WEGR
Broadcast area | Memphis metropolitan area |
---|---|
Frequency | 102.7 MHz (HD Radio) |
Branding | 102.7 Kiss FM |
Programming | |
Format | Hot adult contemporary |
Subchannels | HD2: WREC simulcast (News/talk) |
Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
KJMS, KWNW, WDIA, WHAL-FM, WHRK, WREC | |
History | |
First air date | March 1967 | (as WREC-FM)
Former call signs |
|
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 58397 |
Class | C1 |
ERP | 100,000 watts |
HAAT | 287 meters (942 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°16′33″N 89°46′38″W / 35.275917°N 89.777306°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | 1027kissfm.iheart.com |
WEGR (102.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Arlington, Tennessee, and serving the Memphis metropolitan area, including sections of Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi. WEGR airs a hot adult contemporary format and calls itself 102.7 Kiss FM. It is owned by iHeartMedia with studios on Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Southeast Memphis.
WEGR is a Class C1 station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, that maximum for most radio stations. The transmitter is on Brief Road in Brunswick, Tennessee.[2] WEGR broadcasts in the HD Radio format.[3] It carries the talk radio programming of sister station WREC 600 AM on its HD2 subchannel.
History
[edit]The station signed on the air in March 1967 . The original call sign was WREC-FM and it mostly simulcast co-owned WREC 600 AM.[4] In December 1975, the station went to an automated country music format with the call sign WZXR. On September 25, 1977, the station switched to AOR (album oriented rock). Except for a brief flirtation with Top 40 in 1985 and 1986, the station played some form of rock until 2023.
Known as "Rock 103", WEGR had been consistently programmed with a classic rock format for more than 40 years. Its mascot was a walrus, which saw numerous incarnations. For a brief period, the station was promoted as "The Eagle", in an attempt to create a brand from the call sign.
For many years, WEGR's studio was located at historic 203 Beale Street. It was moved in 2003 to a facility shared by other area iHeartMedia broadcast stations.
On May 3, 2023, at 5PM, WEGR swapped frequencies with sister station KWNW, becoming the new home of "Kiss FM", marking the end of rock on 102.7 after nearly 50 years. The swap was made due to the pending demise of WMC-FM. The first song on "Kiss FM" after the swap was "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WEGR". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WEGR
- ^ https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=29 HD Radio Guide for Memphis
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-197. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ iHeart Downgrades Rock 103 Memphis to 101.9; Relaunches Kiss FM on 102.7 With Hot AC Shift Radioinsight - may 3, 2023
External links
[edit]- 102.7 Kiss FM Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 742423 (WEGR) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WEGR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database