WAFX

WAFX (106.9 MHz "106.9 The Fox") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Suffolk, Virginia. It serves the Hampton Roads (Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News) radio market.[1] WAFX is owned and operated by Saga Communications.[4] It airs a classic rock radio format.

WAFX
CitySuffolk, Virginia
Broadcast areaHampton Roads
Northeastern North Carolina
Frequency106.9 FM MHz
(HD Radio)
Branding106.9 The Fox
SloganHampton Roads' Classic Rock
Programming
FormatClassic rock[1]
Ownership
OwnerSaga Communications
(Tidewater Communications, LLC.)
Sister stationsWJOI, WNOR
History
First air dateDecember 12, 1983 (as WTID)[2]
Former call signsWTID (1981-1987)
WSKX (1987-1989)[3]
Call sign meaningW A FoX (The Fox)
Technical information
Facility ID67082
ClassC
Power100,000 watts
HAAT300 meters (980 ft)
Transmitter coordinates36°48′9.0″N 76°45′19.0″W
Links
WebcastWAFX Webstream
Website1069thefox.com

WAFX broadcasts in the HD Radio (hybrid) format.[5] Studios and offices are on Greenbrier Circle in Chesapeake.[6] Most FM stations in the market are powered at 50,000 watts or less but WAFX runs at 100,000 watts. It is a Class C FM station, with its transmitter off U.S. Route 258 in Windsor, Virginia.[7] That's just far enough west to be in the Class C zone. Eastern Virginia is in the Class B zone, which limits the effective radiated power of FM stations closer to the coast. WAFX's signal covers most of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, audible from the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, to Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

History

In 1981, a company calling itself "The Voice of The People" got a construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission to start a radio station at 106.9 MHz. Voice of The People chose WTID for the call sign, which stood for the Tidewater region of Virginia. In November 1982, the station signed on the air.[8] WTID aired a Christian radio format.

In 1987, the station was acquired by Downs Radio, Inc. Its call letters were switched to WSKX and it aired a country music format. The KX in the call sign stood for "Kicks." But the station struggled against the market's long-time country leader, 100.5 WCMS-FM (now Top 40 WVHT). WSKX left the country format in 1989, becoming classic rock WAFX "The Fox."

Radio Ventures, Inc., acquired the station for $10 million in 1990.[9] Apparently the company overpaid, because four years later, in 1994, Saga Communications, the current owner, bought WAFX for $4 million.[10] Saga, which already owned album rock 98.7 WNOR-FM, continued WAFX's classic rock format, while moving WNOR-FM to a more current-based, harder-edged active rock sound.

References
  1. "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  2. Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-572. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  3. "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  4. "WAFX Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  5. https://hdradio.com/stations/ Radio Guide for Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News
  6. FM99.com/contact-us
  7. Radio-Locator.com/WAFX-FM
  8. Broadcasting Yearbook 1984 page B-271
  9. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1991 page B-349
  10. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2001 page D-477
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