View source for WWPW

{{Short description|Contemporary hit radio station in Bowdon–Atlanta, Georgia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{for-multi|the Burlington, North Carolina television station that held the call sign WRDG on channel 16 from 1982 to 1990|WGPX-TV|the radio station that had this callsign until 2024|WRDG}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = WWPW
| logo               = WWPW105.3logo.png
| logo_upright       = .8
| city               = [[Bowdon, Georgia]]
| country            = US
| area               = {{ubl|[[Atlanta metropolitan area]]|Midwest Georgia}}
| branding           = ''Power 105.3 & 96.1 HD2''
| frequency          = {{frequency|105.3|[[MHz]]}} {{HD Radio}}
| repeater           = {{Radio Relay|96.1|[[WRDG|WRDG-HD2]]|[[Atlanta]]}}
| airdate            = {{start date and age|1994|5}}
| format             = [[Contemporary hit radio]]
| language           = [[English language|English]]
| erp                = {{val|61000|u=watts|fmt=commas}}
| haat               = {{convert|367|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class              = C1
| facility_id        = 63406
| coordinates        =
| callsign_meaning   = Power
| former_callsigns   = {{ubl|WYAI (1994–2002)|WMAX-FM (2002–2004)|WWVA-FM (2004–2005)|WLCL (2005)|WBZY (2005–2020)|WRDA (2020)|WRDG (2020–2024)}}
| former_frequencies = 105.5 MHz (1994–2002)
| affiliations       = [[Premiere Networks]] 
| owner              = [[iHeartMedia]]
| licensee           = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations    = {{hlist|[[WBIN (AM)|WBIN]]|[[WBZW]]|[[WBZY]]|[[WUBL]]|[[WRDG]]}}
| webcast            = {{iHeartRadio|3209}}
| website            = {{URL|power1053.iheart.com/}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
}}

'''WWPW''' (105.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]], "Power 105-3") is an [[Atlanta]] [[contemporary hit radio]] station. The station's transmitter is located in [[Newnan, Georgia]] and targets [[metro Atlanta]], also covering its [[city of license]] of [[Bowdon, Georgia]]. It is owned by [[iHeartMedia]] and operates from studios located in Atlanta's Upper Westside district inside the Works ATL development. It addition to its main signal it is also simulcast on the HD2 subchannel of [[WRDG]].

==History==

===Country (1994–2002)===
The station began in May 1994 as [[country music]] "Y 105.5" WYAI-FM, a [[list of broadcast station classes|class-A]] serving [[Carrollton, Georgia|Carrollton]] to the west-southwest of metro Atlanta.  Having [[co-channel]] [[RF interference]] with station WCHK-FM 105.5 in [[Canton, Georgia]] (north-northwest of Atlanta), both stations changed [[radio frequencies]] (the other station now being [[WBZY]] 105.7) and moved closer to Atlanta.

=== 1980s hits (2002–2004) ===
In late February 2002, the station upgraded to a class C1 as an Atlanta move-in. To create hype, the station stunted with [[classical music]] and comedy bits. 105.3 officially debuted as WMAX-FM "105-3 The Max", playing all [[1980s in music|1980s music]], on February 18, 2002, with "[[Video Killed the Radio Star]]" by [[The Buggles]] being the first song played.<ref>Rodney Ho, "New station dishing up all '80s music," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', February 20, 2002.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://formatchange.com/105-3-the-max-moves-in/|title = 105.3 the Max Moves in|date = 18 February 2002}}</ref>

=== Hot talk (2004) ===
On January 30, 2004, at 6&nbsp;pm, after playing "[[It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)|It's The End of the World]]" by [[R.E.M.]], WMAX-FM became a [[hot talk]] station known as "Real Radio 105.3" that aired [[talk radio|talk]] on [[weekday]]s; 1980s music would remain on [[weekend]]s.<ref>Rodney Ho, "Is Atlanta maxed out?," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', January 30, 2004.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://formatchange.com/wmax-becomes-real-radio-105-3/|title=WMAX Becomes Real Radio 105.3|date=30 January 2004}}</ref>  The [[WMAX-FM]] [[callsign (radio)|callsign]] now resides on another [[iHeartMedia]] station in [[Holland, Michigan]], which is currently branded as “96.1 The Game.”

===Spanish music (2004–2005)===
On September 15, 2004, at 10 a.m., following "The MJ Morning Show", the station began stunting with a heartbeat sound effect and Spanish-language liners promoting the upcoming launch of a new format.<ref>[https://formatchange.com/wmax-becomes-viva-105-3/ WMAX Becomes "Viva 105.3"]</ref> At 11&nbsp;pm that evening, the station changed to [[Latin Pop|Latin Top 40]] as WWVA-FM "Viva 105.3", as part of efforts by owner iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel Communications) to expand into [[Hispanic]] [[radio market]]s.<ref>Rodney Ho, "New FM station signals strength of metro Latinos," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', September 16, 2004.</ref> During the last quarter of 2004, it was the second-top-[[listenership|rated]] radio station in Atlanta.

