1940 the FCC authorized an FM band effective January 1, 1941, operating on 40 channels spanning 42–50 MHz. G.E. filed an application in August 1940, and was issued a commercial station Construction Permit for 45.7 MHz that was assigned the call sign W57A. In the summer of 1942 the still uncompleted Construction Permit was modified to specify 48.5 MHz, which resulted in the call sign being adjusted to W85A. Effective November 1, 1943, the FCC modified its policy for FM call letters, and the station call sign was changed to the long-running WGFM. While operating as W2XOY, W85A and WGFM the station sometimes duplicated the programming of WGY, however considerable effort was made to create programming unique to the FM channel. On June 15, 1946, WGFM complied with the FCC's postwar FM band reallocation and switched on a transmitter at 100.7 MHz in the new band; for two years, it operated on both the old and the new bands simultaneously. In May 1947, the remaining new-band transmitter moved to 99.5 MHz, where it broadcasts to this day. Stereo sound On June 1, 1961, at 12:01 AM (EDT), WGFM became the first FM station in the United States to broadcast full-time in stereo. With the switch to higher quality stereo sound, the station no longer duplicated the programming of WGY. At first it aired a classical music format and later it changed to beautiful music. Rock 99 As FM radio listening grew during the 1970s, the 99.5 frequency played host to several formats. In 1973, it began airing TM's syndicated and automated Top 40 "Stereo Rock" format, calling itself "Rock 99." The same TM format and announcer was used at other FM stations in Upstate New York during this period, including WYUT (now WXUR) in Herkimer (Utica-Rome), WKFM (now WBBS) in Fulton/Syracuse, WNOZ (now WIII) in Cortland/Ithaca, WPXY in Rochester and WBEN-FM (now WTSS) in Buffalo. In 1981, WGFM switched to a live adult contemporary format, known as "99 - The Light". In 1983, the station returned to Top 40 (this time with live personalities) as "99 GFM" and spent much of the 1980s in pursuit of competitor, 92.3 WFLY. By 1985, "99 GFM" had become the dominant Top 40 station in the Albany market. But within two years, ratings began to erode. It was during this period that General Electric sold WGFM and WGY. The stations subsequently changed owners several