WIOZ-FM

WIOZ-FM
City of license Southern Pines, North Carolina
Branding Soft Rock Star 102.5
Frequency 102.5 MHz
Format Adult Contemporary
ERP 3,400 watts
HAAT 133 meters
Class A
Facility ID 25204
Transmitter coordinates 35°9′4.00″N 79°28′40.00″W / 35.1511111°N 79.4777778°W
Former callsigns WIOZ (1973-1987) WMGU (1987-1994) WAHP (1994-1995) WIOZ (1995-present)
Former frequencies 107.1 MHz (1973-1987)
106.9 MHz (1987-1995)
Affiliations Premiere Radio Networks
Owner Meridian Communications. L.L.C.
Website star1025fm.com

WIOZ-FM (102.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format.[1] Licensed to Southern Pines, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Meridian Communications. L.L.C. and features programing from Premiere Radio Networks.[2]

History

WIOZ-FM started out at 107.1 MHz in 1973 with a 3,000-watt signal. It was originally owned by Walker Morris and was at that time the first FM Station in Moore County. One of the first morning men was Ned Champion, who had worked at WPTF in Raleigh and was the voice of NC Department of Agriculture Farm News, distributed to various stations in NC. Music format was top 40 in morining drive time and easy listening the rest of the broadcast day. Somewhere around 1987 the station changed frequency to 106.9 MHZ along with call letters to WMGU and format became more easy listening. Some of the professional radio broadcasters were Rich Rushforth and Robin Duff. In 1994 it briefly became WAHP. In 1995 it became WIOZ once again.[3] The station played easy listening music on 106.9 prior to 1995. The move to 102.5 meant a decrease in power from 50,000 to 6,000 watts.[4] The switch to the current name and format came in 1999.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "WIOZ-FM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  3. ↑ Dr. Anthony Ross Harrington, graduate of CCTI Radio TV Program in 1977 and recently retired History Instructor at CCCC in Sanford.
  4. ↑ Michael Futch, "New Radio Station WKQB Singles Out the '70s," The Fayetteville Observer, November 3, 1995.
  5. ↑ Michael Futch, "WIOZ-FM Changes Format to Soft Rock," The Fayetteville Observer, April 4, 1999.

External links