▁Stone ▁named ▁WM MS ▁" Best ▁Radio ▁Station " ▁( Lar ge ▁Market ) ▁nine ▁straight ▁years ▁( 1 9 7 9 – 8 7 ) ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ' s ▁annual ▁Read ers ' ▁Pol l , ▁but ▁the ▁station ▁admitted ▁to ▁stuff ing ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁ball ot ▁following ▁a ▁February ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁front - page ▁story ▁in ▁The ▁P lain ▁De aler ▁expos ing ▁manip ulation . ▁ ▁Seven ▁years ▁later , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁station ' s ▁staff ▁and ▁management ▁ple aded ▁guilty ▁to ▁dis rupt ing ▁a ▁national ▁broadcast ▁of ▁The ▁Howard ▁Stern ▁Show ▁that ▁origin ated ▁via ▁the ▁local ▁Stern ▁affili ate , ▁cross - town ▁rival ▁W NC X . ▁ ▁A ▁federal ▁off ense , ▁the ▁act ▁nearly ▁cost ▁WM MS ▁its ▁broadcast ing ▁license . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁years / WH K - FM ▁On ▁March ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁radio ▁station ▁WH K ▁– ▁owned ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁by ▁United ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company , ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁Forest ▁City ▁Publishing , ▁itself ▁the ▁parent ▁company ▁of ▁The ▁P lain ▁De aler ▁– ▁launched ▁an ▁experimental ▁FM ▁station ▁under ▁the ▁call sign ▁W 8 X UB ▁at ▁ 1 0 7 . 1 ▁meg ah ert z ▁( M Hz ). ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁W 8 X UB ▁began ▁broadcast ing ▁at ▁ 1 0 0 .