WRXL

Last updated
WRXL
Broadcast area Central Virginia
Frequency 102.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingAlt 102-1
Programming
Language(s) English
Format Alternative rock
Subchannels HD2: Big 98.5 (country music)
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
March 4, 1949 (1949-03-04) [1]
Former call signs
WRNL-FM (1949–73)
Call sign meaning
"Richmond's Radio Excellence"
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 11961
Class B
ERP 20,000  watts
HAAT 241 meters (791 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 37°36′52.5″N77°30′54.9″W / 37.614583°N 77.515250°W / 37.614583; -77.515250
Translator(s)
  • HD2: 98.5 W253BI (Richmond)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live (via  Audacy)
Website www.audacy.com/alt1021rva

WRXL (102.1 FM "Alt 102-1") is a commercial radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia, and serving Central Virginia. WRXL is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. [3] WRXL airs an alternative rock radio format.

Contents

Studios, offices and the transmitter tower are on Basie Road in Richmond. [4] [5] The station carries the syndicated Elliot in the Morning show, produced by Premiere Networks and originating at former sister station WWDC-FM in Washington, D.C.

History

Early years as WRNL-FM

On March 4, 1949, the station signed on the air as WRNL-FM. [6] It was the FM sister station to WRNL, owned by the Richmond Radio Corporation, a subsidiary of The Richmond News Leader newspaper (hence the WRNL-FM call sign). At first, WRNL-FM simulcast its AM counterpart, carrying the ABC Radio schedule of dramas, comedies, sports and news. In the late 1950s, WRNL-AM-FM moved to a full service format of middle of the road music, news, sports and talk.

In the 1960s, several Richmond FM stations received permission from the Federal Communications Commission for unusually high power. [7] Today, Richmond is in Zone 1, limited to a maximum of 50,000 watts effective radiated power (ERP). Before these rules were put into place, WRNL-FM was permitted to go to 120,000 watts, WFMV (now WURV) went to 74,000 watts and, to this day, WRVQ (then WRVA-FM) runs at 200,000 watts.

Switch to rock as WRXL

In 1971, WRNL-AM-FM were bought by Rust Communications, which owned a number of radio stations around the country. Rust decided to give WRNL-FM its own format. It hired a staff of young DJs, stopped simulcasting the AM station and switched to progressive rock. [8] To give the station a fresh identity, in 1973, the call sign was changed to WRXL. By 1980, the station's music had moved to an album-oriented rock direction, based on playing the biggest selling rock artists. [9] During the entire 1990's, WRXL evolved into a full-blown Mainstream rock station up until 2002 when the station decided to transition into active rock to compete against, Cox Media's then-alternative rock station, Y-101. Their music program adjustment was more of an alternative metal lean around the mid-2000's, very similar to Y-101 but still active rock.

In 1993, WRVH (the new name of WRNL) and WRXL were sold to Clear Channel Communications, a forerunner of iHeartMedia, Inc., for $9.75 million. [10]

From Active Rock to Alternative Rock

Former logo as "XL102" WRXL-XL102-2015-logo.png
Former logo as "XL102"

In 2002, the station slowly started to move their format from album rock/ Mainstream rock to an alternative metal style of Active rock as "102-1 The X" as their music programing was changed intentionally to compete against Cox Media's Alternative rock rival, WDYL, well known as "Y-101" during that time of format transition and was proven a successful competitive approach during the mid and late 2000's until 2012 when the format started to decline in popularity, the transition to alternative rock overthrown their Active Rock sound completely during 2013 slowly phasing out the Active Rock direction all the way through to fill the void of where WDYL, Y101 once was when they changed their format to Top 40/CHR as "HOT 100.9" similar to how WVHT did as "HOT 100.5" In Hampton Roads during spring of 2009 when they changed their format from Mainstream Rock as "100.5 MAX FM" WXMM. "HOT 100.9's music format was in direct competition against WRVQ Known as Q94. On October 1, 2012, WRXL rebranded from "102-1 The X" back to "XL 102", WRXL's branding from 1976 to 2002. In 2006 the station changed to a new broadcast tower at 791 feet (241 meters) in height above average terrain, while also dropping to 20,000 watts from its previous 120,000 watts. WRXL would still have a larger coverage area than conventional Class B FM stations, but with lower power due to the increased antenna height. [11]

On November 1, 2017, iHeartMedia announced that WRXL, along with all of its co-owned stations in Richmond and Chattanooga, would be swapped to Entercom, coupled with that company's merger with CBS Radio. [12] The sale was completed on December 19, 2017. [13] The deal had iHeartMedia taking over several former CBS and Entercom stations in Boston and Seattle in exchange for the Richmond and Chattanooga stations.

On September 13, 2020, WRXL quietly re-branded as "Alt 102-1" as part of a systemic "revamping" of Entercom's alternative rock stations. At this time, most of the local DJs and programming staff were laid off and replaced with out-of-market hosts. [14] [15]

HD Radio

WRXL also broadcasts an HD subchannel:

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References

  1. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-468. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WRXL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "WRXL Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ↑ "Connect with XL102!". xl102richmond.com. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "WRXL-FM Radio Station Coverage Map". radio-locator.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1951 page 316" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1970 page B-213" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1972 page B-221" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 page C-240" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1996 page B-443" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "XL102 Is Back In Richmond - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Entercom Trades Boston & Seattle Spin-Offs To iHeartMedia For Richmond & Chattanooga - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  14. ↑ Entercom Sets Programming Plans for Alternative & Country
  15. ↑ Entercom Rebrands Alternative Stations in Buffalo, Kansas City, Las Vegas & Richmond
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