WMXZ

Last updated
WMXZ
WMXZ.png
Broadcast area South Carolina Lowcountry
Frequency 95.9 MHz
BrandingMix 95.9
Programming
Format Adult Top 40
Affiliations Compass Media Networks
Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
  • Saga Communications
  • (Saga South Communications, LLC)
WAVF, WCKN, WSPO, WXST
History
First air date
May 1967 (as WWBD-FM at 95.7)
Former call signs
WWBD-FM (1978–1985)
WWLT (1985–1993)
WWBD (1993–2009)
WIOP (1/09-2/09) [1]
WSPO (2/09-6/09)
WIOP (2009–2012) [1]
Former frequencies
95.7 MHz (1967–2009)
Call sign meaning
WMiXZ
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 6634
Class C2
ERP 50,000 watts
HAAT 107.4 meters
Transmitter coordinates
 32°49′27.00″N80°00′10.00″W / 32.8241667°N 80.0027778°W / 32.8241667; -80.0027778
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live
Website mix959.com

WMXZ (95.9 FM, "Mix 95.9") is a radio station licensed to Isle of Palms, South Carolina, United States, serving the South Carolina Lowcountry. The station is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Charleston Radio Group. WMXZ airs an adult top 40 format. [3] The station's studios are located in Charleston (east of the Cooper River) and the transmitter tower is in West Ashley, South Carolina.

Contents

In 2012, WMXZ commenced HD Radio service with 99.3 The Box on the HD2 channel, featuring Urban and R&B music.

History

Vic Whetstone owned WWBD in Bamberg, South Carolina for 25 years. Miller Communications, a company based in Sumter, South Carolina, acquired it in 2003. It then became a classic rock station as "Bad Dog 95.7". In September 2005, WWBD upgraded from 6,000 to 25,000 watts with a new 500-foot tower in Canaan. In 2006, WWBD changed to country music as "Outlaw 95.7" but listeners overwhelmingly demanded that Bad Dog return, so it did after four months. In June 2007, Miller applied for a change in the city of license to Isle of Palms near Charleston but said Bad Dog would stay in Orangeburg. [4]

Apex Broadcasting, owner of WXTC, WIHB, and WXST, purchased WWBD from Miller in a deal announced in July 2008. The power had been increased to 50,000 watts. [5]

WSPO was part of a large frequency swap in Charleston and Myrtle Beach. The 96.1 frequency in Charleston moved to the Myrtle Beach market and became the new home of WKZQ-FM. WKZQ's former 101.7 frequency moved to Hanahan and is owned by Apex Broadcasting. This allowed the Charleston metro area to get a new station, as WWBD moved to Isle of Palms with Apex as its new owner. The Bad Dog format began simulcasting with Miller's 105.1 WGFG on January 14, 2009. The simulcast stopped and 95.7 FM is now silent, with WQKI-FM expected to take over the frequency. [6]

The station was assigned the WSPO call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on February 25, 2009. [1] They were switched to WIOP in June 2009 when the WSPO calls went to the sister station at 1390 AM with its new sports talk format.

On June 18, 2009 FM 95.9 launched in the Charleston area with a classic hits format, last heard on WXLY before it dropped the format in favor of adult contemporary in late 2007. [7] The station re-imaged as "95-9 IOP" in August 2010,[ citation needed ] and switched to country music on September 15, 2010 as "Kickin 95.9, Real Country Variety". [8] [9]

On May 31, 2011 WIHB (now WCKN) began simulcasting WIOP. On June 13, 2011 WIOP stopped simulcasting and began stunting with construction sounds. On June 15, 2011 WIOP ended stunting and changed their format to soft adult contemporary, branded as "Lite 95.9". [10] The station featured a blend of light AC hits, softer rock oldies, and some adult standards from the 1960s through the early 2000s but was entirely gold-based, playing no current product. Artists heard on Lite 95.9 included Lionel Richie, Elton John, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Mariah Carey, Olivia Newton-John, Josh Groban, Eric Clapton, Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers, and Barbra Streisand.

