WOXL-FM
Encyclopedia
WOXL-FM is a radio station
licensed to Biltmore Forest, North Carolina
, USA, the station serves the Asheville area and broadcasts an adult contemporary music format. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications of North Carolina, LLC.
in Asheville for many years and had felt that the FM was the future medium for radio listening.
Because of the number of applicants, the FCC arranged a hearing in 1989. During that time Orion tried to negotiate with the other applicants, offering up to 2 million dollars at one point, which they declined. In 1990 and 1991, the FCC's Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and Review Board had both ruled in favor of Orion Broadcasting based on their track record of public affairs with WSKY and awarded the station's construction permit on the condition that WSKY was sold. The station signed on July 29, 1994 under test authority as WZLS with a classic rock
-leaning album rock format under the "Z96.5" handle (The call sign for the station stood for "Z"eb "L"ee's "S"tation).
In the meantime, some of the other applicants for the license had merged together to form a group called Biltmore Forest Radio Inc., headed up by US House Representative Mel Watt
. The group was successful in pointing out in the US Court Of Appeals in a separate case Bechtel v. FCC (10 F.3d 875) that the FCC's "interrogation preference" was "arbitrary and capricious". This ruling eventually forced the FCC to place a freeze on new station licenses for a time and to revoke Orion's construction permit for WZLS.
On June 2, 1997, after several appeals, WZLS was forced off the air by 12 midnight. Biltmore Forest Radio's WZRQ signed on that same day under a time-brokered agreement with Styles Broadcasting out of Panama City, Florida
. For a period of 12 hours, both stations were broadcasting at the same time, which caused interference with each other since they were on the same frequency. WZRQ had featured a similar Album Rock format to what WZLS had, with the exception that it was mostly voice-tracked
.
In the meantime, US Senator Jesse Helms
appealed to the US Court Of Appeals on Orion Broadcasting's behalf, and was successful in getting the construction permit returned to the Lee family. On January 17, 1998, WZRQ shut down by court order and WZLS returned to the airwaves after a seven month absence in which station revenue and personnel was lost. On August 1 of that same year, Zeb Lee died. His family carried on in operating WZLS while fighting the FCC for the license of the station.
During the time that WZLS was off the air, a rider was attached to the 1997 Balanced Budget Bill by Arizona Senator John McCain
which required that new radio and TV frequency licenses were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Since WZLS was operating under a construction permit and had not been licensed yet, the frequency was placed on the market. It was auctioned off on September 28, 1999 and awarded to Liberty Productions, the highest bidder. Orion Broadcasting, who was forced to bid on their own station, came in third.
With less than nine hours notice, on February 21, 2002, WZLS was forced off the air by the FCC. Now under the ownership of Liberty Productions, which had leased out the airtime to Saga Communications, the 96.5 frequency stunted over a period of several days with different formats. After the stunting ended, WOXL signed on with an oldies
format under the name "Oldies 96.5". In its first Arbitron
ratings period, the station debuted in first place. Because of its limited signal due to the area's mountainous terrain, the station added a simulcast partner as 970 WWIT in nearby Canton
was purchased in 2003, becoming WOXL-AM. That station is now WYSE
.
Within a few years, WOXL's ratings started to drop and the station adjusted its format many times, notably to more 70s-based hits as "96.5 WOXL", then rock-leaning Classic Hits
as "Classic Hits 96.5", keeping the WOXL call-letters. On December 25, 2008, the station flipped to Adult Contemporary as "Mix 96.5."
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 Biltmore Forest, North Carolina
Biltmore Forest, North Carolina
Biltmore Forest is an affluent town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,559 in 2008. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Biltmore Forest is located at ....
, USA, the station serves the Asheville area and broadcasts an adult contemporary music format. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications of North Carolina, LLC.
Station History
In August 1987, the FCC allocated a new frequency, 96.5 FM, to the town of Biltmore Forest, near Asheville. Thirteen applicants filed during the filing window. One of the applicants was Orion Broadcasting, a small family-owned company headed up by Zeb Lee. Lee had operated 1230 AM WSKYWSKY (AM)
WSKY is a radio station broadcasting a religious format. Licensed to Asheville, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Wilkins Communications Network.-History:...
in Asheville for many years and had felt that the FM was the future medium for radio listening.
