WVBX (99.3 FM "Live 99.3") is a commercial radio station licensed to Spotsylvania, Virginia and serving the Metro Fredericksburg area. WVBX is owned and operated by Alpha Media LLC, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC.[3] It airs a contemporary hit radio format.[4]
 | |
| Broadcast area | Fredericksburg, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.3 MHz |
| Branding | Live 99.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WFLS-FM, WNTX, WWUZ | |
| History | |
First air date | January 26, 1988 (as WYND-FM) |
Former call signs | WYND-FM (1988–1989) WPLC (1989–1994) WYSK (1994–1996) WYSK-FM (1996–2008) WWVB-FM (2008–2009)[1] |
Call sign meaning | W ViBe X (previous branding) |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 22484 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 3,000 watts |
| HAAT | 100 meters (328 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°8′30″N 77°41′34″W / 38.14167°N 77.69278°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | live993.com |
History
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The station first launched on January 26, 1988, with the call sign WYND-FM.[5] It aired a smooth jazz/new age music format and was owned by Richard J. Hayes and Associates. On April 10, 1989, WYND-FM changed to WPLC, simulcasting the Urban Contemporary format of then-WPLZ in Petersburg, also on 99.3. It became WYSK on September 30, 1994.
In 1994, the station was purchased by The Free Lance–Star, a daily newspaper in Fredericksburg. On July 16, 1996, WYSK modified its call letters to WYSK-FM, switching to an Adult Contemporary format. On March 4, 2002, WYSK-FM flipped to Alternative Rock, branded as "99.3 WYSK – The Rock Alternative."
At noon on January 7, 2008, WYSK-FM dropped its Alternative format and switched to Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio with the station's first song being Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack". The call letters were changed from WYSK to WWVB-FM on January 11, 2008 to go along with the new moniker "The Vibe."
On August 13, 2009, the call sign was changed from WWVB-FM to WVBX.[6]
On January 23, 2015, Alpha Media "entered into a definitive agreement" to purchase WVBX and sister stations WFLS-FM, WNTX, and WWUZ from Free Lance-Star License, LLC.[7] The purchase was consummated on May 1, 2015, at a price of $8.1 million.
On June 1, 2018, WVBX rebranded as "Live 99.3."[8] The station is now airing a more traditional contemporary hit radio playlist, moving away from the rhythmic format.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WVBX". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WVBX Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ Inside Radio "Format Flips" June 12, 2018
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1989 page B-314
- ^ "WVBX 99.3 257A". VARTV.com. June 5, 2010.
- ^ "Alpha Media To Purchase Free Lance-Star Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^ WVBX Relaunches as Live 99.3 Radioinsight - June 1, 2018
- ^ "Alpha Media, Fredericksburg Launches LIVE 99.3". Retrieved 2023-09-11.
External links
edit- Live 99.3 Online
- Facility details for Facility ID 22484 (WVBX) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WVBX in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
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