WXMM
Encyclopedia
WVHT is a Contemporary Hit Radio
formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Norfolk, Virginia
, serving Hampton Roads
. WVHT is owned and operated by Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC.
WCMS originally aired on the AM band, and shortly after found 1050AM as its new frequency. WCMS would keep this frequency for decades, until mid-2000 when it was finally acquired by an all-Spanish media company.
In 1956, WCMS hired an unknown young man named Joe Hoppel for its DJ lineup. Shortly after, Hoppel began the morning shift, where he would remain exclusively for 49 more years. Hoppel remained on WCMS after the Crumps sold WCMS to Barnstable Broadcasting.
In 1962, the Crumps purchased the FM frequency 100.5, and WCMS began broadcasting simulcast on the AM and FM stations. The calls originally stood for "Where Country Music Swings" and the original slogan was "Western Country Music Station".
During the ownership by the Crumps, the station received countless awards from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music for its dedication to music and contribution to the industry. George A. Crump died in 2005, but up until the 1990s he was occasionally heard on WCMS giving editorials. His famous line at the end of every commentary was, "And that, in our opinion, is that." His widow Marjorie died on January 1, 2010.
In 2000, Marjorie Crump sold WCMS for $16 million, which included the corporate office building at 900 Commonwealth Place in Virginia Beach, as well as the AM and FM stations. Barnstable began laying off and firing longtime employees, such as Eric Stevens, who had also worked for the station for nearly 20 years. As longtime staffers were being let go, the station began using other DJs from new sister station Eagle 97 WGH-FM. Critics pointed out that Barnstable was stripping WCMS in favor of Eagle, since the two stations were competitors in the years leading up to Barnstable's acquisition of WCMS. Barnstable moved WCMS studios to its new location on Greenwich Road in Virginia Beach to consolidate operations with its five other stations.
The format shifted to Classic Country
at 3:00 PM on April 10, 2003. After more than 40 years of country music, the format was dropped on November 28, 2003 around 11:30 PM for Mainstream Rock. The first song was AC/DC
's "You Shook Me All Night Long." The call sign changed to WXMM on December 18, 2003.
The country music switched back to its original frequency, 1050AM. Joe Hoppel continued his duties with morning DJ alongside Jim Long (news) and Jennifer Roberts. After several months, the sale of 1050AM was announced, effectively ending WCMS just shy of its 50th anniversary. Joe Hoppel was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Barnstable Broadcasting sold all its stations several years later to Max Media, which now owns the 100.5 FM frequency. Max Media transferred the call letters WCMS to its 94.5 FM station in North Carolina rather than let the letters become available to another station. The current WCMS
has almost no connection to the original, and most people in Hampton Roads are unable to receive the 94.5 FM signal due to deliberate transmitter direction and attenuation.
In June 2008, 100.5 MAX-FM's Playlist site launched. Allowing its listeners to program the station, people could log on and create their favorite playlist of music and submit it. When the playlists were played on the radio, WXMM listeners were given attribution via their own recorded intros throughout the hour. The line up was Stephen Hill in the mornings, Cindy Crawford in the afternoons, Bug on the drive home, Shane at night, and Ty on the weekends.
The rock format ended on April 23, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. The station began stunting
as "Kung Pao 100.5 FM", playing "Classic Chinese Hits" (traditional Chinese instrumentals)., a stunt that had been previously done by KDOG
in Mankato, MN a few years prior . It was speculated, based on RBDS
information and website registration, that WXMM would eventually flip to classic rock
as "Beer 100.5". At 7:00 AM EDT on April 27, 2009, WXMM started playing promos with the branding "Hot 100.5" and a Contemporary Hit Radio format with the first song, according to Yes.com, was The Black Eyed Peas
' "Boom Boom Pow". The station changed its call sign from WXMM to WVHT on May 4, 2009.
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
formatted broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
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...
licensed to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, serving Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
. WVHT is owned and operated by Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC.
