Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 27, 1990                   TAG: 9003272521
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WTOY OFF AIR; NEW FORMAT DUE

Since 7 p.m. Monday, there has been nothing but static at 910 on the AM dial.

That static marks the end of WTOY's 21-year history as the Roanoke Valley's black-oriented contemporary music station. The station will come back on the air April 2 with new call letters and a new sound - business news and information.

The end came a little quicker than expected for the station and its four full-time employees. Station President Mike Waldvogel announced Feb. 28 that the station would end its music format on April 1 and then switch formats overnight.

Waldvogel has said the change was made because the music format was not producing sufficient advertising revenue.

But Waldvogel said that late last week he learned that it would take longer than expected to change the station's equipment to accommodate the new, primarily satellite-delivered programming.

"We found it would be difficult to remain on the air and still accomplish the changeover," he said.