WEAS-FM is a

mainstream urban Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

licensed to

Springfield, Georgia Springfield is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, Effingham County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 2,852 at the 2010 census, up from 1,821 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Effingham County. Springfield is ...

, but serving the

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

Area. The station is owned by

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is an American broadcasting company and is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Audacy and iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 87 ...

. Its studios are located on Television Circle in Savannah and utilizes a transmitter located west of the city in unincorporated Chatham County. WEAS(FM) began operation in 1968 as an

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

station to counter the country music format of the sister AM station (which had formerly been WJIV, with an R&B format, until 1960, and later as WEAS with the country format); the station's format was freeform

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

in the early part of the next decade. By the mid-1970s, the FM station switched to a similar urban format as today, as did the sister AM station, prior to it being sold and changed to a sports information station. The AM and FM stations were used to be owned by E.D. "Dee" Rivers, Jr, son of a former governor of Georgia. WEAS-FM was licensed to Savannah, but moved to Springfield in order to allow

WTYB WTYB (103.9 FM) is a radio station licensed to serve Bluffton, South Carolina, United States. The station is owned by Cumulus Broadcasting. It broadcasts an Urban AC music format targeted to Savannah, Georgia. Station history Originally launc ...

to move to

Tybee Island Tybee Island is a city and a barrier island located in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah, United States. Though the name "Tybee Island" is used for both the island and the city, geographically they are not identica ...

, in the Savannah metropolitan area. The station has historically targeted the African-American population in the Savannah area. WEAS-FM was automated in its first few years, but changed to a live DJ when the format was changed from Easy Listening to R&B.

Former on-air staff

During WEAS's time as Sunday morning Gospel music station: *Deacon Charles L. Palmer who established the "Stairways to Heaven Program (1991-1997) (deceased July 10, 2001) During WEAS's time as a country music station: *JayAllen Brimmer (1960-1969) (deceased) *Norman "Lefty" Lindsey (1961-1970), father of

Lawanda Lindsey LaWanda Lindsey (born January 12, 1953) is an American country music singer. Born in Tampa, Florida, United States, she began her career at age 14 and had her first nationally charted record at age 16 with "Partly Bill". She was one of several ...

*Everett Langford (1963-1967) (was also Chief Engineer) *Tex Lowther (1969-1975) The Bumper to Bumper Club

External links

WEAS-FM official website
* African-American history in Savannah, Georgia Mainstream urban radio stations in the United States EAS-FM Cumulus Media radio stations {{GeorgiaUS-radio-station-stub