WDAI (98.5 FM, "98.5 Kiss FM") is a

mainstream urban Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso * ' ...

radio station licensed to

Pawleys Island, South Carolina Pawleys Island is a town in Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States, and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast Bar (landform), barrier island on which the town is located. Pawleys Island's population was 103 at the 2010 United States cens ...

, and serves the

Grand Strand The Grand Strand is an arc of beach land on the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina, United States, extending more than from Little River to Winyah Bay. It is located in Horry and Georgetown Counties on the northeastern South Carolina coast. Th ...

area. The

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdi ...

outlet is licensed by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC) to broadcast with an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

(ERP) of 6,100 watts. Its studios are located on

U.S. Highway 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its len ...

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina Murrells Inlet is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,547 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is about 13 miles south of Myrtle Beach, South Ca ...

, and its transmitter is located a mile west of the studios.

History

WDAI signed on October 1, 1993, with an

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

and

sports talk Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...

format. It moved to an

urban adult contemporary Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

format as "98.5 Kiss FM", featuring the ''

Tom Joyner Morning Show The ''Tom Joyner Morning Show'' was an American nationally syndicated radio program, hosted by veteran broadcaster Tom Joyner. The program, which aired on Urban contemporary- and Urban adult contemporary-formatted stations across the United Stat ...

'', in January 1995. By 1996, WDAI was the number one station in the market. WDAI dropped to third in fall 1998 but regained its position in spring 1999, losing the top spot to WJYR in Fall 1999. The drop in ratings came after a move toward more adult music, with 34-year-old women the target audience, after program director Ernie D. moved to

WCMG WCMG (94.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an urban adult contemporary format. Licensed to Latta, South Carolina, United States, the station is owned by Cumulus Media. History WCMG went on the air as WATP-FM, the sister station to now-defu ...

and Chris Clay replaced him. More

rap Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...

was added in the 2000s. WDAI leaned more adult after the 2009 debut of Power 100.3, a

hip-hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...

station also owned by Cumulus Media. In January 2010, Cumulus Media hired a market veteran, Craig Russ, as its new Operations Manager. Personalities on the station included Monique,

Michael Baisden Michael Baisden is the former host of ''The Michael Baisden Show''. The show was syndicated by Baisden Media Group in partnership with SupeRadio and AURN (American Urban Radio Networks). The show airs weekday afternoons. The show was previousl ...

, and Doug Davis. In July 2010, WDAI changed from urban adult contemporary to

, replacing a similar format Cumulus had aired on WSEA for a year before switching that station to CHR. WDAI also took the syndicated morning show from WSEA;

Rickey Smiley Broderick Dornell "Rickey" Smiley (born August 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality known for his prank phone calls. The calls feature Smiley disguising his voice carrying a conversation wit ...

, replacing

Tom Joyner Thomas Joyner (born November 23, 1949) is an American radio personality, host, philanthropist and former musician. Joyner is the former host of the nationally syndicated '' The Tom Joyner Morning Show'', and also founder of Reach Media Inc., the ...

. On January 9, 2020, it was announced that WDAI had added

Premiere Networks Premiere Networks, Inc. (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American media company, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. It is th ...

' ''

The Breakfast Club ''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American independent teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The ensemble cast includes Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ring ...

'' to mornings.

References

External links

* DAI Cumulus Media radio stations Mainstream urban radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1993 1993 establishments in South Carolina {{SouthCarolina-radio-station-stub