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| Broadcast area | Cincinnati metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 94.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Mix 94.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Subchannels | HD2:Alternative rock |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | September 20, 1962 (62 years ago) (1962-09-20) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | WREWind (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 73369 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 10,500watts |
| HAAT | 322 meters (1,056 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°12′1″N84°31′22″W / 39.20028°N 84.52278°W /39.20028; -84.52278 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WREW (94.9MHz, "Mix 94.9") is acommercialFMradio stationlicensed toFairfield,Ohio, and serving theCincinnati metropolitan area. The station broadcasts anadult contemporaryradio format and is owned byHubbard Broadcasting. Thestudios and offices are on Kennedy Avenue, in the Oakley neighborhood of Cincinnati where they have been since August of 2021.[2]
WREW has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 10,500watts. Thetransmitter site is on West North Bend Road inFinneytown.[3] WREW broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. Its HD2digital subchannel playsalternative rock music, and is branded as "The Sound."
On September 20,1962, the station firstsigned on, using thecall sign WFOL-FM. It aired abeautiful music format, playing quarter hour sweeps of instrumentalcover songs of pop hits, as well asBroadway andHollywood show tunes.
The call letters were switched to WCNW-FM in 1965, co-owned andsimulcast withCountry-formattedWCNW1560 AM. Beautiful music returned to the frequency in the mid 1970s as WLVV-FM "Love 95."
The station was sold off to Heftel Broadcasting in 1980, becoming WYYS-FM "Yes 95" with aTop 40-Rock format. The format changed within a year tosoft rock under the same call letters and handle before becoming WLLT-FM "Lite 95" in January 1983.
On July 22, 1988, WOFX-FM "The Fox" replaced WLLT-FM, airingClassic rock.[4]
On September 13, 1995, the WOFX call letters, format and intellectual properties were bought byJacor and moved to92.5 FM, with 94.9 flipping tosmooth jazz, branded as "The Wave." New WVAE-FM call letters took effect on October 2, 1995.[5][6][7]
On April 30, 1999, the station switched to aRhythmic oldies format as "Mojo 94.9 FM" with the call sign WMOJ.[8][9] That format remained on 94.9 FM until September 22, 2006, whenRadio One acquired the intellectual property and call letters of the station fromCumulus Media, and moved it to100.3 FM.[10]
Cumulus then temporarily switched the 94.9 frequency to a simulcast of country-formattedWYGY as WPRV. (At the same time, Cumulus traded the station toEntercom in exchange forWGRR.) The simulcast lasted until November 7, when the station beganstunting with an electronic countdown to noon on November 9.[11][12]
On November 9, 2006, at 12 p.m., 94.9 FM flipped toalternative rock, branded as "The Sound".[13][14] The first song on "The Sound" was "Welcome to Paradise" byGreen Day. Although the station used theWYGY call letters for the first month of the new format, the call letters were moved to97.3 FM, with the WSWD call letters debuting on November 29. (The country format would move to 97.3 FM at the same time as the flip.)
On January 18, 2007, Entercom announced plans to swap its entire Cincinnati radio cluster, including WSWD, together with three of its radio stations inSeattle, Washington, toBonneville International in exchange for all three of Bonneville's FM stations inSan Francisco, California and $1 million cash.[15] In May 2007, Bonneville officially took over control of the Cincinnati stations through atime brokerage agreement. On March 14, 2008, Bonneville officially closed on the stations.
On November 7, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., the formats and call signs of WSWD and WYGY switched frequencies, with the country music format returning to the 94.9 FM frequency, and the alternative format moving to 97.3 FM. All weekday disc jockeys were also let go with the move.
The last song to play on "94.9 The Sound" was "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage" byPanic! at the Disco, which was also the same song that ended WAQZ at 97.3 FM nearly two years prior.[16]
Another shakeup occurred at 5 p.m. on May 21, 2009, as Bonneville moved the "Wolf" back to 97.3, discontinuing the "Sound" format altogether ("The Sound" would move to 97.3-HD2, which was later moved to 94.9-HD2). At the same time, 94.9 FM flipped to a hybridadult hits/rhythmic adult contemporary format, branded as "Rewind 94.9."[17] The first song on "Rewind" was "Hungry Like the Wolf" byDuran Duran.[18] After re-acquiring the WSWD call letters on May 25, 94.9 would adopt new WREW call letters on June 2.
When WREW debuted, the station played a wide range of music from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, with a core focus on the 80s, as stated in their slogan, "Feel Good Favorites of the 80s and More". The station experienced huge success after its debut, as it is normally a Top 10 rated station in the Cincinnati Arbitron ratings.
On January 19, 2011, Bonneville International announced the sale of WREW and several other stations in various markets toHubbard Broadcasting for $505 million.[19] The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.[20]
The station shifted toadult contemporary on September 6, 2011, by re-introducing music from the 2000 until today, while still playing retro hits.
On October 1, 2013, WREW rebranded as "The New 94.9, Cincinnati's Best Mix".[21] On July 6, 2015, WREW rebranded as "Mix 94.9."
On January 18, 2018, WREW re-branded for several days as "Fiona 94.9" as a tribute to celebrate theCincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's baby hippo, Fiona, on her first birthday. On January 21, the station switched back to "Mix" after the celebration wrapped up.
