WWVA-FM

WWVA-FM ("Wild 105.7 & 96.7") is an Atlanta radio station broadcasting a rhythmic contemporary radio format which features R&B, Pop and Dance hits. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is licensed to serve Canton, Georgia. The station simulcasts with WWLG 96.7.

History

As WCHK

From its sign-on in 1964 until 1991, the station was country music WCHK-FM on 105.5 MHz in Canton, Georgia, sister station to WCHK AM. In 1993 owner Cherokee Broadcasting received FCC approval to upgrade to class C2, with a much stronger signal and relocation of their transmitter site from the WTLK-TV 14 (now WPXA-TV) tower on Bear Mountain (near Lake Arrowhead southwest of Waleska) south-southeastward toward Atlanta. (This large broadcast tower in Holly Springs is next to Interstate 575 and old Georgia 5 at Rabbit Hill Road, and now only has mobile phone base stations about halfway up on it.) This change also required a frequency shift of one channel to 105.7. Subsequently this also allowed a later move by WMAX-FM (now Regional Mexican WBZY-FM "El Patrón") on 105.3 from Carrollton east towards Atlanta, also having changed channels from 105.5. WCHK remained under local management for a little over a year afterward, briefly as "North Metro's K-105" then as "Country 105.7", and finally as "Atlanta's Classic Country 105.7", before owner Chuck McClure leased the station to Clear Channel Communications (which also owns 105.3).

As WGST-FM

Under Clear Channel management, the station became WGST-FM and simulcast news/talk WGST AM 640. In the mid-1990s, it again relocated its transmitter site southward, this time to the Sweat Mountain antenna farm in northeastern Cobb County (where several other stations are). In 2004, Clear Channel purchased the station and license outright from McClure, and still holds Canton as its city of license. A new WCHK-FM, located at 100.1 and also owned by McClure, was sold and changed to WNSY FM (oldies "Sunny 100") in 1999, later becoming the market's third hispanic FM station, but covering more toward northwest Georgia.

As WMXV/WLCL

In the fall of 2000, the station became rock "Mix 105.7" (WMXV), but didn't stay that way for long due to lagging Arbitron ratings. It finally became WLCL "Cool 105.7" in the spring of 2003, playing '60s/'70s oldies music after Cox Radio dropped its '50s/'60s "Fox 97" format from WFOX, which is now WSRV. At the time, WLCL was the only oldies station in Atlanta; however, the format still wasn't as profitable to companies as it once was.

As "Viva 105.7"

In September 2004, the station format and moniker were created as "Viva 105.3", as part of efforts by owner Clear Channel Communications to expand into Hispanic markets. On May 2, 2005, it switched to Spanish top 40, and moved over to 105.7. One week later, the station officially became WWVA-FM itself, swapping the WLCL callsign over to 105.3, where "The Buzz" format from 96.7 was put. Strangely, that left the hard modern rock of "The Buzz" with the oldies call sign WLCL instead of with its own WBZY-FM, which was unused for about two weeks. ("The Buzz" later merged into "96 Rock", becoming "Project 9-6-1" but remaining as WKLS.)

"Viva 105.7" began simulcasting on 96.7 (formerly "The Buzz", then "Viva 96.7") on May 17, 2005, and that station's callsign was changed to WVWA (an anagram of WWVA, with the two middle letters transposed). Because 105.7 is north of Atlanta, 96.7 gave some coverage to the south. Its far-northeastern simulcast on WHEL FM 105.1 in Helen, Georgia was sold in 2005, and has since changed formats to hot AC. On December 20, 2006, WVWA flipped formats to 94.9's former adult contemporary radio format as "96.7 Lite FM" and took its WLTM callsign as well. (This station would flip about a year later to country music WWLG FM 96.7 "The Legend", and has ironically since returned to simulcast this station.) During the last quarter of 2004, it was the second-highest-rated radio station in Atlanta.

