WOEZ (FM)

WOEZ
Broadcast areaHilton Head, South Carolina
Frequency93.7 MHz
BrandingEasy FM 93.7
Programming
FormatSoft adult contemporary
Ownership
Owner
  • Saga Communications
  • (Saga South Communications, LLC)
WLHH, WVSC
History
First air date
April 19, 1991 (as WONO)
Former call signs
WONO (1991–1996)
WALI (1996–2017)
Call sign meaning
EZ - Easy
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID25206
ClassC3
ERP11,000 watts
HAAT150 meters (490 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
32°25′11″N 80°28′30″W / 32.41972°N 80.47500°W / 32.41972; -80.47500
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websiteeasyfmlive.com

WOEZ (93.7 MHz) is an FM radio station broadcasting a soft adult contemporary format and licensed to Burton, South Carolina, United States. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications, through licensee Saga South Communications, LLC.

History

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The station went on the air as WONO on April 19, 1991. On May 15, 1996, the station changed its call sign to WALI.[2]

WALI was owned by Hess Communications LLC.[3]

Wally 93.7 played country music and had an alligator mascot. The station signed off in 2012. Palmetto Rural Telephone, through Premier Enterprises, LLC, bought the station on January 17, 2014 for $375,000 and changed it to hot adult contemporary "I93.7". Miles Crosby, called "Uncle Miles" on Charleston's WAVF played a major role in planning the new format and hosted the morning show, which included news and music as well as "Swap Shop". The music included Train, Adele, Edwin McCain and Darius Rucker. Other programming included high school football, Atlanta Braves baseball, Clemson football and NASCAR.[4]

Effective May 1, 2017,[citation needed] Premier Enterprises sold WALI for $325,000 to Apex Media Corporation, which had plans to move WALI to Hilton Head.[5] On May 24, 2017, WALI went silent.

Effective September 6, 2017, Saga Communications purchased WALI, seven of its sister stations, and four translators from Apex Media for $23 million.[6] Coincident with the purchase, WALI changed their call letters to WOEZ and on September 6, 2017, WOEZ returned to the air with a soft adult contemporary format, branded as "Easy FM 93.7",[citation needed] previously heard on the HD2 channel of WVSC and its translators.[7] On December 13, 2017, WOEZ moved from Walterboro to Burton, South Carolina.[8]

On May 5, 2022, Saga Communications (parent of WOEZ) Chairman/CEO/President Ed Christian revealed a new programming initiative which launched on this station in May 2022. Its purposes are to bring back overnight listening and help its listeners who have trouble sleeping. Much of the overnight hours (11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Eastern) will consist of nature sounds (e.g. gentle rain and thunder) with short sponsorships twice an hour. WOEZ is the prototype station for the nature sounds specialty programming now known as "EZ Sleep".[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WOEZ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WALI Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. ^ "WALI Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ "WALLY FM now Walterboro's 'I93.7'". The Colletonian. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  5. ^ "FCC Report 10/23: WALI heads to Hilton Head". radioinsight. October 23, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  6. ^ "Saga Closes The Door On TV, Welcomes Apex Stations". rbr.com. September 6, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Venta, Lance (May 10, 2017). "Saga Sells TV Stations; Acquires Apex Media Charleston & Hilton Head". radioinsight. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  8. ^ PrecisionTrak.com
  9. ^ WOEZ To Switch To Nature Sounds Overnights - Radio Insight
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