After REBS, Inc. acquired WIBX in 1985, music programming was dropped entirely, outside of the station's Sunday morning Polish language program, Polonaise. Maritime Broadcasting bought the station in 1988.
The Bowen family sold WIBX to Marathon Communications in 1979. Soon afterward, the station's longstanding full service middle of the road format began evolving away from music in favor of increased news, talk, and sports programming.