WLFF
Encyclopedia
WSYN is an classic hits
music formatted radio station
licensed to Surfside Beach, South Carolina
and serves the Grand Strand
area. The Cumulus Media
outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to broadcast at 103.1 MHz with an ERP of 8 kW. Its current slogans are "The Grand Strand's Greatest Hits".
The Station airs the "John Boy & Billy Big Show" weekdays from 6-10 A.M..
at 106.3. In 1988, the station increased its power to 50,000 watts and changed to the Sunny 106.5 name and WSYN call letters, with a hot adult contemporary format. During this time in 1988, the WSYN-FM Sunny 106.5 studios were moved to a small Frontage Road Studio off of U.S. Highway 17 By-Pass in Surfside Beach (next door to the offices of Clearview Cable TV that then became Jones Intercable in late 1988). The move of the studios to Surfside Beach and the name change to Sunny 106.5 generated a huge advertising campaign in the local media and a newly designed Sunny 106.5 logo.
From 1990 to April 2008 WSYN was known as "Oldies Radio Sunny 106.5 FM".
During its heyday of playing oldies radio on the coast of South Carolina, WSYN was owned by Seacoast Radio Company LLC and was South Carolina Broadcasters Association Station of The Year in 1996 and 1997.
Oldies Radio Sunny 106.5 employed an on-air reverb effect, producing a "bigger than life" sound, and served as home to many well-known local talents including Kemosabi Joe, "The Freakin' Deacon", Diane Costello, Michael Parnell, djrockinray, Sissy Hall, Robert Kessler, and Lou Krieger.
Horry County Council Chair Liz Gilland at one time hosted a Sunday morning gospel program on the station.
Syndicated weekly programs included "The Charlie Byrd Beach Blast", "Mike Harvey's Super Gold", "American Gold with Dick Bartley" and "Beatle Brunch".
Cumulus Media
bought WSYN, WJXY-AM
, WJXY-FM
, WXJY, WDAI
, and WSEA
in its first year of existence.
In 1999, Mike Lawrence took over as operations manager for Cumulus' Myrtle Beach stations and became afternoon DJ on WSYN. Cumulus market manager David Lewis said the among the changes planned was getting rid of the reverb effect and updating the playlist. Also, midday DJ Gary "Deacon" Dawson and morning host Kemosabe Joe traded shifts. Dawson was in his fifth year at WSYN, starting with the night shift and later moving to afternoons. Although WSYN considered moving away from 50s music, the station began "spotlighting" them.
Frank Barnhill served as the News and Sports Director for the station during two different tenures, for many years dating back to the 1990s. His position was eliminated by Market Manager Layne Ryan in May, 2007.
On April 2, 2008, Al Connors and Krieger, the only DJs still working for the station, said they were told "restructuring" was planned and they too would lose their jobs.
WSYN and WYAK switched frequencies and were reborn as Sunny 103.1 WSYN and The Coyote 106.5 (WLFF
).
WSYN also switched to the "True Oldies" feed; many 1950s and 1960s Oldies were once again heard. Later, with some programming also being done locally, the playlist included many 1960s oldies and also some 1950s ones as well blended in with the mostly early 1970s oldies along with some Carolina beach music
classics like "Sixty Minute Man
" by Billy Ward (1949).
In January 2010, Craig Russ, the Operations Manager of the Cumulus Cluster, became Program Director of the station. Personalities now include Kenzie (from 104.9 BOB-FM) and Craig Russ (also former Program Director of BOB-FM) is in afternoon drive.
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
music formatted 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 Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Surfside Beach is a small seaside town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States situated directly south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its nickname is "The Family Beach". The population was 4,425 at the 2000 census...
and serves the Grand Strand
Grand Strand
The Grand Strand refers to a large stretch of beaches on the East Coast of the United States extending from Little River to Georgetown in the U.S. State of South Carolina. It consists of 60+ miles along an essentially uninterrupted arc of beach land, beginning around the Little River and...
area. The Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to broadcast at 103.1 MHz with an ERP of 8 kW. Its current slogans are "The Grand Strand's Greatest Hits".
The Station airs the "John Boy & Billy Big Show" weekdays from 6-10 A.M..
