WYAY (106.3 FM, "The Coast") is a

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 ...

broadcasting a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

format. Licensed to

Bolivia, North Carolina Bolivia is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 149 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Brunswick County. History The town was settled by European Americans in the 1890s and was incorporated i ...

, United States, WYAY serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Steve Clendenin, through licensee Maryland Media One, LLC.

History

The 106.3 frequency was WCCA, a

beach music Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, and to a lesser extent, beach pop, is a regional genre of music in the United States which developed from rock/ R&B and pop music of the 1950s and 1960s. Beach music is most closely associate ...

station and then a classic country station. before taking over the call letters and talk format previously heard on what is now 103.7 WILT when Sea-Comm Media purchased the station. With the callsign WLTT, 106.3 became a

news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, interviews ...

station called "The Big Talker" and in 2004, WWTB, an

adult standards Adult standards (also sometimes known as the nostalgia or Big Band format) is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations. Adult standards started in the 1950s and is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly tho ...

station at 103.9 FM which was licensed to

Topsail Beach, North Carolina Topsail Beach is a town in Pender County, North Carolina, Pender County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 383 at the 2012 census. It is part of the Cape Fear (region), Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Local f ...

, began airing the same programming. Sea-Comm general manager Paul Knight called the format a "not-politically-correct talk station." This simulcast ended when the WBNE 93.7 frequency took the role, moving to Topsail Beach and changing its callsign to WNTB. WLTT changed its license city in 2009 from Shallotte to

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

. WLTT and WNTB simulcast The Big Talker to 5 counties in southeastern North Carolina. Curtis Wright hosted "The Morning Beat" for four years ending in March 2010. He was replaced by Robby Kendall, who left May 6. Having come from a Whiteville station, Kendall had insufficient knowledge of Wilmington's history and politics, and he disliked the early hours. Neither general manager Paul Knight nor Wright wanted Wright's return. Kendall's co-host Chad Adams took over the show. With the "retirement" of Chad Adams on March 29, 2013, the station identification was changed from "The Big Talker FM" to "Port City Radio". On April 1, 2013, the format was changed to local news from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The stated reason for the move was to transform the station into a source of "unbiased news and information" in keeping with the company's larger goals. After stunting with a ticking clock, on December 2, 2013, WLTT and WNTB changed their format to country, branded as "The Dude". On December 10, 2013, WLTT changed their call letters to WUDE, to go with the "Dude" branding. In September 2019, WUDE was spun off to Andrulonis Media. WNTB is not included in the sale agreement. In January 2020 WUDE split from its simulcast with WNTB and flipped to a simulcast of WMIR,

WFAY WFAY (1230 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. The station is owned by Jeffrey Andrulonis' Andrulonis Media. WFAY serves the Fayetteville area. WFAY is the flagship station of the Carolin ...

and WYAY, joining Andrulonis's "Carolina Country" network. The WYAY call letters moved from the Georgetown, South Carolina, transmitter to this station in August 2020. On May 17, 2021, a month after Andrulonis sold the station to Maryland Media One, WYAY changed their format from country to oldies, branded as "Carolina Gold", simulcasting WMIR-FM 93.9 Conway, South Carolina. The sale was consummated on June 23, 2021, at a price of $400,000. On December 28, 2023, WGLD-FM and WYAY split from the simulcast with WPGI and stunted with classic alternative, branded as "The Coast", before returning to Carolina Country as the stations returned to Andrulonis Media.

Previous logo

References

External links

The Coast website
* {{Wilmington (NC) Radio YAY Radio stations established in 1983 Country radio stations in the United States