 | |
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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | New Orleans metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 101.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Magic 101.9 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | March 15, 1970; 55 years ago (1970-03-15) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | "Louisiana's Magic" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 34376 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 300 meters (980 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 29°55′11″N90°1′29″W / 29.91972°N 90.02472°W /29.91972; -90.02472 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (via Audacy) |
| Website | www |
WLMG (101.9FM, "Magic 101.9 FM") is acommercial radio stationlicensed toNew Orleans, Louisiana, owned byAudacy, Inc. The station broadcasts anadult contemporary radio format, its studios and offices are located at the400 Poydras Tower in New Orleans'downtown district.
WLMG has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for non-grandfathered FM stations.[2] Itstransmitter site is off Behrman Highway in theAlgiers neighborhood of New Orleans. WLMG broadcasts in theHD Radio hybrid format.[3]
The station firstsigned on the air as WWL-FM, on March 15, 1970.[4] It was owned by Loyola University of the South, now known asLoyola University New Orleans. Loyola also ownedWWL-TV and AM powerhouseWWL.
WWL and WWL-FM had the samecall sign but separate formats. The AM was a full servicemiddle of the road station, while WWL-FM playedbeautiful music. It featured quarter-hour sweeps of instrumentalcover versions of popular songs withHollywood andBroadway show tunes.
In the mid-1970s, station management decided to go in a radically different direction, seeking a youngerdemographic for WWL-FM, as the FM flipped to aTop 40 format. However, the flip occurred during an era where most young people still were listening to inexpensive AM radios for their favorite hits. The station failed to make much headway against AM Top 40 leaderWTIX.
By May 1976, WWL-FM returned toeasy listening music. The format featured mostly instrumental songs with several soft vocals each hour. On December 26, 1980, to separate the FM station's image from its AM and TV counterparts, the call letters were changed to WAJY. The station, calling itself "Joy 102," moved closer to a 50/50 mix of instrumentals and vocals, some fromsoft rock artists such asElton John,Olivia Newton-John,Stevie Wonder andChicago.
Through the 1980s, the easy format saw its audience continuing to age, while most advertisers seek young and middle-aged listeners. In 1987, the station completed its transition to asoft adult contemporary format, eliminating the instrumentals. The call sign was changed to WLMG, and rebranded as "Magic 102." With most radios in the 1990s going from analog dials to digital, the station began calling itself "Magic 101.9" in 1995.
Over the next decade, WWL and WLMG changed hands several times. In 1989, Loyola University sold the stations to Keymarket Communications.[5] The TV station was sold to a group of its employees, using the name Rampart Broadcasting. In July 1995, the radio stations were acquired byRiver City Broadcasting.[6] Later ownership switched toSinclair Broadcast Group. In December 1999, WWL and WLMG were acquired by Entercom.[7]
In the early 2000s, WLMG moved to a mainstreamadult contemporary format. In 2006, theWWL-FM call sign returned to New Orleans on105.3 FM.