTW has played Christmas music interspersed with its regular playlist. Only on Christmas Day and a few days leading up to it would the station devote all its airtime to holiday music. After the September 11 attacks, Christmas music was seen as a comforting "feel-good" format for radio listeners. Already established as a popular station for Christmas music, WLTW began to switch to an all-Christmas format earlier in 2002. After retaining its leadership in market share, and as part of a national trend, the station continued to make the switch earlier in the following years.^[2] By 2004, the all-Christmas format ran from Thanksgiving through Christmas, and in 2005, it began on November 18, the week before Thanksgiving (November 24). On November 18, 2006 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving 2006) the station switched to all Christmas music for the holiday season. This is the 2nd year in a row they made such a move. They were the first NYC Station to do so. They did so the same day as WALK, a Long Island-based station which shares a good portion of their listening audience. By all accounts, the gamble paid off; WLTW captured 7.4% of the New York radio audience during the fall of 2005—the biggest market share in WLTW's history and the highest share for all New York stations since the winter of 1995. At some points during the 2008 holiday season, WLTW would draw as much as a third of all radio listeners in the New York area.

Since 2006[link]

As part of Clear Channel's nationwide cost-cutting efforts WLTW fired station veterans Bill Buchner (mornings) and J.J. Kennedy (evenings) on November 6, 2006. Buchner was replaced with Karen Carson, who is co-hosting mornings with fellow WLTW staffer Christine Nagy. WLTW Program Director Jim Ryan has denied these firings were part of the company's cost cutting that were going on at all the other Clear Channel stations in preparation for their conversion the leveraged buyout that took the company from public to private ownership in 2006, but rather from their desire to improve ratings.^[3]

The syndicated Delilah show, distributed by sister company Premiere Radio Networks, replaced Kennedy's local evening lovesongs show on November 20, 2006, bringing the syndicated show to the full New York market for the first time.^[4] Prior to WLTW picking her show up, Delilah was only heard in outer portions of the New York market from stations in neighboring areas, such as WEZN-FM. In a departure from her normal format, Delilah and her syndicator are allowing Ryan to program the music on the WLTW's version of Delilah, instead of the selections that are sent to her other affliliates.^[5]

On April 2, 2007, just after April Fool's Day, WLTW removed the "Lite" branding and was simply known as "New York's 106.7." This probably took place in reaction to the "Lite" brand being associated with an older demographic turning away the younger listeners, as well as increased competition from the new Fresh 102.7.^[6] Later in 2007, the Lite-FM branding returned on the station.^[7] This was true even though WLTW played Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and Crazy by Gnarls Barkley,^[8][9] just like with most AC stations today. By 2009, most of the hot AC content was toned down in order for competitor WWFS's shift from hot AC to adult contemporary. In 2011, WWFS switched panels to the hot adult contemporary panel from the adult contemporary panel on Nielsen BDS and later Mediabase, giving WWFS more format similarity to rival WPLJ (owned by Cumulus Media) rather than WLTW or its rimshot rivals (WFAS-FM/WFAF, WKJY or WMGQ, the latter two on 98.3 FM).

Further cost-cutting efforts by Clear Channel caused the departure of longtime station favorites Al "Bernie" Berstein and Valerie Smaldone in early 2008. It was also announced that Program Director Jim Ryan would exit as of May 2008. Chris Conley took over the Program Director Position. Mr. Conley was a programming consultant with McVay Media and long time programming veteran with years in the Adult Contemporary radio format. Chris had a very successful tenure at WBEB B101 FM in Philadelphia. Ms. Morgan Prue, winner of several Music Director Of The Year Awards, stayed on as the station's Music Director and Assistant Program Director.

Lite FM has evolved into a more upbeat "Variety" station from its earlier "Soft Rock" approach with deejays talking over intros, keeping a non stop music flow, and has added a jingle package for the first time in the history of the station. The station uses Reelworld One AC with its own logo. The station is also well known for having somewhat of a lean toward Rhythmic AC compared to most other AC stations owned by Clear Channel, possibly due to the younger-leaning audience in the NY market.

In May 2011, WLTW returned to XM Satellite Radio, with a full time simulcast on Channel 13.^[1]

Ratings[link]

For Holiday 2009, the station received a rating of 11.6, (7,024,700 people).

Since the arrival of Program Director Chris Conley, the Adult Contemporary format Lite FM ratings have gone from a market position of 3rd place with a 5.6 share of Persons 25-54 (Arbitron April 2008) to 1st place with a 7.5 share of Persons 25-54 (Arbitron March 2010). In the August 2010 ratings (Arbitron August 2010) the station went to a 7.0 share in the much wider demographic of Persons 6 PLUS giving Lite FM a dominant 1st place lead in the market over all others.

