View source for WSRV

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WSRV
| logo = WSRV logo.webp
| logo_size = 150px
| city = [[Gainesville, Georgia]]
| area = [[Atlanta metropolitan area]]
| branding = ''97.1 The River''
| frequency = {{frequency|97.1|[[Hertz#SI multiples|MHz]]}} {{HD Radio}}
| translator = {{ubl
|{{Radio Relay|93.5|W228CA|[[Suwanee, Georgia|Suwanee]]|HD2}}
|{{Radio Relay|97.7|W249CK|[[Duluth, Georgia|Duluth]]|HD2}}
|{{Radio Relay|96.5|[[W243CE]]|[[Winder, Georgia|Winder]]|[[WCHK (AM)|HD4]]}}
}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1965|11|1}}
| language = [[American English|English]]
| format = [[Classic rock]]
| subchannels = {{ubl|HD2: [[Alternative rock]]|HD3: [[Talk radio]] ([[WSB (AM)|WSB]])|HD4: [[Latin pop]] ([[WCHK (AM)|WCHK]])}}
| erp = {{val|100000|u=[[watt]]s|fmt=commas}}
| haat = {{convert|483|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = C
| facility_id = 59970
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| coordinates = {{coord|34.1257|N|83.8588|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC}}
| callsign_meaning = [[Chattahoochee River]]
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WWQT (1965–1972)|WFOX (1972–2006)}}
| affiliations = [[Atlanta Gladiators]]
| owner = [[Cox Media Group]]
| licensee = Cox Radio, LLC
| sister_stations = {{hlist|[[WALR-FM]]|[[WSB (AM)|WSB]]|[[WSB-FM]]|[[WSB-TV]]|[[WSBB-FM]]}}
| webcast = {{ubl
|{{listenlive|url=http://www.971theriver.com/stream/}}
|{{Audacy.com|971theriver}}
|{{iHeartRadio|971-the-river-5886}}
}}
| website = {{URL|http://971theriver.com}}
}}

'''WSRV''' (97.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) – branded '''97.1 The River''' –  is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[radio station]] [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Gainesville, Georgia]], and serving [[Metro Atlanta]].  It is owned by the [[Cox Media Group]].  WSRV broadcasts a [[classic rock]] [[radio format]].  The [[radio studio|studio]]s and offices are in the Cox Television and Radio Facility on West [[Peachtree Street]] near the [[Brookwood Hills|Brookwood]] neighborhood of Atlanta.

WSRV has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 100,000 [[watt]]s.  The [[transmitter]] [[radio masts and towers|tower]] is off Eagle Ranch Road in [[Braselton, Georgia|Braselton]], at the northeastern edge of [[Metro Atlanta]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wsrv&nav=|title=WSRV-FM 97.1 MHz - Gainesville, GA|website=radio-locator.com}}</ref>  WSRV uses the [[HD Radio]] technology.  Its HD2 [[digital subchannel]] carries an [[alternative rock]] format known as "The Other Side of The River."  The HD3 subchannel [[simulcast]]s the talk format on [[WSB (AM)|WSB]].  The HD4 subchannel [[simulcast]]s the [[Latin Pop]] format on [[WCHK (AM)|WCHK]].

==History==
===Early years===
On November 1, 1965, the station [[sign-on|signed on]] as WWQT.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1967/B%20all%20Radio%201967%20YB.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1967 page B-42]</ref>  It was the FM counterpart to [[AM 1580]] WLBA Gainesville (now [[WPGY]] [[Ellijay, Georgia|Ellijay]]), and were owned by the Hall County Broadcasting Company.  WWQT was powered at 100,000 watts but only using a 440-foot tower, so it wasn't heard over much of Metro Atlanta.

In 1972, it was bought by Radio Athens, Inc., and would adopt the WFOX [[call sign]].<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1974/B-Radio-All-1974.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1974 page B-53]</ref> WFOX initially aired a [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40]] format, still targeting the Gainesville area of Northeastern Georgia.  In 1983, the station was acquired by Shamrock Broadcasting, which had plans to make it a large market station.

