contemporary music the following year as "Mellow 93", picking up the format that had been abandoned by WMLW in its switch to WFFX earlier that year. "Mellow 93" proved a moderate ratings success, with the station usually around fifth or sixth place. The AC format lasted until the station called in a consultant, who attempted a format change to Top 40/CHR in 1984. The change on the airwaves not only included the music selection, with most of the staff either quitting or being let go. With the Grand Rapids area flooded with CHR stations at the time, as WGRD, WSNX and WKLQ were all playing Top 40 music, WJFM's CHR format lasted only two years before the station went back to Soft AC as "The New Joy FM." The "Joy" format also proved a failure, and in 1988, WJFM became a classic hits station. Ratings for the classic hits format were initially very good but soon dropped off, and in 1990, the station evolved to classic rock. B-93 Fetzer died in 1991, and his family sold the station a year later. In June 1992, Billboard magazine reported that a number of key WJFM staffers, including general manager Joel Schaaf, program director and midday host Sean Stevens, and morning man Jeff France, had left the station, and rumors began swirling to the effect that the classic rock station would go country to take on incumbent country powerhouse WCUZ. Sure enough, on July 24, 1992, the classic rock format was dropped for country, and WJFM became WBCT as "B93". B-93 has ranked number one or number two 12+ ever since. Lee Cory was the original program director, and Neal Dionne and Reese Rickards were the original B-93 morning show hosts. They worked mornings for 22 years before having their jobs eliminated in a round of budget cuts initiated by current owner, iHeartMedia. References External links FCC History Cards for WBCT List of "grandfathered superpower" FM radio stations in the U.S. B 93.7 on MySpace BCT Country radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1951 1951 establishments in Michigan IHeartMedia radio stations