References[link]

External links[link]

• WLTW official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WLTW
• Radio-Locator information on WLTW
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WLTW
• WLTW's Jim Ryan recalls his years in the spot "Lite"

Chris Conley
Chris Conley (Photo: Mary Gaston)
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Lane Conley
Born	(1980-02-29) February 29, 1980 (age 32)
Origin	Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Emo Indie rock Power pop Punk rock
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Equal Vision DreamWorks Vagrant
Associated acts	Saves the Day Two Tongues Razia's Shadow: A Musical

Christopher Lane Conley (born February 29, 1980) is an American musician and songwriter/composer, and the lead-singer/rhythm guitarist in Saves the Day. As he is the only remaining original member as well as major artistic contributor, Saves the Day has been referred to, in recent years, as "essentially the Chris Conley show".^[1]

Chris and David Soloway (former Saves the Day bandmate) have joined forces with Max Bemis and Coby Linder from the band Say Anything to form the supergroup Two Tongues.^[2]

Background[link]

Conley formed a band with a group of classmates at Princeton Day School.^[3] The band was originally titled Indifference, but later renamed the band Sefler. Conley has cited some of his early influences as the Smiths, Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Superchunk, the Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate, Archers of Loaf, Screeching Weasel, Jawbreaker, Gorilla Biscuits and Lifetime.^[4]

Sefler was originally composed of Chris Conley, Bryan Newman, Chris Zampella and Justin Gaylord. They recorded a 3-track 7" entitled "13 Hours of Everything" one afternoon in a friend's basement. They then recorded a nine-track demo at Trax East Studio in New Jersey. While recording, a friend of the band (and later bassist), Sean McGrath, suggested that they change their name to Saves the Day, which they did.

Saves the Day[link]

Saves the Day signed to Equal Vision Records and recorded their first album Can't Slow Down, which was released in 1998 during their first US tour alongside bands Bane and Countervail. Lyrically the album included idealistic dreams, feeling inadequate, honesty and unhappiness, which reflected Conley's life at the time. The style of music is often considered very similar to that of the band Lifetime.^[5]

In 1999 the band released their second album Through Being Cool. With this album, Conley's lyrics started becoming morbid and corporeal, and the style of music changed into a more pop punk sound.

At age 19/20 he started listening to the Beatles and has cited them as the main influence for In Reverie.^[4]

During the writing of Sound the Alarm, Conley was heavily influenced by Bad Brains, The Damned, The Misfits and The Stooges.

Conley, with Saves the Day, has released 4 other albums. Lyrically, all are considered similar except for In Reverie, which is a more positive album. Conley cites a lack of turmoil in his life at the time as the cause of the change in tone.,^[6] Conley made comment in Rolling Stone magazine that Saves the Day's release Sound the Alarm, is "about the black clouds inside my mind, It was these intense fears and paranoia and diluted thoughts that were eating me alive. It was utter insanity." in regards to the failure of In Reverie and subsequent release from DreamWorks.^[7]

Solo touring[link]

While there are no plans for any solo recordings, Chris and David Soloway have toured throughout the USA, playing acoustic versions of Saves the Day songs.^[8][9] Conley, and an army of committed fans recently have posted performances via the bands website, the band's official YouTube account and elsewhere on the YouTube site. Conley also finished up a solo three week acoustic tour with Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids. Beginning in 2009, Chris joined fellow front men Dustin Kensrue of Thrice, Matt Pryor and Anthony Raneri from the band Bayside to form the Where's The Band? tour, where each play acoustic renditions of fan favorites. There have been three legs of this tour between 2009 and 2010, the latest taking place in December 2010. ^[10]

December 1, 2010, Chris Conley announced he would be opening as a solo act for Dashboard Confessional, on the West Coast end of the "swiss army romance tour" In January. This is Following his East Coast touring on the "Where's the band? Tour" in December.

Razia's Shadow[link]

In 2008, Chris lent his voice to Forgive Durden's musical project Razia's Shadow: A Musical as the character "Toba The Tura"

Two Tongues[link]

Two Tongues is a collaborative project between Chris, former guitarist of Saves the Day David Soloway, Max Bemis and Coby Linder of Say Anything. Their debut album hit shelves February 3, 2009. Three tracks on their album releasing in February 2009 are available for listening on their Myspace page.

