WUKS

WUKS (107.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an urban adult hits format.[1] Licensed to St. Pauls, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Fayetteville area. The station is currently owned by Beasley Media Group, through licensee Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC, and features programming from ABC Radio.[2][3] Its studios are located east of downtown Fayetteville, and its transmitter is located west of Lumber Bridge, North Carolina.

WUKS
CitySt. Pauls, North Carolina
Broadcast areaFayetteville, North Carolina
Frequency107.7 MHz
BrandingOld School 107.7 Jamz
SloganEverything that Jamz
Programming
FormatUrban adult hits
AffiliationsRuss Parr Morning Show, Tunein Radio
Ownership
OwnerBeasley Broadcast Group, Inc.
(Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC)
WAZZ, WFLB, WKML, WYDU, WZFX
History
First air date
1997
Former call signs
WLRD (1994-1997)
Call sign meaning
W U KiSs (previous branding)
Technical information
Facility ID39239
ClassC3
ERP5,200 watts
HAAT200 meters (660 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
34°52′17″N 79°08′49″W
Links
WebcastListen live
Website1077jamz.com

History

On October 14, 1994, Lumbee Regional Development Association, owner of gospel station WYRU in Red Springs, added a 6,500-watt FM station called WLRD. With 100,000-watt WZFX the only urban contemporary station in the Fayetteville market since 1990, "The Flava" would play the hottest new artists mixed with old school.[4]

By the spring of 1997, WLRD ranked third, behind WZFX and WKML, in the Arbitron ratings. Later that year, Beasley Media Group purchased WYRU and WLRD from Lumbee Regional Development Association for about $1.2 million. The company had also purchased WZFX, and briefly aired that station's programming on WLRD.[5]

"Kiss" logo

On August 11, 1997 WLRD became Kiss 107.7, playing a more adult version of urban contemporary known as "The Touch," with artists such as Al Green, Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle, and Earth, Wind and Fire.[6] The station changed its call letters to WUKS, increased its power to 25,000 watts, and added Tom Joyner in the mornings. Later, Kiss added live DJs and, for a while, moved in an adult contemporary direction with George Michael, Dave Koz, The Temptations, Bobby Womack, The Chi-Lites, Babyface, and Kenny G.[7]

In the spring of 2008, midday host Omega Jones, and afternoon host Jae McKrae, and Calvin P in the evening held their positions respectively. In the fall of 2008, WUKS was ranked #2 overall in the market with 8.5 percent of listeners. That was the first time since 1986 a station other than Foxy 99 or WKML hit the number 2 mark. That successful trio lasted about a year, until February 2009. The station slipped to fourth with 7.6 the next year. The March 2009 debut of similarly formatted WMGU likely played a role in the station's continuous decline to eighth, at 4.3, in the spring of 2010; WMGU was fourth.

By early 2010, Taylor Morgan and Calvin P were holding down midday and afternoon drive.

At 10:00 am on September 8, 2010, an announcement was made (from afternoon announcer Calvin P) in a variation of this: "As always we thank you, our loyal listeners, for listening to WUKS-FM, St. Pauls, Fayetteville over the years. But as you know, things must change. Now, we must kiss and say goodbye." The final song on 107.7 Kiss FM was The Manhattans' "Kiss and Say Goodbye". Following this track, another announcement was made stating the switch from Kiss FM to 107.7 Jackson FM. The station began playing music from the Jackson family, with the first song being "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.

The Jackson format was a stunt. On Friday, September 10, WUKS resumed under what reports called an "urban variety" format, using the name "107.7 Jamz... Everything that jamz."[8] Beasley said the new sound "targets men and women, ages 25 to 54, with a blend of rhythm-and-blues, funk and early hip-hop from the 1970s to today's hits."[1] Beasley market manager Mac Edwards said listeners indicated they wanted more energy and more of the songs they danced to when younger.[1]

Today Taylor Morgan sits as the Program Director and midday drive personality. You can also find The Big Teddy Bear live and local during the afternoon drive on Old School 107.7 JAMZ.

References
  1. Futch, Michael (September 15, 2010). "107.7 FM gets new format". The Fayetteville Observer. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  2. "WUKS Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01.
  4. Michael Futch, "'David and Goliath' Do Battle on the Airwaves," The Fayetteville Observer, October 14, 1994.
  5. Michael Futch, "Beasley Group Buys 2 More Stations," The Fayetteville Observer, July 31, 1997.
  6. Michael Futch, "Format Change Gives WLRD, 'Kiss 107.7,' a Woman's Touch," The Fayetteville Observer, August 24, 1997.
  7. Michael Futch, "Kiss Makes Its Niche with Love Songs," The Fayetteville Observer May 21, 2000.
  8. "Urban variety hits "107.7 Jamz" arrives in Fayetteville, NC". Radio-Info.com. September 13, 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-06-16.
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