WYSE
Encyclopedia
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 affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball
.
format that gave way to a Top 40 format by the late 1950s. Teenagers at that time considered "Nat the Cat," an afternoon host, a favorite DJ . Bob Caldwell of WLOS
worked at WWIT in the early 1960s. The station was known on the air as "Big-IT" and "97-IT" by the late 1970s. The station was purchased by Dan Greene from Sid Watts in 1974.Greene switched back and forth with longtime legend Jimmy Haney working the popular morning drivetime slot. He worked for a power increase for several years and in 1979, WWIT increased its signal to 5000 Watts, but was still daytime only. The Top 40 format, now known as CHR
, continued until the mid-1980s when it gradually switched over to Adult Contemporary.Greene sold the station in 1984. Prior to 1992, WWIT aired Pisgah High School football .The station was sold in 1994, to a new company that took the station Classic rock
as "970 WWIT". It eventually went into bankruptcy by 2000 and was sold, becoming WBCG with a Country
format.
In September 2001, the station was sold to another company that switched the station to Oldies
and reclaimed the WWIT call letters. It was sold to Saga Communications in 2003 and became a full-time simulcast of WOXL's Oldies
format. The station again dropped the WWIT call letters for WOXL. It became WLZR in 2005 and WYSE in 2006.
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...
located in Canton, North Carolina
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 :...
, that simulcasts WISE
WISE (AM)
WISE is a radio station broadcasting an All Sports format. Licensed to Asheville, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Asheville area. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications Of North Carolina....
's sports talk format from Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. Owned by Saga Communications
Saga Communications
Saga Communications is a broadcasting company that owns and operates stations in 26 markets in the United States. The company, which is based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, primarily operates radio stations , but it also operates 9 television stations Saga Communications is a broadcasting...
, 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 affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
radio network, the largest radio affiliate network in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
History
970 AM signed on in 1949 as WWIT (call letters stood for "W"here "W"heels of "I"ndustry "T"urn). WWIT was daytime-only and broadcast with only 1000 watts. It featured a Big BandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
format that gave way to a Top 40 format by the late 1950s. Teenagers at that time considered "Nat the Cat," an afternoon host, a favorite DJ . Bob Caldwell of WLOS
WLOS
WLOS is the ABC-affiliated television station for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina licensed to Asheville, North Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Mount Pisgah in North Carolina. The station can also be seen on Charter...
worked at WWIT in the early 1960s. The station was known on the air as "Big-IT" and "97-IT" by the late 1970s. The station was purchased by Dan Greene from Sid Watts in 1974.Greene switched back and forth with longtime legend Jimmy Haney working the popular morning drivetime slot. He worked for a power increase for several years and in 1979, WWIT increased its signal to 5000 Watts, but was still daytime only. The Top 40 format, now known as CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
, continued until the mid-1980s when it gradually switched over to Adult Contemporary.Greene sold the station in 1984. Prior to 1992, WWIT aired Pisgah High School football .The station was sold in 1994, to a new company that took the station 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...
as "970 WWIT". It eventually went into bankruptcy by 2000 and was sold, becoming WBCG with 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.
In September 2001, the station was sold to another company that switched the station to 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....
and reclaimed the WWIT call letters. It was sold to Saga Communications in 2003 and became a full-time simulcast of WOXL's 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. The station again dropped the WWIT call letters for WOXL. It became WLZR in 2005 and WYSE in 2006.