 | |
| |
Broadcast area | Jacksonville metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 102.9 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Easy 102.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Mainstream Adult Contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | Novemberย 1,ย 1965 |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies | 106.5 MHz |
Call sign meaning | "Easy" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 53602 | |
| Class | C |
| ERP |
|
| HAAT | 309 meters (1,014ย ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 30ยฐ16โฒ34.00โณN 81ยฐ33โฒ53.00โณW๏ปฟ / ๏ปฟ30.2761111ยฐN 81.5647222ยฐW |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live Listen live (viaย Audacy) |
| Website | www |
WEZI (102.9 FM, "Easy 102.9") is a commercial radio station licensed to Jacksonville, Florida, United States, featuring a mainstream adult contemporary format. It is owned by Cox Media Group with studios on Central Parkway in Jacksonville's Southside district.[2]
The transmitter is off Hogan Road in the Arlington neighborhood. WEZI's signal stretches from the Georgia coast to south of St. Augustine to Gainesville to the southwest.
History
editWIVY-FM
editThe station signed on as WIVY-FM on November 1, 1965.[3] At first, it ran at 28,900 watts, less than a third of its current power. It was the sister station to WIVY, which was a daytimer, so the FM station allowed WIVY's programming to be heard around the clock. Both stations were owned by New York announcer Ed Bell Oberle. The following year the stations were sold to Alumni Radio, Inc.
In 1971, the stations were acquired by another New York announcer, Tom Kirby, under the name Jacksonville Broadcasting.[4] He saw FM stations in other cities starting rock formats so he hired a staff of young disc jockeys and switched both stations to album-oriented rock (AOR). (The AM station moved to 1280ย kHz, but remained a daytime-only operation, simulcasting WIVY-FM.)
Kirby sold WIVY-FM in 1976 to Torrid Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Progressive Communications.[5] It flipped to Top 40 hits as "Y-103". In 1985, Gilmore Broadcasting bought the station, boosting the power to 100,000 watts, helping WIVY-FM better cover the expanding Jacksonville radio market.[6] In 1988, J.J. Taylor Communications took over the station, moving the format a bit older to hot adult contemporary music, but still as Y-103.[7]
WMXQ
editIn 1998, Capstar purchased the station.[8] It kept the Hot AC format but changed its call sign to WMXQ, with the station also rebranding as "Mix 103."[9]
Capstar sold WMXQ to Cox Radio in 2000.[10] Cox switched the format to all-1980s music on November 1, 2000, calling the station "102.9 The Point".[11]
WXXJ
editOn February 25, 2009, at 5:55ย am, Cox flipped WMXQ to alternative rock as "X102.9." The last song on "The Point" was "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds (bookending the format, as it was the first song that launched "The Point"). The first song on "X" was "Chop Suey!" by System of a Down. The station was launched to compete with heritage modern rock station WPLA (now mainstream rock).[12] The WXXJ call sign was adopted on April 7, 2009.
As WXXJ rose in the ratings, it began an offensive against its format rival. The station flew a banner over Metropolitan Park during the last Planetfest and interfered with WPLA's annual "Easter Keg Hunt" by bribing people with $300 for the kegs. WPLA management called police to stop the activity. On August 4, 2010, WPLA ended its alternative rock format, switching to classic hits, leaving WXXJ as the only modern rock station in Jacksonville until 2019.
WEZI
editOn November 20, 2017, WXXJ swapped formats and frequencies with sister station WEZI (106.5 FM), adopting that station's soft adult contemporary format and re-branded as "Easy 102.9". At first, "Easy" played all Christmas music, but on December 26, 2017, the Soft AC format resumed on 102.9 FM.[13] The two stations swapped call signs on November 26, 2017.
Over time, WEZI has evolved into a more mainstream adult contemporary format, phasing in more current songs and re-focusing on adult contemporary hits from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and some more recent 2020s. The station has consistently competed with AC station WEJZ, owned by Renda Broadcasting, as they are often very close in the Nielsen Audio Ratings.[14]
Christmas Music
editIn late November 2017, WEZI flipped to all Christmas music for the holidays. This took place during the frequency swap with WXXJ in an apparent attempt to gather attention to the new frequency. Between 2018 and 2023, the station trickled in Christmas songs within the regular format, in the weeks leading up to the holidays, without going fulltime Christmas.
However, in early November 2024, WEZI made a surprise switch to all Christmas music, calling itself "Jacksonville's Home for the Holidays". This competes with 96.1 WEJZ, the long-time Christmas music station in the Jacksonville radio market. In 2025, WEZI opted to mix in Christmas music to their Playlist while doing full time Christmas music on weekends.
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WEZI". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Easy1029.com/contact-us
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1967 page B-34[dead link]
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1973 page B-41[dead link]
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 page C-45[dead link]
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1987 page B-60[dead link]
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1989 page B-62[dead link]
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 page D-91
- ^ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2002-2003 D-92
- ^ WMXQ Becomes All 80's 102.9 The Point
- ^ 102.9 The Point Becomes X102.9
- ^ X102.9 & Easy 106.5 Swap Frequencies In Jacksonville
- ^ "November 2023 (10/12 โ 11/9) Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings Day 4". Radio Insight. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 53602 (WEZI) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WEZI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
