In 1957, Podbielniak and Sanders sold WXRA to John Kluge, who would go on to found Metromedia (owners of WNEW-TV in New York City). Kluge changed the station's calls to WINE and debuted a Top 40 music format on 1080 on October 15, 1957. WINE's mascot was a caricature of an inebriated Frenchman, and the station's slogan was "It goes to your head!" WINE's city of license was changed from Buffalo to Amherst in 1959, although by then the station's studio and transmitter were located on LaSalle Avenue, in Buffalo itself.