===Move to metro Atlanta===
In 1985, Shamrock moved WFOX's tower closer to the more lucrative Atlanta [[media market]], flipped to [[adult contemporary]], and increased their new tower height to 1,550 feet.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1988/B-Radio-1988-YB.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1988 page B-72]</ref> In 1989, Shamrock was acquired by Chancellor Media.  From January 1989 to January 2003, the station aired an [[oldies]] format as "Fox 97."<ref>Gerry Yandel, "Z-93, Fox 97 Have Changed Their Tunes," ''The Atlanta Journal Constitution'', January 6, 1989.</ref><ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1989/RR-1989-01-06.pdf Information] from ''[[Radio & Records]]'' January 6, 1989</ref>

In 2000, AMFM (the former Chancellor Media) was bought by [[Clear Channel Communications]], which already owned several Atlanta stations. To meet federally mandated ownership limits, [[Cox Radio]] acquired the station.

===Cox Radio ownership===
On January 31, 2003, WFOX began [[stunting (radio)|stunting]] by simulcasting several of its sister stations from across the country, including [[WFEZ|WPYM]] in [[Miami]], [[WAPE (FM)|WAPE]] in [[Jacksonville]], [[KCCN-FM|KCCN]] in [[Honolulu]], [[KKBQ]] in [[Houston]], [[KHPT]] in Houston, [[WBLI]] on [[Long Island]], [[WHZT]] in [[Upstate South Carolina]], [[KINE-FM|KINE]] in Honolulu and [[WJSR|WDYL]] in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].

On February 3, 2003, WFOX switched to an uptempo [[Urban AC]] format as "97.1 Jamz."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2003/RR-2003-02-07.pdf#page=5 |title=WFOX/Atlanta Stunting Results In Urban Format|pages=5|access-date=September 17, 2023}}</ref>  At first, the station ran with no [[disc jockey|DJs]].  Because co-owned [[WALR-FM]] ("Kiss 104.1") was so popular in the Atlanta market playing a more traditional Urban AC format, "Jamz" primarily aired '80s/'90s [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[hip-hop]] and current songs, targeting primarily 25- to 39-year-olds.  The station's main competitors were [[WVEE (FM)|WVEE]] and [[WHTA (FM)|WHTA]], with whom it competed for the coveted 18 to 34 [[demographic]], the same demo that [[rhythmic contemporary]]-formatted [[sister station]] [[WSBB-FM|WBTS]] targeted.

===Classic hits===
On January 1, 2006, the station flipped to "97.1 The River," with a mix of [[classic hits]] and [[classic rock]], targeting people ages 25–54.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2006/RR-2006-01-06.pdf#page=5 |access-date=September 17, 2023|pages=5 |title=WFOX/Atlanta Now Classic Hits 'River'}}</ref> The [[playlist]] was familiar and hit-oriented, like most classic hits stations, but leaned towards primarily rock songs from the late 1960s, 70s and 80s, with no pop or dance music.

On April 17, 2006, WFOX changed its own call sign to WSRV, to match the "River" moniker, which is a nod to the [[Chattahoochee River]]. The [[WFOX (FM)|WFOX]] call letters would move to another Cox Radio station, the former WEFX, in [[Norwalk, Connecticut]].

===Classic rock===
WSRV would later move to a more standard [[classic rock]] playlist, even though it still identifies itself on the air as "Classic Hits."  In addition, WSRV plays a few 1990s titles but no [[2000s in music|2000s]] music. "Rock Blocks," which feature three songs in a row from the same artist/group, sometimes including deep cuts and live material, are featured during the day and on weekends.

On June 19, 2006, Lexie Kaye became the River's first female, on-air personality doing mornings solo every weekday from 5:30 am–8:30 am.  Lexie was the only live on-air personality for the River, doing all remote broadcasts and concert promotions. Chris Miller was the program director for WSRV - FM.

In October 2011, rock singer [[Eddie Money]] became the host of “Money in the Morning,” an experiment that lasted about three months.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/music/eddie-money-has-died/Uc2vQWqIlAuJIKJRdQi36I/ | title=Eddie Money has died at 70 | first=Melissa | last=Ruggieri | work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] | date=September 13, 2019}}</ref>

In September 2013, WSRV upgraded to an interactive radio station. Listeners can control the music by like/dislike the songs, and record themselves then send it to be played on the air. Whatever song has the most likes when the previous one finishes is next to play.