History
WSYN was previously WAZX, a top 40 station in Georgetown, South CarolinaGeorgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
at 106.3. In 1988, the station increased its power to 50,000 watts and changed to the Sunny 106.5 name and WSYN call letters, with a hot adult contemporary format. During this time in 1988, the WSYN-FM Sunny 106.5 studios were moved to a small Frontage Road Studio off of U.S. Highway 17 By-Pass in Surfside Beach (next door to the offices of Clearview Cable TV that then became Jones Intercable in late 1988). The move of the studios to Surfside Beach and the name change to Sunny 106.5 generated a huge advertising campaign in the local media and a newly designed Sunny 106.5 logo.
From 1990 to April 2008 WSYN was known as "Oldies Radio Sunny 106.5 FM".
During its heyday of playing oldies radio on the coast of South Carolina, WSYN was owned by Seacoast Radio Company LLC and was South Carolina Broadcasters Association Station of The Year in 1996 and 1997.
Oldies Radio Sunny 106.5 employed an on-air reverb effect, producing a "bigger than life" sound, and served as home to many well-known local talents including Kemosabi Joe, "The Freakin' Deacon", Diane Costello, Michael Parnell, djrockinray, Sissy Hall, Robert Kessler, and Lou Krieger.
Horry County Council Chair Liz Gilland at one time hosted a Sunday morning gospel program on the station.
Syndicated weekly programs included "The Charlie Byrd Beach Blast", "Mike Harvey's Super Gold", "American Gold with Dick Bartley" and "Beatle Brunch".
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
bought WSYN, WJXY-AM
WHSC
WTOD is a radio station broadcasting a Sports format.Licensed to Hartsville, South Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media and features programing from ESPN Radio...
, WJXY-FM
WJXY-FM
WJXY-FM is a sports talk radio station known as "The Team" in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and affiliated with ESPN Radio and is owned by Cumulus Media....
, WXJY, WDAI
WDAI
WDAI "98.5 Kiss FM" is an urban contemporary radio station licensed to Pawleys Island, South Carolina and serves the Grand Strand area. The Cumulus Media outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 98.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 6 kW.-...
, and WSEA
WSEA
WSEA is a Contemporary hit radio station licensed to Atlantic Beach, South Carolina and serves the Grand Strand area. The Cumulus Media outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 100.3 MHz with an ERP of 12 kW...
in its first year of existence.
In 1999, Mike Lawrence took over as operations manager for Cumulus' Myrtle Beach stations and became afternoon DJ on WSYN. Cumulus market manager David Lewis said the among the changes planned was getting rid of the reverb effect and updating the playlist. Also, midday DJ Gary "Deacon" Dawson and morning host Kemosabe Joe traded shifts. Dawson was in his fifth year at WSYN, starting with the night shift and later moving to afternoons. Although WSYN considered moving away from 50s music, the station began "spotlighting" them.
Frank Barnhill served as the News and Sports Director for the station during two different tenures, for many years dating back to the 1990s. His position was eliminated by Market Manager Layne Ryan in May, 2007.
On April 2, 2008, Al Connors and Krieger, the only DJs still working for the station, said they were told "restructuring" was planned and they too would lose their jobs.
WSYN and WYAK switched frequencies and were reborn as Sunny 103.1 WSYN and The Coyote 106.5 (WLFF
WLFF
WSYN is an classic hits music formatted radio station licensed to Surfside Beach, South Carolina and serves the Grand Strand area. The Cumulus Media outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 103.1 MHz with an ERP of 8 kW...
).
WSYN also switched to the "True Oldies" feed; many 1950s and 1960s Oldies were once again heard. Later, with some programming also being done locally, the playlist included many 1960s oldies and also some 1950s ones as well blended in with the mostly early 1970s oldies along with some Carolina beach music
Beach music
Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues,...
classics like "Sixty Minute Man
Sixty Minute Man
"Sixty Minute Man" is a rhythm and blues record released in 1951 by The Dominoes. It was written by Billy Ward and Rose Marks and was one of the first R&B hit records to cross over to become a pop hit on the pop charts...
" by Billy Ward (1949).
In January 2010, Craig Russ, the Operations Manager of the Cumulus Cluster, became Program Director of the station. Personalities now include Kenzie (from 104.9 BOB-FM) and Craig Russ (also former Program Director of BOB-FM) is in afternoon drive.