History
100.5 traces its roots back to 1954 when it was purchased by George A. and Marjorie Crump of Suffolk, Va. The calls were WCMS. The Crumps took the unprecedented step of playing only country music on their station when every other radio station played a consortium of various genres (country, western, swing, etc.) Critics at the time assured the Crumps that their bold decision would fail quickly.WCMS originally aired on the AM band, and shortly after found 1050AM as its new frequency. WCMS would keep this frequency for decades, until mid-2000 when it was finally acquired by an all-Spanish media company.
In 1956, WCMS hired an unknown young man named Joe Hoppel for its DJ lineup. Shortly after, Hoppel began the morning shift, where he would remain exclusively for 49 more years. Hoppel remained on WCMS after the Crumps sold WCMS to Barnstable Broadcasting.
In 1962, the Crumps purchased the FM frequency 100.5, and WCMS began broadcasting simulcast on the AM and FM stations. The calls originally stood for "Where Country Music Swings" and the original slogan was "Western Country Music Station".
During the ownership by the Crumps, the station received countless awards from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music for its dedication to music and contribution to the industry. George A. Crump died in 2005, but up until the 1990s he was occasionally heard on WCMS giving editorials. His famous line at the end of every commentary was, "And that, in our opinion, is that." His widow Marjorie died on January 1, 2010.
In 2000, Marjorie Crump sold WCMS for $16 million, which included the corporate office building at 900 Commonwealth Place in Virginia Beach, as well as the AM and FM stations. Barnstable began laying off and firing longtime employees, such as Eric Stevens, who had also worked for the station for nearly 20 years. As longtime staffers were being let go, the station began using other DJs from new sister station Eagle 97 WGH-FM. Critics pointed out that Barnstable was stripping WCMS in favor of Eagle, since the two stations were competitors in the years leading up to Barnstable's acquisition of WCMS. Barnstable moved WCMS studios to its new location on Greenwich Road in Virginia Beach to consolidate operations with its five other stations.
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
at 3:00 PM on April 10, 2003. After more than 40 years of country music, the format was dropped on November 28, 2003 around 11:30 PM for Mainstream Rock. The first song was AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's "You Shook Me All Night Long." The call sign changed to WXMM on December 18, 2003.
The country music switched back to its original frequency, 1050AM. Joe Hoppel continued his duties with morning DJ alongside Jim Long (news) and Jennifer Roberts. After several months, the sale of 1050AM was announced, effectively ending WCMS just shy of its 50th anniversary. Joe Hoppel was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Barnstable Broadcasting sold all its stations several years later to Max Media, which now owns the 100.5 FM frequency. Max Media transferred the call letters WCMS to its 94.5 FM station in North Carolina rather than let the letters become available to another station. The current WCMS
WCMS-FM
WCMS-FM is a radio station broadcasting a New Country format. Licensed to Hatteras, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Elizabeth City-Nags Head area. WCMS is an affiliate of MRN, PRN and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and carries the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series...
has almost no connection to the original, and most people in Hampton Roads are unable to receive the 94.5 FM signal due to deliberate transmitter direction and attenuation.
The rock format ended on April 23, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. The station began stunting
Stunting (broadcasting)
In radio broadcasting, stunting occurs when a station abruptly airs programming that is seemingly uncharacteristic compared to what they normally play...
as "Kung Pao 100.5 FM", playing "Classic Chinese Hits" (traditional Chinese instrumentals)., a stunt that had been previously done by KDOG
KDOG
KDOG, better known as "Hot 96.7", is a radio station serving Mankato, Minnesota. The station airs an Top 40 format. They are licensed to North Mankato, Minnesota and serves the Mankato area and the Minnesota River Valley. KDOG is owned by Linder Radio Group.-History:The station went on the air in...
in Mankato, MN a few years prior . It was speculated, based on RBDS
Radio Data System
Radio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...
information and website registration, that WXMM would eventually flip to classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
as "Beer 100.5". At 7:00 AM EDT on April 27, 2009, WXMM started playing promos with the branding "Hot 100.5" and a Contemporary Hit Radio format with the first song, according to Yes.com, was The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' "Boom Boom Pow". The station changed its call sign from WXMM to WVHT on May 4, 2009.