WROX-FM (96.1

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is an

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

formatted

broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to Exmore, Virginia, serving

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

and the

Eastern Shore of Virginia The Eastern Shore of Virginia is the easternmost region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It consists of two counties (Accomack County, Virginia, Accomack and Northampton County, Virginia, Northam ...

. WROX-FM is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. WROX's studios are located on Waterside Drive in Downtown Norfolk, and its transmitter is located in Cape Charles.

History

The station signed on in May 1986. Though it initially was planned to be a

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

station as WWGH, it instead signed on as WIAV, "Wave 96", with a

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

/ CHR format. It had been constructed by Elleck Seymour of

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

, who conceived a network of stations serving mid-Atlantic beach communities. After already dealing with technical problems, a lightning strike caused the station to leave the air in October 1987. The parent company, Resort Broadcasting, then filed for bankruptcy organization in March 1988. It was then co-owned with

WVAB WVAB was a commercial radio station licensed to serve Virginia Beach, Virginia, at 1550 AM, and serviced parts of the Hampton Roads region. The station broadcast from 1954 to 2018, ceasing operations when owner Birach Broadcasting Corporation ...

(1550 AM). Bishop L.E. Willis later bought the two stations and then bought 92.1, later spinning off WVAB. It then shifted to a dance-leaning CHR as WKSV, "Kiss 96", in December 1988. Six months later, in May 1989, it flipped to a

Christian adult contemporary Christian adult contemporary, also known as Christian AC, CAC, or Christian Adult Contemporary Airplay, is a form of radio-played contemporary Christian music, ranging from 1960s Jesus music and 1970s Christian soft rock music to predominately ...

format after WXRI was sold; the station inherited WXRI's music catalog. The format was tweaked to a more adult contemporary version in March 1990. In May 1991, after several months off air due to storm damage, WKSV returned as urban contemporary "Touch 96"; WMYK then flipped to rock in June. It formed a simulcast with a new WMYK on 92.1 MHz. In October 1993, Willis sold the station to current owner Sinclair Telecable. Shortly after the sale, WMYA left the air for three weeks; it then flipped to its current format and "96X" branding on October 25. In 1995, in order to fill a coverage gap in the core portion of Hampton Roads, they put their new 250-watt translator on 106.1

(W291AE) on the air; it was best heard in downtown Norfolk to help eliminate signal dropout in the downtown area. The translator existed until 2004, when

WUSH WUSH (106.1 FM) is a country music formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Poquoson, Virginia, serving Hampton Roads. WUSH is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. WUSH is licensed by the FCC to broadcast in the HD radio form ...

was born. On July 22, 1998, WROX-FM shifted back to top 40/CHR. The station terminated all of their on air personalities. This proved to be extremely unpopular with locals, as the station reverted back to alternative rock one year later on July 16, 1999. The station's callsign did not change during this time. On June 24, 2019, WROX-FM shifted its format from alternative rock to adult album alternative, still branded as "96X".96X Norfolk Moves Towards AAA
Radioinsight - June 25, 2019 On June 29, 2020, 96X quietly changed its format back to alternative rock in the midst of iHeartRadio's abrupt format flip of

WNOH WNOH (105.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Windsor, Virginia, serving the Hampton Roads radio market in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. WNOH is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. The station airs an African America ...

, launching an African American-oriented national news radio network.

References

External links

96X Online
* {{Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News Radio 1986 establishments in Virginia Alternative rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1986 ROX-FM Exmore, Virginia