In Fall of 2010, Two Tongues made their first performances as a surprise in the middle of Say Anything's set each night of the Motion City Soundtrack, Say Anything, and Saves the Day tour. They performed the song "Crawl". Arun bali (current guitarist of Saves the Day) played guitar, Kenny Vasoli (of The Starting Line, and Person L) played bass, Jake Turner (of Say Anything) played guitar as well, Coby Linder played drums, while Chris Conley, and Max Bemis sang.

Work as a producer[link]

Conley worked with The Promise Hero to record a demo at his home studio "The Electric Ladybug". Conley has also co-produced albums such as Dr Manhattan's album Jam Dreams.

Discography (Conley as primary composer)[link]

• Can't Slow Down (1998) on Equal Vision Records
• I'm Sorry I'm Leaving EP (1998) on Immigrant Sun Records
• Lisa's Birthday Tape (1998) self-released
• Through Being Cool (1999) on Equal Vision Records
• Stay What You Are (2001) on Vagrant Records
• In Reverie (2003) on DreamWorks Records
• Ups and Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides (2004)
• Bug Sessions Volume One (tour exclusive) (2006)
• Sound the Alarm (2006) on Vagrant Records
• Under the Boards (2007) on Vagrant Records
• Bug Sessions Volume Two and Three (2008)
• Daybreak (2011) on Razor & Tie

Compilations featuring Conley's compositions[link]

• The Rebirth Of Hardcore:1999 on Supersoul Records, Good Life Recordings, Temperance Records (1999) (features "The Art of Misplacing Firearms")
• Punk Uprisings: Incompatible, Vol. 2 (1999) (features "Shoulder to the Wheel")
• City Rockers: A Tribute to the Clash (1999) (features cover of Clash' "Clash City Rockers")
• Equal Visions Records Sampler (2000) (features "Always Ten Feet Tall")
• Vagrant Records: Summer Sampler (2000) (features "Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots")
• Another Year on the Streets (2000) (features "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven", "A Drag in D Flat")
• Another Year on the Streets Vol. 2 (2002) (features "Ups and Downs", "Nightingale")
• Welcome To Vagrant Records (2003) (features "At Your Funeral")
• Living Tomorrow Today: A Benefit for Ty Cambra (2003) (features "A Drag in D Flat")
• Another Year on the Streets Vol. 3 (2004) (features "When It Isn't Like It Should Be")
• A Compilation to Beat Cancer (2004) (features "Don't Go Outside")
• Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005) (features cover of Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer")
• Warped Tour 2006 Compilation (2006) (features "The End")

References[link]

External links[link]

• Saves the Day official site
• Chris Conley's MySpace Page
• An Audio Interview With Chris
• Skratch Mag Interview
• Sound The Sirens Interview
• Wrank Music Interview
• The Tech Interview
• Aversion Interview
• Subburban Horror Interview
• Two Tongues' Myspace

Christine Nagy is an American radio broadcaster, of Hungarian ancestry. She is a morning radio personality at WLTW-FM (106.7 Lite FM), which is New York City's highest rated radio station. She is also an actress.

Before working for Lite FM, Nagy was a traffic reporter for Shadow Traffic and then became a member of the Z Morning Zoo on sister station Z100. Nagy reported the news and entertainment topics for over eight years before leaving in December 2005. Nagy reportedly left to dedicate more time to acting and has since done a few independent films and theatrical productions, performing in the Off-Broadway play, "Tony and Tina's Wedding" among a few Broadway shows.

Nagy returned to the radio airwaves as a news and entertainment reporter in 2005 to New York City's top-rated station, 106.7 LITE-FM (WLTW). (WLTW is a Clear Channel-owned sister station of Z100.) She co-hosts WLTW's weekday morning show with Karen Carson, including local WNYW-TV weatherman, Nick Gregory. Along with her morning show duties, she tapes interviews in the half-hour community program titled Get Connected. The show airs Sunday mornings at 7 a.m.

Additionally, Christine hosts lifestyle-oriented shows for Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, located at channel 112. On Wednesdays, she works with Stewart's beauty editor, Elizabeth Graves, interviewing guests for lifestyle topics.

Nagy had her own dating-themed show at Caroline's comedy club called "Hookin' Up with Christine Nagy" for 2 years. She co-created the show with her brother, Charles a writer and musician. It featured popular comedians.

Nagy lives in New Jersey, the same state as her alma mater, Montclair State University, where she studied broadcasting.

External links[link]

• ChristineNagy.com Christine's website.
• Lite FM Christine on WLTW-FM
• Christine Nagy at the Internet Movie Database
• "Christine Nagy Returns to New York City Radio"

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