On March 5, 2012, WIOP became the "New Mix 95.9", with hot adult contemporary, and changed their call letters to WMXZ on March 14, 2012.

In 2014, "Mix 95.9" became "Mix 96" and while still CHR the station is trying to compete with Charleston's Cumulus-owned WSSX "95-SX.", the only other CHR in the market. That all changed in April 2017, when Mediabase moved the station to the Top 40/CHR panel. [11]

In July 2017, WMXZ reverted to the "Mix 95.9" branding.

On September 6, 2017, the sale of the station to Saga Communications was complete. [12]

HD2 format change

On March 27, 2013, WMXZ's HD2 subchannel changed their format from Regional Mexican to mainstream urban, branded as "99.3 The Box" (using the frequency of FM translator W257BQ in its branding). [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVMX</span> Radio station in Westerville, Ohio

WVMX is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to the suburb of Westerville, Ohio, it serves the Columbus metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1991 under the call sign WCEZ. The station is owned Saga Communications through licensee Franklin Communications, Inc., and operates as part of its Columbus Radio Group. Its studios are located in Upper Arlington and the transmitter site is west of Sunbury.

Charleston is the nation's 95th largest designated market area (DMA), with 326,770 households and 0.27% of the U.S. TV population. The following stations are licensed in Charleston and have significant operations or viewers in the city:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPOW</span> Radio station in Miami, Florida, US

WPOW – branded Power 96 – is a commercial classic hip-hop radio station licensed to Miami, Florida. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Miami-Dade County, the Miami metropolitan area, and much of surrounding South Florida. WPOW's studios are located in Audacy's Miami office on Northeast Second Avenue, while the station's transmitter is located in the Miami Gardens neighborhood of Andover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CING-FM</span> Radio station in Hamilton, Ontario

CING-FM is a Canadian radio station in Hamilton, Ontario. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format. CING's studios are located on Main Street West in Hamilton, while its transmitter is located near Hwy 5 and Millgrove Side Rd in Flamborough. CING is owned by Corus Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWMX</span> Radio station in Maryland, United States

WWMX, known on-air as Mix 106.5, is a commercial radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts a hot adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. The studios and offices are on Clarkview Road off Jones Falls Expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFUN-FM</span> Adult R&B radio station in St. Louis

WFUN-FM is a radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. The station airs an urban adult contemporary radio format branded as "96.3 The Lou". Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station's studios are located on Olive Street in St. Louis, while its transmitter is located off Watson Road in Shrewsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLTA-FM</span> Radio station in Moorhead, Minnesota

KLTA-FM is a radio station based in Fargo, North Dakota, though licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to Moorhead, Minnesota, owned by Jim Ingstad's Radio FM Media. The station carries an adult-oriented Top 40 (CHR) format. KLTA and rhythmic CHR-formatted HD2 translator K245BY compete against heritage Top 40 (CHR) KOYY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAVF</span> Radio station in Hanahan, South Carolina

WAVF is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Hanahan, South Carolina, and serving the South Carolina Lowcountry and Charleston metropolitan area. It is owned by Saga Communications as part of its Charleston Radio Group, and airs an adult hits radio format branded as "Chuck FM". The radio studios and offices are on Clements Ferry Road in Charleston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSPO</span> Radio station in Charleston, South Carolina

WSPO is a commercial AM radio station in Charleston, South Carolina. This station is owned by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Charleston Radio Group. It airs an urban gospel radio format. The studios are east of the Cooper River in Charleston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KABQ-FM</span> Radio station in Corrales–Albuquerque, New Mexico

KABQ-FM is a commercial radio station located in Corrales, New Mexico, United States, broadcasting to the Albuquerque area. It broadcasts at full power from a tower atop Nine Mile Hill west of Albuquerque, with studios located in Northeast Albuquerque and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSCZ</span> Radio station in Winnsboro, South Carolina

WSCZ is a commercial radio station licensed to Winnsboro, South Carolina. It is owned by Alpha Media LLC and it simulcasts WHXT 103.9 in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Together both stations cover most of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, with WSCZ based to the north and WHXT based to the south. The stations air a mainstream urban radio format. The studios are on Pineview Road in Columbia and WSCZ's transmitter is off Flint Hill Road in Winnsboro.

