WAMM
Encyclopedia
WAMM is an Adult Standards
and Easy Listening
formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Woodstock, Virginia
, serving Woodstock
and Shenandoah County, Virginia
. WAMM is owned and operated by Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc.
. On November 26, 1993, WRDJ-FM at 105.1 FM (now WTGD) switched its callsign to WAMM-FM, becoming a sister station of WAMM (AM) which also carried a Country
format and remained there until September 16, 2002 when the Country
format was dropped and the callsign was changed to WJDV
.
During most of the 1990s, the format switched from Country to 1970s Rock to Hot Adult Contemporary.
In July 2000, Grass Roots Broadcasting LLC (Thomas A. Lewis, general manager/51% owner) reached an agreement to purchase WAMM from Dean-O'Connell Inc. (Robert L. Dean, president) for a reported sale price of $185,000. At the time of the sale, WAMM AM broadcast a classic rock
format. Offices were moved from Woodstock
to Edinburg, Virginia
, while the studios remained in Woodstock.
In May 2002, when former Shenandoah County
radio station WAZR was sold to Clear Channel
and moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia
, most of the former staff of WAZR and WAZR's old standards/big band format moved to WAMM.
In September 2003, Grass Roots Broadcasting sold WAMM to Hometown Broadcasting.
In November 2004, WAMM bought Mount Jackson, Virginia
station WSVG for $85,000 and moved WSVG's operations to WAMM's studios in Downtown Woodstock, Virginia
.
In May 2005, WAMM went silent due to severe money problems, and WSVG was sold to spin-off company Hometown Broadcasting of Mount Jackson.
In March 2006, WAMM returned to the air with a Spanish-language format, but quickly went silent again after only six months.
In mid-August 2007, WAMM returned to the airwaves, again with the Spanish-language format.
On October 9, 2008, WAMM, once again, went silent for what the owner called "financial hardship". In an application filed with the FCC, Mr. Rodriguez requested the station remain silent for "the next 90 but, out of an abundance of caution, respectfully requests 180 days to remain silent." This is the third time WAMM has fallen silent in the past 5 years.
On November 16, 2009, Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc., operating an LMA for WAMM launched a new format featuring English-language adult standards.
On December 4, 2009, Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc. bought WAMM from Jason M. Rodriguez for $50,000.
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
and Easy Listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
formatted broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
, serving Woodstock
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
and Shenandoah County, Virginia
Shenandoah County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,075 people, 14,296 households, and 10,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 16,709 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
. WAMM is owned and operated by Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc.
History
WAMM was signed on by Dean-O'Connell, Inc. on August 3, 1981. WAMM played an "Adult Rock" format from its launch until 1991 when it switched to CountryCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. On November 26, 1993, WRDJ-FM at 105.1 FM (now WTGD) switched its callsign to WAMM-FM, becoming a sister station of WAMM (AM) which also carried a Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format and remained there until September 16, 2002 when the Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format was dropped and the callsign was changed to WJDV
WJDV
WJDV is a Light Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Broadway, Virginia, serving the Harrisonburg/Staunton area. WJDV is owned and operated by M...
.
During most of the 1990s, the format switched from Country to 1970s Rock to Hot Adult Contemporary.
In July 2000, Grass Roots Broadcasting LLC (Thomas A. Lewis, general manager/51% owner) reached an agreement to purchase WAMM from Dean-O'Connell Inc. (Robert L. Dean, president) for a reported sale price of $185,000. At the time of the sale, WAMM AM broadcast a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format. Offices were moved from Woodstock
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
to Edinburg, Virginia
Edinburg, Virginia
Edinburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Edinburg is located at ....
, while the studios remained in Woodstock.
In May 2002, when former Shenandoah County
Shenandoah County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,075 people, 14,296 households, and 10,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 16,709 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
radio station WAZR was sold to Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
and moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
, most of the former staff of WAZR and WAZR's old standards/big band format moved to WAMM.
In September 2003, Grass Roots Broadcasting sold WAMM to Hometown Broadcasting.
In November 2004, WAMM bought Mount Jackson, Virginia
Mount Jackson, Virginia
Mount Jackson is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,994 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Mount Jackson is located at in the southern part of Shenandoah County, Virginia at...
station WSVG for $85,000 and moved WSVG's operations to WAMM's studios in Downtown Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
.
In March 2006, WAMM returned to the air with a Spanish-language format, but quickly went silent again after only six months.
In mid-August 2007, WAMM returned to the airwaves, again with the Spanish-language format.
On October 9, 2008, WAMM, once again, went silent for what the owner called "financial hardship". In an application filed with the FCC, Mr. Rodriguez requested the station remain silent for "the next 90 but, out of an abundance of caution, respectfully requests 180 days to remain silent." This is the third time WAMM has fallen silent in the past 5 years.
On November 16, 2009, Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc., operating an LMA for WAMM launched a new format featuring English-language adult standards.
On December 4, 2009, Shenandoah Valley Group, Inc. bought WAMM from Jason M. Rodriguez for $50,000.