WCMC-FM 99.9 History

WCMC signed on in 1990 as WFXQ, "99.9 The Fox", a country station operating with sister station WMEK (now WJYK) 980 AM in Chase City, Virginia. The station continued with this format for the next eleven years. When veteran Raleigh broadcaster Tom Joyner bought WFXQ and several other radio properties across southside Virginia in 2001, 99.9 FM's format switched to black gospel as "Rejoice Radio 99.9". Shortly thereafter, 99.9 FM went popular standards as "Stardust 99.9". In May of 2004, Joyner Radio won approval from the FCC to have 99.9 FM reallocated from Chase City, Virginia to Creedmoor, North Carolina, moving the rural Virginia station into the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill radio market. In February 2005, Joyner sold WFXQ to Raleigh's Capitol Broadcasting for $7.25 million. Lakes Media, which had recently purchased Joyner's other Southside Virginia properties, operated the station under a local marketing agreement, continuing the standards format until October 10th, 2005, when the format moved to the company's WSHV, 1370 AM, in South Hill, Virginia. Three days later on the afternoon of October 13th, WCMC "99.9 Genuine Country" hit the Triangle's airwaves from its new Creedmoor facilities with 22,000 watts of power. In October 2006, WCMC moved to a new, taller tower near Youngsville, albeit with a power drop to 8,000 watts to stay within their class designation. The station also launched an HD signal from the new site. WCMC's studios are co-located with sister station WRAL, 101.5 FM, at 711 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. On August 1st, 2007, it was announced that WCMC would drop its country format in favor of a sports format, the Triangle's first on FM. This announcement came in the wake of WCMC winning the rights to broadcast the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. On September 10th, 2007, WCMC began stunting following the N.C. State Coaches Show with classic rock in anticipation of their flip to sports. "99.9 FM The Fan" launched at 3 p.m. on October 10th, 2007. In late 2008, 99.9 The Fan became the area's ESPN Radio affiliate. The classic rock music heard on 99.9 FM during the station's original transition to sports replaced the Christan/positive country format heard on WCMC-HD2. In 2009, the classic rock on 99.9 HD-2 gave way to ESPN audio. Since adopting a sports format, WCMC has dropped its stereo carrier for better coverage.

WCMC-FM 99.9 Gallery