WOWE (98.9 FM), branded as "98.9 The Beat" is a

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 radi ...

licensed to

Vassar, Michigan Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,727 at the 2020 census and 2,697 in 2010 (an increase of about 1.1%). The city is located on the western edge of Vassar Township but i ...

. The station features an

urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban conte ...

format targeting the

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...

and

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

markets. Its studios are in downtown Flint and its transmitter is in

Millington, Michigan Millington is a village in Tuscola County, Michigan, United States. The population was 1,072 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Millington Township. Millington and the surrounding area is known as a "bedroom community" of both S ...

History

WOWE began as a mostly satellite-fed station, airing the syndicated urban-adult "Touch" format from ABC Radio Networks. In 1999, with the growing popularity of the

Rhythmic Oldies Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. Playlists can span from the 1960s through the 2000s and, depending on market conditions, may be designed for African-American or Hispanic ...

format nationwide, WOWE switched to

Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...

's "Groovin' Oldies" format. WOWE stayed with the Rhythmic Oldies format for a time after the "Groovin' Oldies" format was discontinued, but has since evolved back to

Urban AC Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

. On May 17, 2021, WOWE flipped to hip hop, branded as "98.9 The Beat".98.9 The Beat Debuts In Flint
Radioinsight - May 19, 2021

Sources

External links

* OWE-FM Urban adult contemporary radio stations in the United States {{Michigan-radio-station-stub