 | |
| Broadcast area | Jacksonville metropolitan area / SoutheastGeorgia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 101.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | V101.5 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WQIK-FM,WFXJ,WKSL,WJBT,WPLA | |
| History | |
First air date | September 1,1966 (as WYNR-FM) |
Former call signs | WYNR-FM (1966–1978) WPIQ-FM (1978–1989) WHJX (1989–1991) WHJX-FM (1991–1995) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 23830 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 446 meters (1,463 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 30°49′17.00″N81°44′13.00″W / 30.8213889°N 81.7369444°W /30.8213889; -81.7369444 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | |
WSOL-FM (101.5MHz) is acommercialradio station known as V101.5. It islicensed toYulee, Florida, and serves theJacksonville metropolitan area and SoutheastGeorgia. Owned and operated byiHeartMedia, Inc., it broadcasts anUrban Adult Contemporaryradio format. WSOL-FM's studios are located on Central Parkway in Jacksonville'sSouthside district. Thetransmitter is off McKendree Road inKingsland, Georgia, a couple of miles from the Georgia-Florida border.[2]
Weekday mornings on V101.5 begin withThe Steve Harvey Morning Show,syndicated by co-ownedPremiere Networks. Overnights featureThe Sweat Hotel, a syndicated show hosted byR&B singerKeith Sweat. LocalDJs are heard the rest of the day.Urban gospel music is heard on Sunday mornings.
On September 1, 1966, the stationsigned on as WYNR-FM.[3] It was the FM counterpart toAM 790 WYNR (nowWSFN), and was licensed toBrunswick, Georgia. It was owned by Dixie Radio, Inc., andsimulcast thecountry music format of the AM station. WYNR-FM’s effective radiated power was 33,000watts, limiting its coverage to Brunswick and nearby communities, and not a factor in the larger Jacksonvilleradio market.
In 1978, WYNR-AM-FM were bought by Southcoast Broadcasting.[4] The FM station'scall sign switched to WPIQ and it began airing anadult contemporary music format under the branding "101Q". Power was increased to 100,000 watts, but on only a 250-foot tower, so its signal was still not widely heard in the entire Jacksonville market.
In 1989, the AM and FM stations were sold to the Suburban Radio Group for $4.8 million.[5] The WPIQ call letters were shifted over to the AM station, while the FM station became WHJX, airing aTop 40 format. The station used the moniker "Hot 101.5." WHJX receivedFederal Communications Commission (FCC) permission to increase itsheight above average terrain (HAAT) to 1,463 feet, making it a true Jacksonville market station. In 1994, WHJX rebranded as “101.5 Channel X” playing a mix of Modern Rock, Hip-Hop, Rap and Pop music. This eclectic format would only last a few months before it returned to its current format. Over the next several years, WHJX moved from mainstream Top 40 to a morerhythmic contemporary direction.
The station became WSOL-FM on September 8, 1995, playing a variety (thus the "V"-brand) ofOld School/Soul and currentR&B music.[6] The station was acquired byJacor, which was a forerunner to current owneriHeartMedia. Jacor also ownedMainstream UrbanWJBT (nowWBHQ), Jacksonville's other FM station serving theAfrican American community, although aiming at a younger audience.
On November 21, 2014, WSOL-FM broadened the format to include moreclassic hip hop, along with Urban Adult Contemporary hits.[7] The slogan switched to "Throwback Hip Hop and R&B."
On January 3, 2019, WSOL-FM reverted to Urban AC, still under the "V101.5" branding.[8]
On August 7, 2019, WSOL-FM changed their city of license to Yulee, Florida as part of iHeartMedia's bankruptcy restructuring, which resulted in losing its grandfathered status in the Brunswick, Georgia market. Otherwise, iHeartMedia would have been required to divestWHFX.[9]
WSOL-FM broadcasts using theHD Radio format. On May 8, 2017, WSOL-FMHD2 andtranslator station 102.3 W272CQ changed their format fromoldies (branded as "102.3 The Beach") toclassic hits.[10] It branded itself "Sunny 102.3 - Jacksonville's Greatest Hits."
On October 15, 2020, WSOL-FMHD2 and W272CQ dropped the "Sunny 102.3" classic hits format, with a new format to be announced.[11] The format would end up being Spanish-language Christian programming from Buenas Nuevas Network, owner ofWUMY inMemphis, Tennessee.