WGNE-FM

Infobox Radio Station


name = WGNE-FM
airdate = 1973
frequency = 99.9 (MHz)
city = Middleburg, Florida
area = Jacksonville, Florida
format = Country
owner = Renda Broadcasting
erp = 48,000 watts
branding = Gator Country
slogan = Jacksonville's NEW Country Station
class = C1
website = [http://www.999gatorcountry.com www.999gatorcountry.com]

WGNE-FM is a commercial radio station located in Middleburg, Florida, broadcasting to the Jacksonville, Florida area on 99.9 FM. WGNE-FM airs a country music format branded as "Gator Country".

99.9 FM began as 100,000-watt Beautiful Music WIYD-FM in Daytona Beach in December 1973. The station switched to a country format in 1979. In 1981, Stan Kaplan, owner of WAPE-AM in Jacksonville, announced plans to move WIYD-FM to Penney Farms and change it to WAPE-FM, but later scrapped the plan amidst personal legal troubles (WAPE-FM finally materialized in 1986 at 95.1 FM, the former WJAX). Then, in 1982, WIYD-FM was sold, and the new owners intended to refashion the station as a CHR outlet to compete with WDOQ-FM "Q102." The new station debuted in the summer of 1982 as WNFY, "Y-100", then became WNFI, "I-100", the following year following a threat of legal action by WHYI in Miami, which had service-marked the "Y-100" name. With a Rhythmic CHR format and the talents of Bill Bailey (WLS Chicago) as program director and morning show host, the new "I-100" quickly became one of the Daytona area's most popular radio stations.

WNFI changed its call letters to WFKS in 1994 and moved into a CHR/Hot Adult Contemporary format with the new moniker "99.9 Kiss FM." In 2000, Clear Channel-owned country station WGNE-FM 98.1 in Titusville moved to a Spanish-language format as WNUE following its sale to Mega Communications, and the decision was made to move the WGNE calls and country format to 99.9. Renda Communications purchased the rights to the calls and intellectual property of WGNE from Clear Channel, and WFKS became WGNE "Froggy 99.9." Renda made its long-awaited move of WGNE-FM into the Jacksonville market in May 2005, launching the new format with 9,999 commercial-free songs in a row.

The WGNE calls originated in Panama City, FL at an AM (1480) / FM (98.5) pair. WGNE-AM changed its calls to WKGC-AM when the station was donated to Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City. Several years later, WGNE-FM changed its calls to WFSY (Sunny 98), making the WGNE calls available to Clear Channel.

External links

* [http://www.999gatorcountry.com Official Website]
* [http://www.cflradio.net/99.9_WGNE_FM.htm 99.9 FM at Central Florida Radio History]
*fmq|WGNE