Update 4/20:After launching with a retrospective of the original 1980’s Alternative 92.7 WLIR-FM Garden City NY and its later incarnation in the late 90s/early 2000s, VMT Media’s 107.1 WLIR-FM Hampton Bays and 96.9 W245BA Manorville NY flipped to Classic Hits “107.1/96.9 Real FM“.
Positioning as “Long Island’s Real Mix of Classic Hits”, the station is focusing on hits of the 1970s through 90s with an emphasis on the 1980s. The first songs played were Van Halen’s “Jump”, Huey Lewis & The News “Heart of Rock and Roll”, J Geils Band “Centerfold”, and Spin Doctors “Two Princes”.
Listen to the launch of Real-FM at FormatChange.com.
Original Report 4/17: After running a placeholder music format since New Year’s Day, VMT Media’s 107.1 WLIR-FM Hampton Bays and 96.9 W245BA Manorville NY will debut its new format on Friday, April 20 at 11:45am.
VMT Media purchased Richard Anderson’s Holding Out Hope Church’s 51% share of the station last May for assumption of debt and a three year non-compete agreement that started on January 1. AJ Sonnick will serve as Director of Operations and Marketing for WLIR-FM.
The World Famous WLIR-FM broadcasting on 107.1 and 96.9 to Long Islanders, and online at wlir.com, has been stunting since before the new year. This Friday, April 20th, at 11:45AM, the station encourages everyone to tune in as they will end the “wheel of formats” and debut a new format.
Station management has been stunting, playing anything and everything, using the tagline, “something real is coming to this frequency”, for several months. With the release of the most recent documentary, it shows how important the WLIR call letters are and how important the history is to many people. The station owners want to keep the integrity, pride, and trust of those who have cared for the WLIR call letters over its 59 year history and expand its reach unlike ever before.
WLIR-FM will certainly be something exciting and real again as of April 20th. With a population of over 1 million people, the East-End will have something new to listen to. This is momentous because of WLIR’s long history.
Making its debut in 1959, WLIR has gone through several owners, formats, many changes and a long battle with the FCC. Famously known for discovering artists such as Prince and Depeche Mode who were not played on the airwaves before, WLIR has been a big part of radio history and an even bigger part of the lives of many Long Islanders.
inorm2020 
Charles Everett 
yoyogo 
Nathan Obral 
They mention the legacy of WLIR, and they they harken back to ” The World Famous WLIR”.
If they don’t go to alternative, the y are once again, circle jerking
This 107.1 facility has been constant change for over 20 years. The WLIR that was profiled in the documentary was in Nassau County and thus couldn’t be heard in the Hamptons.
Oh really? So classic hits it is which is a REAL disappointment for those who REALLY thought the REAL ‘LIR was REALLY coming back.
I know it’s VMT but is RJ Morey is back in town?
Is it REALly possible that a format and branding that hasn’t been used OTA for nearly 14 years – and on a signal that absolutely pales in comparison to the original 92.7 signal – could be revived?