=== Alternative rock (2005–2006) ===
On May 5, 2005, WWVA-FM would begin simulcasting on [[WBZY|105.7 FM]], displacing [[oldies]]-formatted "Cool 105.7", as part of a frequency and format shuffle.<ref>Rodney Ho, "Clear Channel shuffle today," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', May 2, 2005.</ref><ref>Rodney Ho, "Like, where's my radio station, dude?," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', May 3, 2005.</ref> After four days of simulcasting and a brief stunt of a loop directing listeners to the new frequency, WBZY's [[alternative rock]] format would move from 96.7 to 105.3 as "105.3 the Buzz" ("Viva" would then also begin simulcasting on 96.7 FM on May 17, also after a brief simulcasting period). For two weeks, the calls of 105.3 were changed to WLCL, so the local media would not be able to predict the move. After the switch, the calls were changed to WBZY.<ref>Richard L. Eldredge, "The Buzz on the Buzz," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', May 10, 2005.</ref>

===Spanish music (2006–2020)===
On November 17, 2006, at 9&nbsp;am, WBZY dropped the alternative format and "Buzz" branding. Some of the on-air staff were fired and others moved down the dial to [[sister station]] WKLS FM 96.1, which relaunched from "96 Rock" to "Project 9-6-1".  For several days, WBZY [[simulcast]] WKLS until it began a loop telling listeners to tune into the new station, as well as advertising the new [[radio format|format]] of the station.<ref>Rodney Ho, "96rock replaced with edgier format," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', November 18, 2006.</ref> The 105.3 frequency debuted a new [[Regional Mexican]] format under the name ''El Patrón'' at 9 a.m. on November 28.<ref>Rodney Ho, "105.3 FM changed to Regional Mexican," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', November 29, 2006.</ref>

On October 19, 2009, sister station [[WBZY|WWVA-FM]] (then known as Viva 105.7), who had been broadcasting a Spanish AC format, flipped to [[rhythmic AC]] as "Groove 105.7", thus leaving WBZY as Atlanta's only FM Spanish-language station.  This move prompted Clear Channel to merge 105.7's Spanish [[adult contemporary]] format with 105.3's regional Mexican format. The "Viva" format has moved to El Patrón's HD-2 channel.

At 5&nbsp;pm on November 8, 2018, WBZY flipped to Spanish CHR, branded as "Z105.3".<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/171881/el-patron-gives-way-to-z105-3-atlanta/ El Patrón Gives Way to Z105.3 Atlanta] Radioinsight - November 8, 2018</ref> In July of the following year, the branding changed slightly to "105.3 La Z", though it would revert to the "Z105.3" branding the next year.

===Urban (2020–2024)===
On April 20, 2020, sister station WRDA assumed the format of WBZY, with both frequencies simulcasting as a means of transition for the "Z" format.<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/186242/alt-105-7-atlanta-gives-way-to-spanish-chr-z105-7/ “Alt 105.7 Atlanta Gives Way To Spanish CHR Z105.7”] from Radio Insight (April 20, 2020)</ref><ref>[https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/alt-105-off-the-dial-signal-now-simulcasting-latin-hits-z105/La9NYv37jmPpi6ypaxWTrL/ Alt 105.7 is off the FM dial, signal now simulcasting Latin hits Z105.3- Atlanta Journal Constitution] April 20, 2020</ref> At midnight on May 4, 2020, in the middle of "[[Limbo (Daddy Yankee song)|Limbo]]" by [[Daddy Yankee]], WBZY dropped the simulcast and assumed the mainstream urban format of WRDG as "105.3 The Beat" (the first song on "The Beat" was "[[Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial|High Fashion]]" by one-time Atlanta native [[Roddy Ricch]]), as the 105.3 frequency had a much larger signal coverage (at 61,000 watts), albeit covering the Atlanta Metropolitan area from the southwestern portion of the market (roughly 80% of [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton]] and [[DeKalb County, Georgia|DeKalb]] counties, a majority encompasses the city of Atlanta based on its primary signal coverage). Like the WRDA simulcast, this was a temporary simulcast; on May 18, WRDG switched to a simulcast of WBZY as WBZW.<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/186799/the-beat-moves-in-atlanta/ “The Beat Moves In Atlanta”] from RadioInsight - May 4, 2020</ref> The WBZY call letters would move to 105.7 FM on May 11; in turn, the WRDA calls moved to 105.3 FM. A week later, 105.3 would adopt the WRDG call letters from 96.7.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=63406 |access-date=2023-09-18|title=WRDG| website=fccdata.org}}</ref>

===Contemporary hit radio (2024–present)===
On April 16, 2024, WRDG began promoting a "big announcement" to take place at noon that day. At that time, after playing "[[On Me (Lil Baby song)|On Me]]" by [[Lil' Baby]], WRDG's urban format and "Beat" branding moved to sister station [[WRDG|WWPW]] as "96.1 The Beat". After an hour of simulcasting, WRDG assumed WWPW's [[contemporary hit radio]] format and "Power" branding as "Power 105.3." The first song after the move was "[[Lovin' On Me]]" by [[Jack Harlow]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/267502/power-96-1-atlanta-gives-way-to-the-beat|title=Power 96.1 & 105.3 The Beat Atlanta Swap Frequencies|work=RadioInsight|date=April 16, 2024|access-date=August 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U6xWqHLO_A|title= Power 105.3 WRDG Bowdon, Georgia Flips to Power (4/16/2024)|work=[[YouTube]]|date=April 16, 2024|access-date=August 17, 2024}}</ref> The two stations would swap call letters on April 23.

==See also==
*[[List of radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
*[[Georgia (U.S. state)]]
*[[Lists of radio stations in North and Central America|List of radio stations in North and Central America]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{officialwebsite|https://poweratl.iheart.com/|Power 105.3 website}}
* {{FM station data|63406|WWPW}}

{{Atlanta Radio}}
{{Contemporary Hit Radio Stations in Georgia}}
{{IHeartMedia}}

{{coord|33.412|N|84.830|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}

[[Category:Radio stations in Georgia (U.S. state)|RDG]]
[[Category:Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1994]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:IHeartMedia radio stations]]