The signal at 105.9 FM has been on the South Florida airwaves since July 1960, when it launched as WFLM, Broward County's first all-stereo station, playing easy listening. It took more than three decades and five call-sign changes, WFLM, WIXX-FM, WAXY, WAXY-FM, before the station became WBGG-FM in September 1994 and eventually settled into the classic rock format it is best known for today as BIG 105.9.
From Howard Stern to Classic Rock
When Clear Channel Communications took over the station in 1994 and rebranded it "The New Big 106," it did not go straight to classic rock. The station ran the Howard Stern Show during morning drive from 1994 until 2004, when the show ended locally following FCC indecency fines, before settling into the classic rock identity by mid-1996 that gave BIG 105.9 its long-running reputation across Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.
One of Radio's Longest Morning Runs
BIG 105.9's daytime lineup is anchored by Paul Castronovo, who has hosted a South Florida morning show continuously since 1990, first as half of "Paul and Young Ron" alongside Ron Brewer until Brewer's retirement in 2016, and solo ever since. Few radio partnerships anywhere in the country have run as long, and the show has stayed on South Florida airwaves across multiple station moves, from WSHE to WZTA and finally to WBGG.
Still Evolving After Sixty Years
Even a format as durable as classic rock keeps shifting. In December 2024, BIG 105.9 broadened its playlist toward classic hits, pulling in more 1980s and 1990s material alongside its core rock catalogue, a sign that a station built on golden-era rock still adjusts to keep pace with what South Florida listeners actually want to hear.
Why Tune In
BIG 105.9 offers a rare combination in modern radio: a genuinely deep classic rock catalogue paired with a morning show that has been part of South Florida's daily routine since 1990. For listeners who want their rock classics delivered by hosts who have been doing this since before most streaming services existed, this is the station.