WSMX is a

broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...

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 and serving

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

. WSMX is owned by Blue Ridge Broadcasting Corporation.

History

From its October 1964 sign-on until 1976, this was a

Country-Western Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, old ...

station with the letters WKBX and a 10,000-watt directional signal shaped like a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

. Stuart Epperson sold the station early in 1976 to Randolph Properties Inc. of

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, though general manager

Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (; October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), known professionally as Curly Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the American comedy team the Three Stooges, which also featured his elder ...

said no changes were planned. In July 1976, it became WURL ("World"), the first

all-news radio All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to the discussion and broadcast of news. All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried on both major US satellite radio networks. All-news stations can run the ...

station in the area. On November 3, 1976, Crash Williams said the news format would remain even after the demise of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

news service in mid-1977. Later, the station began airing

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

programming, primarily for an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

audience. The first general manager of the station when the format became African American, with a Contemporary Gospel music and talk format, was Jay Francis Springs, in 1982, when the station was sold to Gospel Media. Other staff members were Leonard "Tippy" Calloway, Al Martin, Nancy Caree, Paul Johnson, Henry "Leon" Harper and Bea Swisher. Early in 2014, WSMX had a

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 millio ...

format as "Radio La Movidita". Local businessman Jerry Holt was leasing WTOB in 2014 but lost the station and took over WSMX, which he had planned to switch to

sports talk Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on-ai ...

. In June 2014, both stations made changes. The

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

and

beach music Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, and to a lesser extent, Beach pop, is a regional genre of music in the United States which developed from rock/ R&B and pop music of the 1950s and 1960s. Beach music is most closely associate ...

on WTOB was moved to WSMX along with some DJs from WTOB. Holt said WSMX would play

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, R&B and other music from 1956 to 1978, describing at as "the music you grew up with", though younger people enjoyed the music too. Among those too young to remember the music when it was new was Aaron Gabriel, a DJ who moved to WSMX after a month on WTOB and hosted "Midday Mojo" with

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

. Dickie Dean's "Afternoon Delight" would follow Gabriel's. WSMX would also air ''On the Beach with

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American ar ...

''. Holt lost the lease on WSMX, and in May 2015, the station was leased by Daniel Williard. IE “Dancin Dan Curtis”. Williard, who is also the lessee of WTOB, moved WSMX into the WTOB building at 3720 Reynolda Rd, and changed the format to 100% Carolina Beach and Shag. Mike Harding, a member of the Association of Beach and Shag Club DeeJays, was named Program Director. Williard leased WTOB and WSMX until early 2016. In November 2015, the

classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...

format from WTOB moved to WSMX temporarily, while the oldies and beach format moved online. The WTOB format moved to WEGO December 18. Nancy A. Epperson and Stuart W. Epperson, Jr. later owned the station. The station returned to Spanish Christian programming until May 2017. Then parent company Truth Broadcasting simulcasted with parent station WTRU for a short stint; then on June 1, WSMX started simulcasting sister station

WSTS WSTS (100.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a southern gospel format. Licensed to Fairmont, North Carolina, United States, the station is currently owned by Stuart Epperson, Jr., through licensee Truth Broadcasting Corporation. History Jim ...

which plays Southern Gospel music. Blue Ridge Broadcasting, owner of

WMIT WMIT (106.9 MHz, "106.9 The Light") is a non-profit FM radio station licensed to Black Mountain, North Carolina. WMIT is a listener-supported ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It airs a mix of Contemporary Christian musi ...

Black Mountain, North Carolina Black Mountain is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,848 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named for the old train stop at the Black Mountain Depot ...

, now owns the station. A translator W235CY broadcasts at 94.9 FM.

References

External links

FCC History Cards for WSMX
{{Daytime-only radio stations in North Carolina SMX (AM) Radio stations established in 1964 1964 establishments in North Carolina SMX