WVEZ
 | |
 Office in Louisville | |
| Broadcast area | Louisville metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 106.9MHz(HD Radio) |
| Branding | Mix 106.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Subchannels | HD2:Christian preaching |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WQNU,WRKA,WSFR | |
| History | |
First air date | April 1967(as WKRX) |
Former call signs | WKRX (1966–74) WVEZ (1974–88) WVEZ-FM (1988–99) |
Call signmeaning | formereazy listening format |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 53595 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 24,500watts |
| HAAT | 204meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°22′19.00″N85°49′33.00″W/ 38.3719444°N 85.8258333°W |
| Translator(s) | HD2:92.3W222CD (Elizabethtown) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live Listen live(HD2) |
| Website | mix1069 pureradio |
WVEZ(106.9FM) is acommercialhot adult contemporaryradio stationlicensedto serveSt. Matthews, Kentucky.Owned bySummitMedia,the station covers much of theLouisville metropolitan area.[2]The WVEZ studios are located inDowntown Louisville,while the stationtransmitterresides in nearbyNew Albany.Besides a standardanalog transmission,WVEZ broadcasts over a singleHD Radiochannel,[3]and is available online.
History
[edit]The station signed on the air in April 1967 as WKRX in Louisville, airing theautomated"Young Sound" format, a blend ofsoft adult contemporaryandeasy listeningmusic fromCBS Radio.[4]It switched to a Schulke-producedBeautiful Musicformat in 1970. In 1974, it was acquired by Stoner Broadcasting and itscall signchanged from WKRX to WVEZ.[5]The EZ in the call letters represented the easy listening format.
The station continued to play the Schulke format until 1984, but remained Beautiful Music until 1986. In April 1986, the station switched to a satellite-deliveredSoft Adult Contemporaryformat, before going with livedisc jockeysand local programming in 1989. The station rebranded from "EZ107" to "Lite 106.9" in 1993. In 1999, the station was acquired by theAtlanta-basedCox Radio,Inc.[6]
WVEZ's call letters were changed to WVEZ-FM in 1988. Its AMsister stationat 790 kHz, nowWKRD,changed its call sign to WVEZ. 106.9 remained WVEZ-FM until December 7, 1999.[7]
WVEZ began a tradition in 1999 in which it flipped to exclusively Christmas music during the holiday season. The tradition continues to this day.[8]
On July 20, 2012, Cox Radio, Inc. announced the sale of WVEZ and 22 other stations to SummitMedia LLC for $66.25 million. The sale was consummated on May 3, 2013.[9][10]SummitMedia moved WVEZ'scity of licensefrom Louisville toSt. Matthews, Kentucky,although the studios and transmitter remained in place.
On January 4, 2016, WVEZ rebranded from "Lite 106.9" to "106.9 Play."[11]
On October 5, 2020, WVEZ flipped to Christmas music. While WVEZ has typically been one of the nation's earliest flippers (occasionally flipping in late October), the unusually early change to Christmas music is in part to provide a diversion during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States.WVEZ was the third station to change that year, with two other early changing stations also citing COVID-19 for the exceptionally early holiday music.[12]
At midnight on March 8, 2021, WVEZ shifted toHot ACunder the name “Mix 106.9”. The shift eliminated all music from before 2000 in their playlist.[13]
Previous logo
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WVEZ".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^"WVEZ Facility Record".United StatesFederal Communications Commission,audio division.
- ^"HD Radio Station Guide".HD Radio.iBiquity.
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1970 page B-84
- ^"Welcome to LKYRadio - Classic Louisville, Kentucky Radio - WVEZ Page".lkyradio.Retrieved2020-02-14.
- ^Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2005 page D-230
- ^"WVEZ Call Sign History".United StatesFederal Communications Commission,audio division.
- ^"Louisville radio station playing holiday music now through Christmas night".Wave 3 News.2016-11-09.Retrieved2020-11-25.
- ^"Cox Puts Clusters Up For Sale".RadioInsight.2012-07-20.Retrieved2020-02-14.
- ^"Cox Sells Stations In Six Markets To Two Groups".RadioInsight.2013-05-06.Retrieved2020-02-14.
- ^"Play Time In Louisville".RadioInsight.2016-01-04.Retrieved2020-02-14.
- ^"WVEZ Louisville Makes Early Move to Christmas Music".
- ^"SummitMedia Mixes Up Louisville".RadioInsight.Retrieved2021-03-08.
External links
[edit]- Facility details for Facility ID 743150 (WVEZ)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WVEZinNielsen Audio's FM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 144748 (W222CD)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- W222CDat FCCdata.org