WVBW

Infobox Radio Station


name = WVBW
airdate =
frequency = 92.9 (MHz)
city = Suffolk, Virginia
area = Norfolk/Virginia Beach
format = Adult Contemporary
owner = Max Media
erp = 50,000 watts
branding = "92-9 The Wave"
slogan = "More Favorites from Yesterday and Today"
class = B
sister_stations = WXMM,WGH-FM,WXEZ
webcast = [http://player.streamtheworld.com/liveplayer.php?callsign=WVBWFM Listen Live]
website = [http://www.929thewave.com/ www.929thewave.com]
callsign_meaning =W Virginia Beach's Wave

WVBW, more commonly known as 92.9 The Wave, is an Adult Contemporary station serving the Suffolk-Norfolk-Virginia Beach listening area. It is owned by Max Media of Hampton Roads, its COL is Suffolk, Virginia and the studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk.

History

WVBW started broadcasting in 1965 as easy listening WXYW. It became WFOG in the early 1970s and eventually evolved into an adult contemporary format. WFOG used to be co-owned with WLPM, 1450 AM in Suffolk, which was a contemporary station. The station broadcasted Adult Contemporary "Lite Favorites" until September 10, 1999, when it was converted to Urban Oldies "Soul Classics 92.9" by new owners Barnstable Broadcasting. The call sign was also changed to WWSO.

On December 16, 2001, the station changed formats again, this time going to Oldies. The first song of their new format was the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night". This new station was known as "Oldies 92-9". The WFOG letters returned on December 5, 2003, when the Classic Country format on 100.5 shifted to AM and displaced the Standards format on 1050. Not long after, in 2004, the moniker changed to "92-9 WFOG", reflecting the change in call sign.

In Early 2005, Max Media purchased WFOG, and the rest of the Barnstable Cluster, making them locally owned and operated. Later on that year, on July 1, the station changed to "FM 92-9 WFOG, and played a countdown of the top 100 songs for each year from 1965 to 1985. Then, at 6 a.m. on Thursday, July 21, the FOG was no more. The last song played by the station was the Beach Boys' "Catch a Wave", leading up to the launch of 92.9 the Wave. The very first song of the Wave was "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart.

Barry Michaels was the Morning Show host for the station since it turned to the Oldies format. He left in July 2005 after being let go by the new owners. On September 12, 2005, Dick Lamb made his return to the airwaves as the new morning host for the Wave, along with his 2WD Breakfast Bunch sidekick Paul Richardson. Jennifer Roberts, the only remaining member of the former morning show, also joined them. A naming contest was held to name the new morning show. Voters picked "Dick Lamb and the Morning Wave", which is the name of the show.

On the weeks leading up to the debut of Dick Lamb, it was hinted that he would return to the air on the Wave, and he even made a TV commercial saying that he would be the host of a new morning show on the Wave. This was also mentioned on the station's bumpers between songs.

The Oldies format can now be heard on Cool 92.1 WCDG.

External links

* [http://www.929thewave.com/ 92.9 the Wave web site]
*fmq|WVBW
*FML|WVBW
*FMARB|WVBW

References

* [http://hamptonroads.vartv.com/ Hampton Roads Media Information]