WRDG

For the Burlington, North Carolina television station that held the call sign WRDG on channel 16 from 1982 to 1990, see WGPX-TV.
WRDG
City Peachtree City, Georgia
Broadcast area South Atlanta
Branding 92.3 & 96.7 The Beat
Slogan The A's New Hip Hop and R&B
Frequency 96.7 MHz (also on HD Radio)
Translator(s) 92.3 W222AF (Marietta)
Repeater(s) WANN-CD 29 (DTV 32.24)
First air date 1985 (as WBUS)
Format Mainstream Urban
ERP 2,150 watts
HAAT 168 m (551 ft)
Class A
Facility ID 61142
Callsign meaning Similar to that of previous simulcaster WRDA
Former callsigns WBUS (4/85)
WWER (3/87)
WMKJ (11/87)
WLDA (10/00)
WXVV (10/01)
WBZY (4/02)
WVWA-FM (5/05)
WLTM (1/07)
WWLG (1/08-4/13)
Owner iHeartMedia
(Citicasters Licenses, Inc.)
Sister stations WBZY, WGST, WWPW, WUBL, WRDA
Webcast Listen Live
Website thebeatatl.iheart.com

WRDG 96.7 FM, "92.3 & 96.7 The Beat", is an Atlanta radio station broadcasting an mainstream urban radio format. It is owned by iHeartMedia and is licensed to serve Peachtree City, Georgia. It operates from studios located at the Peachtree Palisades building in the Brookwood Hills district of Atlanta, and the transmitter is located in Tyrone.

History

1985-2005

96.7 began in April 1985 as WBUS, then became WWER in March 1987. Just a few months later, it became adult contemporary-formatted WMKJ in November 1987, staying there for well over a decade. In October 2000, it became Rhythmic Top 40 WLDA, branded as "Wild 96.7".[1] This lasted for only a year, becoming a simulcast of Rock AC-formatted "WMXV (Mix 105.7)" as WXVV on October 8, 2001.[2]

The station was WBZY-FM, "96.7 the Buzz" from April 5, 2002, to May 5, 2005.[3] On that date, the Buzz was moved to 105.3 (and then to WKLS FM 96.1 as "Project 9-6-1").[4] It was then WVWA-FM ("Viva 96.7"), returning to a simulcast in south metro Atlanta of north metro's WWVA-FM "Viva 105.7" (formerly "Viva 105.3"). (Although this was the first time this broadcast callsign had actually been legally assigned , it had been previously used in a famous parody of radio, see links.)

2006-2007

On December 20, 2006, WVWA broke from the simulcast again and became adult contemporary as 96.7 Lite FM. The format and moniker and WLTM call letters were previously held locally on 94.9, which flipped to country music as "94.9 the Bull" and adopted new callsign WUBL two days earlier.[5]

When WLTM aired as "94.9 Lite FM", it was the Atlanta affiliate for the nationally syndicated Delilah nighttime show; this is no longer the case as her show has been picked up by rival station WSB-FM ("B98.5").

In March 2007, WLTM became the new home of Paul Harvey in Atlanta after a two-year stint on WYAY-FM "Eagle 106.7". Prior to that, Harvey was heard on sister station WGST AM 640.

In November 2007, the station again began playing Christmas music, though with a decidedly more modern and diverse musical style than in its previous years on 94.9, and than competitor WSB-FM. When the format was suddenly moved and changed in December 2006, it ceased playing Christmas music, even though it was before Christmas Day.

On December 26, 2007, WLTM became WWLG and took the moniker "96.7 the Legend", and began airing a classic country format.[6]

2008-present

On September 6, 2010, WWLG started simulcasting rhythmic CHR sister station WWVA-FM 105.7, in effort to increase its overall market coverage, mostly in the southern parts of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The last songs on "The Legend" were "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard and Linda Ronstadt's "When Will I Be Loved", which was then cut in the middle with the song "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas, launching the simulcast.[7] This marked the station's return to a rhythmic format since WLDA's exit in October 2001, and marks the third time the two stations simulcasted each other. On November 14, 2010, the station changed its name to "WiLD 105.7 & 96.7", retaining the "Atlanta's Party Station" slogan.[8]

On March 28, 2013, at 11:00 AM, due to low ratings most likely caused by Power 96-1's launch in August 2012, WWVA/WWLG began stunting with a loop of "What's the Frequency, Kenneth" and "Radio Song" by R.E.M.. Just after Noon, the stations became "Radio 105.7", with an alternative rock format similar to 92.9 Dave FM and 99X, which both flipped in late 2012.[9][10] On April 22, 2013, WWLG's call letters were changed to WRDG, while WWVA's call letters were changed to WRDA.

On November 11, 2016, at 9:23 a.m., WRDG dropped the simulcast of WRDA (who continues with the alternative format) and flipped to mainstream urban as "92.3 & 96.7 The Beat", and began simulcasting on translator W222AF FM 92.3 (which also simulcasts on WWPW-HD3). "The Beat" launched with 10,000 songs in a row, and will carry The Breakfast Club (which had previously been heard on W233BF) in morning drive starting December 5th, as well as Big Boy's Neighborhood from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.. The flip makes the pair the fourth current-based hip hop station in the market, the other three being WVEE, WHTA and the aforementioned W233BF.[11]

Previous logos

References

  1. ↑ WMKJ Becomes Wild 96.7
  2. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-10-12.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2002/RR-2002-04-12.pdf
  4. ↑ 96.7 The Buzz Moves to 105.3
  5. ↑ Lite FM Atlanta Rekindled at 96.7
  6. ↑ 2007 Holiday Format Change Rundown
  7. ↑ Atlanta Doubles Its Groove
  8. ↑ Groove Atlanta Evolving Wildly
  9. ↑ Alternative Returns to Atlanta
  10. ↑ Radio 105.7 Launches
  11. ↑ iHeart Debuts The Beat 92.3/96.7 Atlanta

External links

Coordinates: 33°29′24″N 84°34′08″W / 33.490°N 84.569°W / 33.490; -84.569

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