The station dropped the "Star" moniker on October 5, 2023, shifting to "The New 96.1;" Townsquare Media's Buffalo division President Mark Plimpton indicated that "conversations with Audacy" had led to the brand shift while noting he could not comment on those conversations. The new WTSS adopted the former WTSS's standard of changing to Christmas music on November 1 (as the former WTSS had done for the previous four years).
On October 5, 2023, the station dropped "Star" and adopted "The New 96.1;" Townsquare Media's Buffalo division President Mark Plimpton stated that conversations with Audacy influenced this brand change. The new WTSS began playing Christmas music on November 1 (as the former WTSS had done for four years).