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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Southwest Florida |
| Frequency | 96.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 96.9 WINK FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Subchannels | HD2:Máxima 97.3 y 95.7 (Spanishcontemporary) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Fort Myers Broadcasting Company (McBride Family) |
| WTLQ-FM,WINK-TV,WAVV | |
| History | |
First air date | October 8, 1964; 60 years ago (1964-10-08) |
Call sign meaning | The word "wink" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 22094 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 453 meters (1,486 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 26°48′02.8″N81°45′44.3″W / 26.800778°N 81.762306°W /26.800778; -81.762306 |
| Translator(s) | HD2: 97.3 W247CR (Pine Island Center) HD2: 95.7 W239CL (Golden Gate) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | FM/HD1:winkfm.com HD2:musicaalmaximo.com |
WINK-FM (96.9MHz) is acommercial radio station inFort Myers, Florida, United States. The station airs anadult contemporaryradio format. It is owned by theFort Myers Broadcasting Company, locally controlled by the McBride Family, which also ownsCBSNetwork affiliateWINK-TV. WINK-FM has studios and offices on Palm Beach Boulevard (S.R. 80) in Fort Myers.
Thetransmitter is located on Freeland Lane, offFlorida State Road 31 inNorth Fort Myers, Florida.[2] Itseffective radiated power (ERP) is 100,000 watts, sharing atower with WINK-TV at 453 meters (1,486 feet) inheight above average terrain, taller than theEmpire State Building. This allows WINK-FM to be clearly heard as far north asHardee County, as far south asthe Everglades and as far east asOkeechobee County. WINK-FM can also be heard on Channel 11.6, a subchannel of WINK-TV.
WINK-FM broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. The HD2digital subchannel carries a Spanish-languagecontemporary format known as "Máxima 97.3 y 95.7". It feeds twoFM translators: 97.3W247CR inPine Island Center and 95.7W239CL inGolden Gate.[3][4]
On October 8, 1964, WINK-FMsigned on the air.[5] It was the FM counterpart to WINK (1240 AM, laterWFSX) andWINK-TV. At first, WINK-FMsimulcast the AM station'smiddle of the road format of adult pop music, news and sports. By the late 1960s, WINK-FM was playingbeautiful music, as it ended the simulcast with the AM.
Over time, WINK-FM added more vocals until it made the transition flip to aTop 40/CHR format in 1980 as "97-Rock", which would later change its branding to "WINK-FM 97" in 1984. Its branding was updated as “WINK 96.9” in 1991, and in 1993, the station had evolved into ahot adult contemporary format.
On May 6, 2013, at 10 a.m., after promoting that morning that "WINK-FM will be a thing of the past", the format switched from hot adult contemporary to adult contemporary, branded as "96.9 More FM".[6] The "More FM" branding had also been found on leading AC stationWBEB inPhiladelphia. The first song on More-FM wasJourney's "Don't Stop Believin'". In October 2015, the station went back to the96.9 WINK FM branding, retaining the adult contemporary format.[7]