Because of the number of applicants, the FCC arranged a hearing in 1989. During that time Orion tried to negotiate with the other applicants, offering up to 2 million dollars at one point, which they declined. In 1990 and 1991, the FCC's Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and Review Board had both ruled in favor of Orion Broadcasting based on their track record of public affairs with WSKY and awarded the station's construction permit on the condition that WSKY was sold. The station signed on July 29, 1994 under test authority as WZLS with 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...
-leaning album rock format under the "Z96.5" handle (The call sign for the station stood for "Z"eb "L"ee's "S"tation).
In the meantime, some of the other applicants for the license had merged together to form a group called Biltmore Forest Radio Inc., headed up by US House Representative Mel Watt
Mel Watt
Melvin Luther Watt is the United States House of Representatives for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
. The group was successful in pointing out in the US Court Of Appeals in a separate case Bechtel v. FCC (10 F.3d 875) that the FCC's "interrogation preference" was "arbitrary and capricious". This ruling eventually forced the FCC to place a freeze on new station licenses for a time and to revoke Orion's construction permit for WZLS.
On June 2, 1997, after several appeals, WZLS was forced off the air by 12 midnight. Biltmore Forest Radio's WZRQ signed on that same day under a time-brokered agreement with Styles Broadcasting out of Panama City, Florida
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. For a period of 12 hours, both stations were broadcasting at the same time, which caused interference with each other since they were on the same frequency. WZRQ had featured a similar Album Rock format to what WZLS had, with the exception that it was mostly voice-tracked
Voice-tracking
Voice-tracking, also called cyber jocking and referred to sometimes colloquially as a robojock, is a technique employed by some radio stations in radio broadcasting to produce the illusion of a live disc jockey or announcer sitting in the radio studios of the station when one is not actually...
.
In the meantime, US Senator Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
appealed to the US Court Of Appeals on Orion Broadcasting's behalf, and was successful in getting the construction permit returned to the Lee family. On January 17, 1998, WZRQ shut down by court order and WZLS returned to the airwaves after a seven month absence in which station revenue and personnel was lost. On August 1 of that same year, Zeb Lee died. His family carried on in operating WZLS while fighting the FCC for the license of the station.
During the time that WZLS was off the air, a rider was attached to the 1997 Balanced Budget Bill by Arizona Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
which required that new radio and TV frequency licenses were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Since WZLS was operating under a construction permit and had not been licensed yet, the frequency was placed on the market. It was auctioned off on September 28, 1999 and awarded to Liberty Productions, the highest bidder. Orion Broadcasting, who was forced to bid on their own station, came in third.
With less than nine hours notice, on February 21, 2002, WZLS was forced off the air by the FCC. Now under the ownership of Liberty Productions, which had leased out the airtime to Saga Communications, the 96.5 frequency stunted over a period of several days with different formats. After the stunting ended, WOXL signed on with an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format under the name "Oldies 96.5". In its first Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings period, the station debuted in first place. Because of its limited signal due to the area's mountainous terrain, the station added a simulcast partner as 970 WWIT in nearby Canton
Canton, North Carolina
Canton is the second largest town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. It is located about west of Asheville, North Carolina and is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named after the city of Canton, Ohio.- History :...
was purchased in 2003, becoming WOXL-AM. That station is now WYSE
WYSE
WYSE is a radio station located in Canton, North Carolina, that simulcasts WISE's sports talk format from Asheville, North Carolina. Owned by Saga Communications, the station is licensed by the FCC to broadcast with 5000 Watts of power during the day and 30 Watts at night.The station is an...
.
Within a few years, WOXL's ratings started to drop and the station adjusted its format many times, notably to more 70s-based hits as "96.5 WOXL", then rock-leaning Classic Hits
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...
as "Classic Hits 96.5", keeping the WOXL call-letters. On December 25, 2008, the station flipped to Adult Contemporary as "Mix 96.5."