WCFJ is a Christian FM radio station affiliated with His Radio and licensed to Irmo, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Hometown Columbia outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 15 kW. Its studios and transmitter are located in Columbia separately.

WPCO was a radio station in Columbia, South Carolina. Last owned by Alpha Media, it broadcast an adult album alternative (AAA) format. Its studios were on Pineview Road in Columbia, with a transmitter tower located near Bicentennial Park along the Congaree River in downtown Columbia. It was also heard on FM translator W235CH at 94.9 MHz, using the translator's dial position as its moniker, "94.9 The Palm."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSSX-FM</span> Radio station in Charleston, South Carolina

WSSX-FM is a top 40 (CHR) radio station located in Charleston, South Carolina. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 kW. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. Its studios are located in North Charleston and the transmitter tower is located in Mount Pleasant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXST</span> Radio station in Hollywood, South Carolina

WXST is a commercial radio station licensed to Hollywood, South Carolina, and serving the Charleston metropolitan area and the South Carolina Lowcountry. It airs an urban adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Saga Communications as part of its Charleston Radio Group. The studios are on Clements Ferry Road in Charleston. Syndicated programs heard on WXST include The Steve Harvey Morning Show and The Sweat Hotel with Keith Sweat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCKN</span> Radio station in Moncks Corner, South Carolina

WCKN is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States, the station serves the Charleston, South Carolina area. The station is owned by Saga Communications as part of its Charleston Radio Group. The station's studios are located in Charleston and the transmitter tower is in Mount Pleasant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYXL</span> Radio station in Ithaca, New York

WYXL is a commercial radio station in Ithaca, New York, known as "Lite Rock 97.3." It broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format. The station has been owned by Saga Communications, operating as part of its Cayuga Radio Group, since 2005. It is co-owned with WHCU, WQNY, WIII, and WNYY. In the evening, WYXL carries the nationally syndicated show John Tesh, Intelligence for Your Life.

WGFG, known on-air as "105.3 The Cat", is a country music radio station licensed to Branchville, South Carolina, United States. The station is currently owned by Community Broadcasters, LLC.

WQKI-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Orangeburg, South Carolina. It airs a classic hip hop radio format and is owned by Community Broadcasters, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W257BQ</span> Radio station in Charleston, South Carolina

W257BQ is an American radio station serving the Charleston, South Carolina, area with a mainstream urban format simulcast on the HD-2 channel of WXST. This station is under ownership of the Charleston Radio Group subsidiary of Saga Communications. Its studios are located in Charleston and the transmitter tower is in Charleston as well.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WMXZ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  4. ↑ Zaleski, Gene (2007-08-29). "Radio change – Miller says shifting license for Bamberg's WWBD to Isle of Palms won't impact local service". The Times and Democrat . Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  5. ↑ "Deals". Broadcasting & Cable . July 14, 2008.
  6. ↑ "FM Query Results (WQKI)" . Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  7. ↑ Sharek, Dylan (2009-08-15). "Stay tuned, IOP beach music hits the airwaves". Island Eye News . Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  8. ↑ "WIOP Flips From Classic Hits To Country". allaccess.com. 2010-09-16. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  9. ↑ Lesemann, T. Ballard (2010-09-16). "Kickin' 95.9 FM says howdy". Charleston City Paper . Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  10. ↑ Venta, Lance (2011-06-15). "Kickin' Moves To 92.5; WIOP Becomes Lite 95.9". radionisight.com. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  11. ↑ "Mediabase Panel Changes" from All Access (April 20, 2017)
  12. ↑ "Saga Closes The Door On TV, Welcomes Apex Stations". Radio + Television Business Report. 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  13. ↑ Venta, Lance (2013-03-27). "The Box To Reopen In Charleston". radioinsight.com. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.