WEII
WEII (96.3 FM, "SportsRadio 96.3") is a radio station in Dennis, Massachusetts. The station airs a sports radio format from Boston-based WEEI-FM. It is owned by iHeartMedia.
City | Dennis, Massachusetts |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Hyannis, Massachusetts Cape Cod |
Frequency | 96.3 MHz |
Branding | SportsRadio 96.3 WEEI Cape Cod |
Programming | |
Format | Sports radio |
Affiliations | WEEI Sports Radio Network ESPN Radio NBC Sports Radio |
Ownership | |
Owner | iHeartMedia (iHM Licenses, LLC) |
WCIB, WCOD-FM, WXTK | |
History | |
First air date | June 15, 1981[1] (as WGTF) |
Former call signs | WGTF (1981–1984) WXJY (1984–1988) WNTX (1988–1993) WRZE (1993–2009) |
Former frequencies | 93.5 MHz (1981–1982) |
Call sign meaning | similar to WEEI |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 54037 |
Class | B1 |
ERP | 25,000 watts |
HAAT | 90.5 meters (297 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41.729°N 70.167°W |
Links | |
Website | WEII site within WEEI-FM website |
The station started life in 1981 under the call letters WGTF, operating on 93.5 FM. It moved to 96.3 in 1982[2] (the 93.5 frequency is now occupied by WFRQ) and changed its call letters to WXJY in 1984[3][4] and WNTX in 1988.[4] The station's format as WNTX was "Oldies 96", competing with the larger "Oldies 103" in Boston. The Makkay family, headed by Al Makkay, purchased the frequency in late 1992, and in January 1993, it flipped to a Top 40 (CHR) format, rebranded as WRZE "96.3 The Rose". In 2003, Makkay Broadcasting sold WRZE, along with its sister stations WPXC and WCIB, to Qantum Communications for $32 million. In 2008, the station, which was originally licensed to Nantucket, was re-licensed to Dennis.[5]
On March 25, 2009 (though the changeover was originally announced for April 1[6]), WRZE flipped formats, becoming a simulcast of popular Boston sports radio station WEEI.
On May 15, 2014, Qantum Communications announced that it would sell its 29 stations, including WEII, to Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), in a transaction connected to Clear Channel's sale of WALK AM-FM in Patchogue, New York to Connoisseur Media via Qantum.[7] The transaction was consummated on September 9, 2014.
References
- Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-211. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 14, 1982. p. 70. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 25, 1984. p. 78. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- Hale, Bill (August 2008). "FM News" (PDF). VHF-UHF Digest. p. 12. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- Shemkus, Sarah (February 19, 2009). "Sports radio boosted on Cape". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved February 19, 2009. (dead link)
- Venta, Lance (May 15, 2014). "Qantum Sells To Clear Channel; Connoisseur Expands In Long Island". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- WEII in the FCC's FM station database
- WEII on Radio-Locator
- WEII in Nielsen Audio's FM station database