WSRV is currently broadcasting digital radio using the [[HD Radio]] system, and features [[Adult album alternative|adult alternative rock]] on its HD-2 [[digital subchannel|channel]] branded as "The Other Side of The River". Both stations stream live via WSRV's website.

==Signal==
WSRV's [[city of license]] is [[Gainesville, Georgia]], in [[Hall County, Georgia|Hall County]].  Its [[transmitter]] is in the southern tip of Hall County, just across the line from [[Braselton, Georgia|Braselton]].  WSRV can be considered a "move-in" station, since it originally concentrated on the Gainesville area.  While still licensed to that city, its transmitter moved closer to Atlanta to target the larger Atlanta market.

WSRV's [[broadcast range]] covers almost all of [[Northeast Georgia]], even heard in a tiny portion of [[Upstate South Carolina]].  Other cities covered include [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]], [[Cartersville, Georgia|Cartersville]], [[Roswell, Georgia|Roswell]] and [[Toccoa, Georgia|Toccoa]].  Depending on [[radio propagation]] conditions, with a good radio and [[radio antenna|antenna]], the station can be picked up as far away as [[Knoxville, Tennessee]], and at times, [[Greenville, South Carolina]]. Due to WSRV's transmitter location, listeners may have some trouble picking up the signal in Atlanta suburbs south and west of the city.  The station has asked the FCC to downgrade to Class C0 while moving its transmitter even closer to Atlanta.

==Broadcast translators==
WSRV's [[HD Radio|HD]]2 [[digital subchannel]] carries "The Other Side of the River," an [[alternative rock]] format.  It feeds two [[FM translator]]s: W249CK FM 97.7 in [[Duluth, Georgia|Duluth]] (transmitting with 75 watts), and W228CA FM 93.5 [[Suwanee, Georgia|Suwanee]], transmitting with 230 watts.  The translators are heard mainly in [[Gwinnett]] and adjacent northeast metro counties.

WSRV was previously the primary station for W243CE 96.5 FM, a translator in [[Winder, Georgia]].  [[Broadcast license|License]]d for just five watts of [[effective radiated power]], it is owned by Davis Broadcasting of Atlanta.  It was originally permitted in 2004 and started in 2007 by Radio Assist Ministry, a company that speculatively [[Great Translator Invasion|filed for thousands of translator stations]] and then [[local marketing agreement|rented]] or [[flipping|resold them for profit]].

The station had a [[construction permit]] to move to the WSRV/WSBB [[radio tower]], increase to the maximum translator power of 250 watts, and exponentially increase its [[HAAT|height]] from 4 to {{convert|392|m|ft|0|sp=us}}. This would give it the [[broadcast range]] of a [[List of North American broadcast station classes|Class A]] station.  Following a change in rules by the FCC, W243CE was instead moved all the way to [[Columbus, Georgia]], in the west central part of the state, to give an FM signal to [[WOKS (AM)|WOKS]] (AM 1340).

On April 16, 2018, WSRV-HD3 began simulcasting on translator W222AF 92.3 FM Marietta with an urban contemporary format, branded as "Power 92.3 Jamz."<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167869/power-92-3-debuts-in-atlanta-for-now-at-least/ Power 92.3 Debuts in Atlanta (For Now At Least)] Radioinsight - April 18, 2018</ref> Cox removed the W222AF programming in December 2018, due to a dispute with the programmer who was leasing the translator from its owner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/power-jamz-off-the-air/9pv0J9PH4EH53QQHaazMhK/|title = Power 92.3 Jamz is off the air}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://971theriver.com/}}
* {{FM station data|59970|WSRV}}
* {{FCC-LMS-Facility|138393|W228CA}}
* {{FCC-LMS-Facility|146804|W243CE}}
* {{FCC-LMS-Facility|147419|W249CK}}

{{Atlanta Radio}}
{{Athens Radio}}
{{Classic Rock Radio Stations in Georgia}}
{{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Georgia}}
{{COXMG}}

[[Category:Cox Media Group]]
[[Category:Classic hits radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Classic rock radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state)|SRV]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1965]]