WZMJ

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WZMJ
City of license	Batesburg, South Carolina
Broadcast area	South Carolina
Branding	"ESPN Radio 93.1"
First air date	1991
Frequency	93.1 (MHz)
Format	ESPN Radio
ERP	3,000 watts
Class	A
Callsign meaning	"Majic" (a previous station's moniker)
Owner	Inner City Broadcasting
Website	http://www.espncolumbia.com

WZMJ is known as "ESPN Radio 93.1" and is a affiliate of ESPN Radio. The station is owned by Inner City Broadcasting and transmits on 93.1 FM with a ERP of 3kw.

[edit] Station History

The station originally signed on in the early 80's on 95.3 FM as WKWQ and was licensed to the towns of Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina. In the beginning it had a Country format, but changed to Album Rock as "K-95 Rock" in 1986 and started to target nearby Columbia. However, it did not have an adequate signal to compete with the others stations in town. In 1988, the station changed again to Urban Contemporary as "Hot 95" in an attempt to compete with Urban powerhouse WWDM, but failed. During this period, the tower was moved closer to Columbia, but the signal problems remained.

WKWQ moved from 95.3 to 93.1 in early 1991. The station was re-launched as K-93, but was still handicapped by a smaller signal as well as underfunded ownership. The station eventually went to satellite programing using SMN's The Touch" Adult Urban Contemporary format and was paired with sister station WKSO (now known as WHXT) located in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

This arrangement lasted until 1999 when WKWQ broke off from the simulcast with WKSO and flipped to Urban Oldies as Majik 93.1, taking the new call letters of WZMJ. Unfortunately, Majic 93.1 never took off due to strong competition from Jammin' Oldies outlet WSCQ (now known as WXBT), which launched a month after Majic 93.1 sign on. The station, as well as sister Urban Contemporary outlet, WHXT was sold in 2003 to Inner City Broadcasting.

Shortly after the sale, the station changed format to a Young Country music as 93.1 The Hound. Although it was designed as a flanker to protect sister station WWDM from Clear Channel Communications's Country outlet WCOS-FM from being #1 in the ratings, 93.1 The Hound managed to gain a small audience. However, in 2005, after the sign-on of Double O Radio's New Country outlet WWNU, the station moved sister AM's WOIC ESPN Radio format to WZMJ, while WOIC was re-launched as a Air America Radio outlet.