WRUM explained

WRUM
City:Orlando, Florida
Area:Central Florida
Branding:Rumba 100.3
Airdate: (as WORZ-FM)
Format:Latin pop - Reggaeton - Tropical music
Language:Spanish
Erp:100,000 watts
Haat:484m (1,588feet)
Class:C
Licensing Authority:FCC
Facility Id:59976
Coordinates:28.5811°N -81.0753°W
Callsign Meaning:"Rumba"
Owner:iHeartMedia, Inc.
Licensee:iHM Licenses, LLC
Sister Stations:W283AN, WFLF, WJRR, WMGF, WRSO, WTKS-FM, WXXL, WYGM
Webcast:FM/HD1:
Website:FM/HD1:

WRUM (100.3 FM) is a commercial radio station in Orlando, Florida, known as "Rumba 100.3". It airs a Spanish-language radio format featuring Latin pop and reggaeton. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.[1] [2] The studios and offices are on Maitland Center Parkway in Maitland.[3]

WRUM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for most FM stations.[4] The transmitter is in Bithlo, off Fort Christmas Road (Route 420).[5]

WRUM broadcasts using the HD radio hybrid format.[6] The HD2 subchannel carries a bilingual CHR format, known as "Mega 97.1". The subchannel feeds an FM translator at 97.1 MHz. The HD3 subchannel carries a bilingual classic hits format, known as “Retro 97.9”.

History

The station signed on the air on June 26, 1950. The call sign was WORZ-FM, originally simulcasting WORZ 740 AM (now WYGM).[7] The call sign changed in 1957 to WKIS-AM-FM. The two stations were owned by Central Florida Broadcasting and were network affiliates of NBC. They carried NBC's schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows, and big-band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio".

In 1971, the simulcast ended as WKIS and WKIS-FM were sold to separate companies, with the FM station acquired by the Shamrock Development Company.[8] The new management installed a progressive rock format, switching the call letters to WDIZ. Over time, the station's playlist focused on the top-selling albums and rock artists, as the station shifted to album-oriented rock.

In 1996, the station began stunting with sounds of a department store that included occasional talking, typewriter noises, and telephones ringing.[9] When the stunting had ended, it switched to all oldies as WSHE.[10] San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) acquired the station in 1997. On February 28, 2004, after stunting with the last two minutes of "Hey Jude" by The Beatles on a loop for an entire weekend, the station's call letters were then switched to WEBG.[11]

In 2005, the station flipped to a Spanish-language tropical music format. Over time, Latin pop and Reggaeton were mixed into the playlist.

HD subchannels

WRUM-HD2

On April 19, 2017, WRUM's HD2 subchannel launched a bilingual CHR format, branded as Boom 97 Uno. It was simulcast on FM translators at 97.1 FM: W246BT in Clermont (about 20 miles west of Orlando), and W246CK in Kissimmee (a few miles south of Orlando).[12] However, due to a trademark claim by Radio One (which uses the "Boom" brand for its classic hip hop stations), the HD2 subchannel and FM translators were rebranded as Oi2 97 Uno (pronounced "Oidos") on May 4, 2017. On February 8, 2018, WRUM-HD2 became Mega 97.1.[13]

WRUM-HD3

From September 2018 until July 2024, WRUM’s HD3 subchannel simulcasted WRSO 810 AM, which currently broadcasts a sports radio format, until the simulcast moved to sister station WXXL, where the stations’ respective HD3 subchannels swapped formats, with the bilingual classic hits “Retro” national feed that aired on WXXL’s HD3 subchannel being moved to WRUM’s HD3 subchannel and ended up being simulcast on the FM translator as “Retro 97.9”.

Translators

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WRUM Facility Record . United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division .
  2. Web site: WRUM Station Information Profile. Arbitron.
  3. Web site: Rumba 100.3 Datos de Contacto: Teléfono, Domicilio, Anunciarse y Más.. Rumba 100.3. es.
  4. Web site: FM Query Results -- Audio Division (FCC) USA. 2023-09-17. transition.fcc.gov.
  5. Web site: WRUM-FM 100.3 MHz - Orlando, FL. radio-locator.com.
  6. Web site: HD Radio Station Guide for Orlando . HD Radio . iBiquity .
  7. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1961-62/section%20B%20All%20Radio%20%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201961-1962-9.pdf Information
  8. Web site: Broadcasting Yearbook 1972 page B-45.
  9. Web site: 100.3 WDIZ to WSHE flip. 2023-09-17. MP3.
  10. Web site: Jim Abbott of The Sentinel Staff. WSHE IS A NEWLY COOL SPOT. OrlandoSentinel.com. April 30, 1999 . en-US.
  11. Web site: Jim Abbott of The Sentinel Staff. SHOCK WAVES ROCK ORLANDO'S AIRWAVES. OrlandoSentinel.com. May 15, 1999 . en-US.
  12. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/117541/bilingual-chr-boom-97-uno-debuts-orlando/ Bilingual CHR "Boom 97 Uno" Debuts in Orlando
  13. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122989/oi2-orlando-returns-iheart-mega-97-1/ Oi2 Returns to iHeart as Mega 97.1