WVBX (99.3 FM "Live 99.3") is a commercial radio station licensed to Spotsylvania, Virginia and serving the Metro Fredericksburg area. WVBX is owned and operated by Alpha Media LLC, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC.[3] It airs a contemporary hit radio format.[4]

WVBX
Broadcast areaFredericksburg, Virginia
Frequency99.3 MHz
BrandingLive 99.3
Programming
FormatContemporary hit radio
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
WFLS-FM, WNTX, WWUZ
History
First air date
January 26, 1988 (as WYND-FM)
Former call signs
WYND-FM (1988–1989)
WPLC (1989–1994)
WYSK (1994–1996)
WYSK-FM (1996–2008)
WWVB-FM (2008–2009)[1]
Call sign meaning
W ViBe X (previous branding)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID22484
ClassA
ERP3,000 watts
HAAT100 meters (328 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
38°8′30″N 77°41′34″W / 38.14167°N 77.69278°W / 38.14167; -77.69278
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitelive993.com

History

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Logo used for WYSK-FM from March 4, 2002 to January 7, 2008.

The station first launched on January 26, 1988, with the call sign WYND-FM.[5] It aired a smooth jazz/new age music format and was owned by Richard J. Hayes and Associates. On April 10, 1989, WYND-FM changed to WPLC, simulcasting the Urban Contemporary format of then-WPLZ in Petersburg, also on 99.3. It became WYSK on September 30, 1994.

In 1994, the station was purchased by The Free Lance–Star, a daily newspaper in Fredericksburg. On July 16, 1996, WYSK modified its call letters to WYSK-FM, switching to an Adult Contemporary format. On March 4, 2002, WYSK-FM flipped to Alternative Rock, branded as "99.3 WYSK – The Rock Alternative."

At noon on January 7, 2008, WYSK-FM dropped its Alternative format and switched to Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio with the station's first song being Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack". The call letters were changed from WYSK to WWVB-FM on January 11, 2008 to go along with the new moniker "The Vibe."

 
Logo used until 2018

On August 13, 2009, the call sign was changed from WWVB-FM to WVBX.[6]

On January 23, 2015, Alpha Media "entered into a definitive agreement" to purchase WVBX and sister stations WFLS-FM, WNTX, and WWUZ from Free Lance-Star License, LLC.[7] The purchase was consummated on May 1, 2015, at a price of $8.1 million.

On June 1, 2018, WVBX rebranded as "Live 99.3."[8] The station is now airing a more traditional contemporary hit radio playlist, moving away from the rhythmic format.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WVBX". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "WVBX Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ Inside Radio "Format Flips" June 12, 2018
  5. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1989 page B-314
  6. ^ "WVBX 99.3 257A". VARTV.com. June 5, 2010.
  7. ^ "Alpha Media To Purchase Free Lance-Star Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  8. ^ WVBX Relaunches as Live 99.3 Radioinsight - June 1, 2018
  9. ^ "Alpha Media, Fredericksburg Launches LIVE 99.3". Retrieved 2023-09-11.
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