sell WCAR-AM-FM to Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters, Inc., but he would stay on as a consultant. In October of that year, Golden West changed WCAR-FM's MOR format to the syndicated "Great American Country" package from Drake-Chenault. In the summer of 1978, the stations moved into studios in the new Renaissance Center. WCAR-FM's country format was moved over to the AM station, which became WCXI. The FM station adopted the call sign WTWR, airing an Adult Top 40/Oldies hybrid format under the name "Tower 92" (an homage to the station's new digs). Tower 92 was partly live, partly automated, with the air staff including Jack Kirkwood (also worked at KWG/1230, KSFO/560, KGNR/1320 and KCTC/96.1), Joey Ryan, Kurt Kelly, Kevin Sanderson, Ron Tavernit, Russ Gibb, and Tom Shannon, with Steve Schram as program director. The news team included Linda Ashley from WDEE, Jim Lowlor from WDET-FM, John Bell and News Director Ray Cardoza. The station was only a moderate ratings success, but the most successful format on 92.3 FM to that time. In late 1981, Tower 92 transitioned from its Hot AC/Oldies hybrid to full-out Top 40 under the guidance of programmer Todd Wallace, and saw a slight improvement in the ratings in the Winter 1982 Arbitron report. Nevertheless, Golden West wanted to strengthen its country music position in the market against WWWW-FM, and so Golden West pulled the plug on Tower 92 on May 10, 1982, after only 15 weeks of the Top 40 format. The station became WCXI-FM, programming a country music format separate from WCXI, in an effort to forge a two-pronged competition with the successful WWWW-FM. WCXI-FM and WCXI had distinct personalities, with WCXI-FM being a contemporary hit country format and WCXI taking a more full-service approach and focusing more on traditional country. 92 Music/WNTM In March 1986, Golden West announced they would sell WCXI and WCXI-FM to Shamrock Broadcasting; in return, Shamrock would spin the station off to Fritz Broadcasting, who would pair it with successful talk station WXYT. On May 14, 1986, the FM station was changed to WNTM "92 Music," a satellite-fed adult contemporary format. Since Detroit already had four AC stations, 92 Music sank to the bottom of the ratings, perhaps due to its lack of live and local air talent. 92-3 The Wave/WVAE 92.3's next format was new-age (a precursor of today's smooth jazz format). It mixed contemporary jazz with new-age instrumentals