WIRD — Mediated Wiki

{{for|the Australia roller derby league|Wollongong Illawarra Roller Derby}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox radio station | name = WIRD | above = Former simulcast of WNBZ | logo = | logo_size = 200px | city = Lake Placid, New York | country = US | area = | branding = WNBZ | frequency = 920 kHz | airdate = {{start date|1961|11|21}} | last_airdate = {{end date|2017|5|24}} (date of license cancellation) | format = Adult standards | power = {{ubl|5,000 watts day|87 watts night}} | erp = | haat = | class = D | facility_id = 54652 | coordinates = {{coord|44|15|41.5|N|74|1|21.7|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | callsign_meaning = | former_callsigns = | affiliations = {{ubl|ABC Radio|Cumulus Media Networks}} | owner = Radio Lake Placid, Inc. | licensee = | sister_stations = {{hlist|WLPW|WNBZ|WNBZ-FM|WRGR}} | webcast = | website = }}

'''WIRD''' (920 AM) was a radio station broadcasting an adult standards format, simulcasting sister station WNBZ. Licensed to Lake Placid, New York, United States, the station was owned by Radio Lake Placid, Inc. and featured programming from ABC Radio.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=DWIRD |title=WIRD Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division }}</ref> It went on the air in 1961, and lost its license in 2017.

==History== A construction permit for a daytime-only station on 920 kHz in Lake Placid was issued to WIRY, Inc., in October 1961.<ref name="b-cpgranted">{{cite news |title=Hearing cases |work=Broadcasting |date=October 23, 1961 |page=85}}</ref> Its principals were Charles B. Britt, Donald L. Pelkey, Jeanette B. Britt, Margaret R. Hall, and Ralph S. Hatcher.<ref name="b-wiryownership">{{cite news |title=Ownership changes |work=Broadcasting |date=August 31, 1964 |page=81}}</ref> The new station, assigned the call sign WIRD,<ref name="b-wirdassigned">{{cite news |title=New am stations |work=Broadcasting |date=November 6, 1961 |page=100}}</ref> went on the air November 21, 1961.<ref name="by1999">{{cite book|title=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999|year=1999|page=D-303|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-NE-Ter-BC-YB-1999..pdf|access-date=April 18, 2017}}</ref> WIRD was associated with existing Plattsburgh radio station WIRY.<ref name="nny360-wirdwiry">{{cite news |last1=Pepe |first1=Olivia |title=North County media legend remembered |url=https://www.nny360.com/news/north-county-media-legend-remembered/article_638573f1-295e-598d-8b8d-afacf07a634e.html |access-date=March 17, 2025 |work=NNY360 |date=February 5, 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

WIRY, Inc., sold WIRD to Lincoln F. Dixon, engineering supervisor for WPTZ in Plattsburgh; Donald A. Nardiello, WIRD's general manager; Carol Dixon; and Kathryn Nardiello for $40,000 in 1965.<ref name="b-saletodixonnardiello">{{cite news |title=Ownership changes |work=Broadcasting |date=March 8, 1965 |page=92}}</ref> By 1971, WIRD offered a middle of the road format.<ref name="by1971">{{cite book|title=1971 Broadcasting Yearbook|year=1971|page=B-140}}</ref> The Dixons sold their interest in the station to the Nardiellos in 1973.<ref name="fcc-historycards">{{cite web |title=WIRD history cards |url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=60957 |access-date=March 17, 2025 |format=PDF}}</ref> An FM simulcast, WLPW (105.5), was added in 1979; by October 1980, WIRD and WLPW were affiliated with the CBS Radio Network.<ref name="by1981">{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Cable Yearbook 1981|year=1981|pages=C-158, D-35}}</ref>

