WYNA explained

WYNA
City:Calabash, North Carolina
Area:Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Branding:104.9 BOB-FM
Frequency:104.9 MHz
Airdate:September 1, 1965 (as WTAB-FM)[1]
Format:Adult hits
Erp:25,000 watts
Haat:100 meters
Class:C3
Facility Id:24932
Coordinates:33.8221°N -78.7716°W
Callsign Meaning:Variation of former branding "Winner 104.9"
Former Callsigns:WTAB-FM (1965–1969)[2]
WKSM (1969[3] –1979)
WKSM-FM (1979–1986)[4]
Owner:iHeartMedia, Inc.
Licensee:iHM Licenses, LLC
Sister Stations:WGTR, WLQB, WRXZ, WWXM
Webcast:Listen Live
Website:1049bobfm.iheart.com
Licensing Authority:FCC

WYNA (104.9 FM) is an adult hits formatted radio station licensed to Calabash, North Carolina but serving the Grand Strand area of South Carolina. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station goes by the name 104.9 Bob FM and its current slogan is "We Play Anything". Its studios are located on the U.S. 17 Bypass in Myrtle Beach, and its transmitter is located north of Atlantic Beach, South Carolina.

History

WYNA began as WTAB-FM on September 1, 1965 as the sister station to 1370 WTAB at Tabor City, North Carolina. When licensed to & located in Tabor City, North Carolina, this station played country music for most of the 1980s and 1990s, except for a brief time when the station played adult contemporary music starting in 1986 (this was preceded by stunting with marching band music). The WYNA call letters were chosen because the station was originally imaged as "Winner 104.9". In 1998, Pamplico Broadcasting bought the station, which played country music at that time, and increased its power from 3,000 to 25,000 Watts. After stunting with classical music in October and November 1998, and Christmas music in December, WYNA went off the air in preparation for a move that included changing its community of license to Calabash, North Carolina.

In January 1999, Coastline Communications was buying WYNA from Pamplico Broadcasting. The studios moved to Wesley Street near Waccamaw Pottery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, former home to WBPR. WYNA became "Cool 104.9", a "groovin' oldies" station. Artists included Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind & Fire, The O'Jays, Donna Summer, Kool & the Gang, Barry White, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, James Brown, The Three Degrees, The Trammps, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder.[5] "Billy Smith's Beach Party", hosted by WYNA's morning DJ, returned to the Grand Strand on Easter weekend after being gone for a decade.[6] Later, rock was added to the music mix. Eventually, WGTN-FM in Georgetown, South Carolina, began airing the same programming as "Cool 100.7".

For several years before WYNA changed to the current format in 2006, the two stations were hot adult contemporary, and WGTN-FM continued with that format.

In February 2008, Qantum Communications announced the purchase of 104.9 BOB-FM for $5 Million.[7] The purchase allowed Qantum to change its station WRXZ from a similar format.

Later in 2008, WGTN-FM ended its simulcast.[8] On May 15, 2014, Qantum Communications announced that it would sell its 29 stations, including WYNA, to Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), in a transaction connected to Clear Channel's sale of WALK AM-FM in Patchogue, New York to Connoisseur Media via Qantum.[9] The transaction was consummated on September 9, 2014.

On November 2, 2018, 104.9 Bob FM made a seasonal format change to the all-Christmas format. This happened again in 2019.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1967/B%202%20Radio%201967%20YB.pdf 1967 Broadcasting Yearbook, page B-119
  2. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1969/B%202%20Radio%201969%20BC%20YB.pdf 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook, page B-125
  3. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1970/B%20N-Ter%20BC%20YB%201970%20All-3.pdf 1970 Broadcasting Yearbook, page B-150
  4. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=24932&Callsign=WYNA WYNA's callsign history at the FCC database.
  5. Toby Eddings, "Billy Smith's coming back to your radio," The Sun News, Jan. 10, 1999.
  6. Toby Eddings, "WYAK changes its lineup and image," The Sun News, Apr. 25, 1999.
  7. "Coastal Grand Mall Seeks Expansion," The Sun News, Feb. 7, 2008.
  8. Steve Palisin, "Radio Format and Station Changes in Progress," The Sun News, September 7, 2008.
  9. News: Venta. Lance. Qantum Sells To Clear Channel; Connoisseur Expands In Long Island. May 15, 2014. RadioInsight. May 15, 2014.