WPOW
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| City | Miami |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | South Florida |
| Branding | Power 96 |
| Slogan | Miami's Party Station |
| Frequency | 96.5 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | June 15, 1985 (as WCJX) |
| Format |
Rhythmic contemporary HD2: Reggae "Pirate Radio" HD3: WQAM simulcast |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 307 meters |
| Class | C |
| Facility ID | 73893 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 25°57′59.00″N 80°12′33.00″W / 25.9663889°N 80.2091667°W |
| Callsign meaning | POWer |
| Former callsigns | WCJX (1985-1986) |
| Owner |
CBS Radio (sale to Entercom pending) (WPOW License Limited Partnership) |
| Sister stations | WBFS-TV, WFOR-TV, WKIS, WQAM |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | power96.com |
WPOW is a Rhythmic Top 40 station serving the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. CBS Radio owns the station, which operates at 96.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts and is licensed in Miami, Florida. Its studios and transmitter are located separately in Miami Gardens.
WPOW is licensed by the FCC to broadcast in the HD Radio (hybrid) format.
WGBS-FM was on 96.3 by 1948.
In the early 1970s, the 96.3 signal was home to a Top 40 CHR station, known as 96 WMYQ (the successor to WGBS-FM, then WJHR), which became 96X (and a call letter change to WMJX) on October 1, 1975. The station briefly changed to an all-disco format in February 1979 (Disco 96), but returned to its prior Top 40 format in November 1980.
The station's license was revoked by the Federal Communications Commission due to the station presenting a series of fraudulent contests during its days as WMYQ and then-owners Charter Broadcasting signed off the station on February 15, 1981. After a statement by vice-president and general manager Bob Allen, WMJX signed off with "The Long And Winding Road" by the Beatles. After the song, the last DJ on 96X, Stuart Elliott, could audibly be heard trying to hold back his tears as he spoke the final words: "96X is WMJX Miami." The station was then taken off the air.
On June 15, 1985, 96.3 MHz was reactivated by Wodlinger Broadcasting as a non-stop Top 40 countdown station (The Super 16) under the same 96X name, this time with the call letters WCJX. The Program Director was Jon Holiday, who evolved the station to a more CHUrban format. However, after the station was sold in May 1986 to Beasley-Reed Broadcasting, they would change format on August 4, 1986 at 7 a.m., when the station flipped to a Dance Top 40 format under the name "Power 96, Miami's Fresh New Music Mix" (with a change in call letters to WPOW), playing mostly dance, freestyle, new jack swing, and early hip hop. The first song on "Power" was "Rumors" by Timex Social Club. Power 96 embraced the regionally blossoming Miami bass sound as well, mixing it into their playlist. The name Power 96 was the idea of new owner/General Manager Gregory Reed, because he felt that 96.5 has so much energy, so much music, and so much fun, that it somehow unleashes the true but raw pure energenic hit music power within the city of Miami, henceforth he christened it the official nickname of this new station and a new format as Power 96.
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Wikipedia