WTMG
Encyclopedia
WTMG is a commercial radio station
in Williston, Florida
, broadcasting to the Gainesville
-Ocala, Florida
area on 101.3 FM
.
WTMG has been in its current format since 1994, playing Hip Hop
, R&B, Old School and Classic Soul
and Gospel. At first, it was Gainesville's only Urban radio station, targeting the Mainstream Urban
and Urban Adult Contemporary
audiences alike, but has shifted over to a Rhythmic contemporary
direction. It is home to the Rickey Smiley
morning show.
station. WJRQ became WLLO ("Willow 92") in 1986, programming beautiful music
, and changed its calls to WFEZ the following year following a sale. The format changed back to country music in 1988 due to advertiser difficulty in selling the easy listening format; however, the country format fared no better in ratings or revenue, and later that same year WFEZ transformed into a Rhythmic Contemporary
or "Churban" station, playing urban, dance and pop music, under the guidance of Ocala-Gainesville radio veteran Tony Downes, and took the name "Hot 92.1." Hot 92.1 was a ratings success and paved the way for the current urban format which took to the air in the early 1990s; the station adopted the WTMG calls in 1996 and moved to 101.3 FM. By 2009 WTMG began to evolve to a Rhythmic direction with a heavy emphasis on hit-driven Hip-Hop/R&B product. Because of this shift, Nielsen BDS
placed the station on the Rhythmic Airplay panel
.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Williston, Florida
Williston, Florida
Williston is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,297 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 2,467.-Geography:Williston is located at ....
, broadcasting to the Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
-Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
area on 101.3 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
.
WTMG has been in its current format since 1994, playing Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, R&B, Old School and Classic Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and Gospel. At first, it was Gainesville's only Urban radio station, targeting the Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
and Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
audiences alike, but has shifted over to a Rhythmic contemporary
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
direction. It is home to the Rickey Smiley
Rickey Smiley
Rickey Smiley is a standup comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality best known for his prank phone calls. The calls feature Smiley disguising his voice and carrying on a conversation with the recipient of the call....
morning show.
History
The station began broadcasting in 1983 at 92.1 on the FM dial as WJRQ, a satellite-fed countryCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
station. WJRQ became WLLO ("Willow 92") in 1986, programming beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
, and changed its calls to WFEZ the following year following a sale. The format changed back to country music in 1988 due to advertiser difficulty in selling the easy listening format; however, the country format fared no better in ratings or revenue, and later that same year WFEZ transformed into a Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
or "Churban" station, playing urban, dance and pop music, under the guidance of Ocala-Gainesville radio veteran Tony Downes, and took the name "Hot 92.1." Hot 92.1 was a ratings success and paved the way for the current urban format which took to the air in the early 1990s; the station adopted the WTMG calls in 1996 and moved to 101.3 FM. By 2009 WTMG began to evolve to a Rhythmic direction with a heavy emphasis on hit-driven Hip-Hop/R&B product. Because of this shift, Nielsen BDS
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections...
placed the station on the Rhythmic Airplay panel
Rhythmic Airplay Chart
The Rhythmic Airplay Chart is an airplay chart that is featured weekly in Billboard Magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on Rhythmic stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic pop, and some Dance tracks...
.