Donald and Kitty Nardiello sold WIRD and WLPW to Adirondack Network Systems (ANS) for $1 million in 1988. The new company's principals were Dennis M. Ryan, Robert P. Ambrosini, Richard M. Feldman, Frederick J. Graber, Philip Saunders, Martin Stone, and Serge Lussi.<ref name="b-saletoans">{{cite news |title=Ownership Changes |work=Broadcasting |date=January 16, 1989 |page=119}}</ref> By this point, the stations' format had evolved to adult contemporary, and the simulcast had been reduced to 80-percent.<ref name="by1990">{{cite book|title=The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990|year=1990|page=B-213}}</ref> By 1993, ANS was in chapter 7 bankruptcy;<ref name="lpn-ansbankrupt">{{cite news |last1=Lamothe |first1=Katherine |title=Take it to court: Nardiello, Ryan tangle over radio station |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tlp19930818-01.1.1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- |access-date=March 17, 2025 |work=The Lake Placid News |date=August 18, 1993 |pages=1, 6}}</ref> control of the stations would be returned to the Nardiellos.<ref name="mst-returntonardiello">{{cite news |title=Proposed Station Transfers |work=The M Street Journal |date=October 20, 1993 |page=6}}</ref>

By 1997, when Jones Satellite Networks' adult contemporary programming was added to the simulcast of WIRD, WLPW, and WRGR in Tupper Lake, some talk programming was airing on WIRD only.<ref name="mst-wirdtalkandjsn">{{cite news |title=Format Changes & Updates |work=The M Street Journal |date=July 2, 1997 |page=2}}</ref> In 1998, the three stations moved to an adult album alternative format;<ref name="nerw-wirdwlpwaaa">{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=WBPS is Sold (Really!) |url=https://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-980703.html |access-date=March 17, 2025 |work=North East RadioWatch |date=June 3, 1998}}</ref> the following year, WIPS in Ticonderoga joined the "Radio Lake Placid" network.<ref name="nerw-wlpwonwips">{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=TV Duopoly Arrives in N.Y. |url=https://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-991119.html |access-date=March 17, 2025 |work=North East RadioWatch |date=November 19, 1999}}</ref> In February 2001, WIRD, which had broken away to carry sports and talk programming, became an ESPN Radio affiliate.<ref name="mst-wirdespn">{{cite news |title=Format Changes & Updates |work=The M Street Journal |date=February 28, 2001 |page=2}}</ref>

Ted Morgan, owner of WNBZ and WYZY in Saranac Lake, bought WIRD, WLPW, and WRGR from the Nardiellos for $700,000 in 2004.<ref name="ade-wirdoff"/> On November 26, 2008, WIRD dropped ESPN Radio for a simulcast of WNBZ; both stations, as well as WLPW and WRGR, already shared a morning show.<ref name="nerw-wnbzonwird">{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=O&A Out Again in Boston |url=https://www.fybush.com/NERW/2008/081208/nerw.html |access-date=March 17, 2025 |work=NorthEast Radio Watch |date=December 8, 2008}}</ref>

WIRD's license was canceled on May 24, 2017, for failure to pay debt it owed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which prevented the station's license from being renewed.<ref name="fcc-wirddeleted">{{cite web|last1=Bradshaw|first1=James D.|title=Re: WIRD(AM), Lake Placid, NY|url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=75831|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=May 24, 2017|format=PDF|date=May 24, 2017}}</ref> Shortly after the cancellation, on June 21, 2017, the ''Adirondack Daily Enterprise'' reported that WIRD had been off the air for at least two years.<ref name="ade-wirdoff">{{cite news|last1=Knight|first1=Chris|title=The death of local radio?|url=http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2017/06/the-death-of-local-radio/|accessdate=June 22, 2017|work=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|date=June 21, 2017}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=54652 Facility details for Facility ID 54652 (WIRD)] in the FCC Licensing and Management System *{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=60957 |title= History Cards for WIRD|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) (covering 1959-1981)

IRD Category:Radio stations established in 1961 Category:1961 establishments in New York (state) Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2017 Category:2017 disestablishments in New York (state) Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States IRD Category:Lake Placid, New York