As "The Groove" and "Wild 105.7 & 96.7"

On October 19, 2009, at 6 AM, the station dropped the Spanish format and again began simulcasting WGST AM 640, leading to speculation that it would return to its former news/talk format. At the same time, its website displayed a large question mark. However, the station would shift to a stunt featuring the possible return of AC station "The Peach", which was formerly heard on 94.9 FM, and some Christmas music. At 4 PM the same day, the format wheel would officially land on rhythmic AC as Groove 105.7. The "Viva" format now airs on the HD2 channel of sister station 105.3 "El Patron". The new station features a mix of current and gold-based rhythmic hits targeting ages 25 to 54. Its primary competitors are a variety of Atlanta stations because of its unique approach: AC WSB-FM, rhythmic WSBB-FM, top-40 WWWQ and WSTR, urbans WVEE and WHTA, and urban ACs WALR and WUMJ. For its kick-off, WWVA's first songs were "Into The Groove" by Madonna, "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches & Herb, "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite and "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire. Clear Channel, in turn, merged WWVA's format into WBZY's, giving Atlanta a hybrid regional Mexican and Spanish AC outlet at the latter.

On January 11, 2010, the nationally syndicated morning drive-time Elvis Duran and the Morning Show premiered on the station. Duran previously did evenings in Atlanta with sidekick "Hot Henrietta" at Z-93 during the late 1980s.

The station briefly aired "Streetz 102.9" on its HD Radio channel 2, in order to satisfy a technicality so that it could be broadcast on W275BK FM 102.9. A lawsuit regarding the owners of that broadcast translator quickly ensued, and W275BK is now assigned to WAMJ. Since the end of March 2010, the station is now also simulcast on WANN-LD, a low-power digital TV station on physical (RF) TV channel 29 in Atlanta. The main channel is heard on virtual channel 32.106, with Pride Radio (WWVA's HD2 digital subchannel) on 32.105. Clear Channel's other Atlanta stations are also heard via DTV radio on WANN.

In May 2010, WWVA's music and playlist direction shifted to Rhythmic Top 40 by adding more current rhythmic pop/R&B/dance tracks. They also added a few mainstream pop songs but has since dropped it from the playlist. It also has phased out the heavy amount of Rhythmic gold product. This move is expected to benefit WWVA (as evidenced on their Facebook page at their website) as it stands to pick up listeners and carry the Rhythmic Top 40 mantle from WBTS, who exited the Rhythmic format after 11 years to become a simulcast of WSB-AM on August 16, 2010.^[1] Despite the sudden shift to Rhythmic Top 40 and primary signal coverage into Atlanta, there is some criticism over whether WWVA can actually replace WBTS, or fill the void for that matter, in terms of music, personalities, area promotion, and signal presence.^[2]

In efforts to fill in a signal shortcoming in southern portions of the market, the station re-added WWLG/96.7 as a simulcast on September 6, 2010. It also changed its positioner to "Atlanta's Party Station", which was last used at WWLG's predecessor WLDA when it was "Wild 96.7". Another move came from the hiring of former WBTS and WHTA DJ-mixer Mami Chula to The Groove's lineup.^[3] On November 14, 2010, the station changed its name to "WiLD 105.7 & 96.7", retaining the "Atlanta's Party Station" slogan. Since the transition, WWVA has seen a increase in terms of listeners and ratings, mostly among the 18-34 audience and has managed to carve its own niche by playing Dance-Pop and Rhythmic tracks that their competitors usually avoid.^[4]

WWVA-HD

WWVA's HD subchannels offers two different Dance formats:

• HD2: Pride Radio, which plays Dance music targeted towards the GLBT community
• HD3: Club Phusion, which focuses on Pure Dance 24/7.

References

External links

• WiLD 105.7 & 96.7 website
• Pride Radio on WWVA HD-2
• Club Phusion on WWVA HD-3
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WWVA
• Radio-Locator information on WWVA
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WWVA