Wikipedia

WHEL

WHEL (93.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Sanibel, Florida, and broadcasting to the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Area. The station is owned by Sun Broadcasting and airs a country music radio format branded as "Trump Country." The studios and offices are on Palm Beach Boulevard (Florida State Road 80) in Fort Myers, near the Caloosahatchee River.

WHEL
Broadcast areaCape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Area
Frequency93.7 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingTrump Country 93.7
Programming
FormatCountry music
SubchannelsHD2: Fox Sports Fort Myers (sports radio)
Ownership
OwnerSun Broadcasting, Inc.
History
First air date
December 1971; 53 years ago (1971-12)
Former call signs
  • WLAJ (1971–1974)
  • WRGI (1974–1989)
  • WLAZ (1989–1990)
  • WRGI (1990–1994)
  • WNOG-FM (1994–1997)
  • WPRW (1997–1999)
  • WTLT (1999–2013)
  • WXNX (2013–2020)
Former frequencies
93.5 MHz (1971–2000)
Call sign meaning
Station was branded as "Hell Yeah" from 2020 until 2024
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID66223
ClassC2
ERP43,000 watts
HAAT145 meters (476 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
26°30′19.3″N 81°51′13.3″W / 26.505361°N 81.853694°W / 26.505361; -81.853694
Translator(s)
  • HD2: 94.1 W231DC (Fort Myers)
  • HD2: 103.3 W277AP (Bayshore)
Links
Public license information
Website

WHEL is a Class C2 FM station with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 43,000 watts. The transmitter is on Ten Mile Drive in San Carlos Park, off Old Route 41.[2] The station broadcasts using HD Radio technology. On its HD2 digital subchannel, it carries a sports radio format known as "Fox Sports Fort Myers." The subchannel feeds two FM translators, 94.1 in Fort Myers and 103.3 in Bayshore.

History

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WALJ-FM and WRGI-FM

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The station signed on the air in December 1971; 53 years ago (December 1971). Its original call sign was WALJ-FM, its city of license was Naples and it broadcast on 93.5 MHz. It was a Class A station, only powered at 3,000 watts, a fraction of its current output.[3]

The station changed its call letters to WRGI-FM in 1974. It became the sister station to WRGI 1510 AM on Marco Island, now dark. WRGI-FM was known as "G-93.5," airing a Top 40 format. It flipped to adult contemporary music during the late 1970s. In 1987, the station returned to Top 40 hits when it became "Lazer 93.5". At first, it kept its WRGI call letters but switched to WLAZ as "Lazer 93.5" in 1989.[4] Its Top 40 format lasted for nearly three years.

WNOG-FM and WTLT

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The station changed to classic rock and returned back to its WRGI call letters on November 19, 1990. It later shifted to an oldies format. In mid-September 1994, the station dropped the format and WRGI call letters. It became a simulcast of WNOG 1270 AM (now dark) airing a talk radio format as WNOG-FM.

On February 17, 1997, WNOG-FM became WPRW with a dance radio format with the station's moniker name "Power 93.5". This lasted until March 24, 1999, when the station flipped to soft adult contemporary as "Lite 93.5" with the call letters WTLT.[5] It later shifted to mainstream adult contemporary.

In late 2002, WTLT's frequency changed from 93.5 to 93.7 FM. This was coupled with an increase to its power, giving it a larger coverage area. In 2010, WTLT moved its transmitter closer to Fort Myers, to more effectively cover Lee County, and the northern part of the market.

Trump Country and Hell Yeah

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On September 16, 2020, the station flipped to automated country music as "Trump Country 93.7", with no airstaff. It used promos performed by a Donald Trump impersonator.[6] The 93X Facebook page announced that it would be "back on a new channel soon!"[7] The Trump-branded country music lasted only three months.

On December 18, WXNX rebranded as "Hell Yeah 93.7" under new WHEL call letters.[8] The station's programmer claimed the switch was made due to Joe Biden campaign officials reaching out to the station. The claim included threats that Biden's new FCC commissioners would revoke the station's license upon his taking office on January 20, 2021, due to alleged equal time violations, though this was likely promotional hyperbole, as both the campaign and FCC never commented on the claims.[9]

In September and October 2022, the station was silent for several weeks due to Hurricane Ian. WHEL returned to the air with the "Latino" Spanish-language contemporary hit radio format normally heard on WTLQ-FM (97.7), which was still out of service at the time.[10] On October 21, WTLQ-FM returned to the air, allowing WHEL to resume its country format.[10]

X Rock and Taylor Swift

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In 2023, the Beasley Broadcast Group shifted its active rock format from WJBX to WRXK-FM to make room for the move of ESPN Radio to 99.3 FM. On June 19, 2023, WTLT dropped its "Lite 93.7" adult contemporary format and assumed the "X" moniker and active rock format. On June 26, 2013, WTLT changed its call letters to WXNX.[11]

On January 18, 2024, WHEL dropped the country format, moving it to WHEL-HD3 and translator W231DC (94.1 FM). The main signal began stunting with all-Taylor Swift music.

Top 40 and Return to Trump Country

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At 9 a.m. on January 22, WHEL flipped back to contemporary hit radio as "Hot 93.7", with the intention of taking on Top 40 leader 103.9 WXKB. Hot 93.7 took swipes at WXKB about its commercial break lengths, music choices, and "national" focus in contests.[12] It also creates a flanker for sister station WFFY against its own rival WBTT. The first song as "Hot 93.7" was "Dance the Night" by Dua Lipa.[13]

On January 20, 2025, the day that Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States, WHEL switched back to its "Trump Country 93.7" country music format. Station promos and announcements continue to use the same Donald Trump impersonator as the first time the station called itself "Trump Country 93.7."[14]

HD Radio

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On March 7, 2022, WHEL-HD2 changed its format from Regional Mexican music to Active Rock. It used the branding "Rock 103.3".[15]

On May 14, 2024, WHEL-HD2/W277AP dropped its "Rock 103.3" format. It switched to a simulcast of WFSX-HD2's "Fox Sports Fort Myers" sports radio format.[16]

On July 1, 2024, WHEL dropped the "Hell Yeah 94.1" country format on its HD3 subchannel and the 94.1 translator, switching to "Fox Sports Fort Myers", simulcasting WFSX-HD2.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WHEL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WHEL
  3. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-45. Retrieved Feb. 24, 2025.
  4. ^ "Radio 1988" – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-97. Retrieved Feb. 25, 2025.
  6. ^ Willman, Chris (September 18, 2020). "Florida FM Station Rebrands as 'Trump Country' — Is It Legal?". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "93X Fort Myers Becomes Trump Country 93.7". radioinsight.com. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  8. ^ "Hell Yeah! Trump Country 93.7 Fort Myers Concedes Its Branding". radioinsight.com. December 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Runnells, Charles (December 21, 2020). "Trump Country signs off in Fort Myers; radio station 93.7 FM changes name to 'Hell Yeah'". Fort Myers News-Press. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Hell Yeah 93.7 & Latino 97.7 Fort Myers Return Home". radioinsight.com. October 21, 2022.
  11. ^ "WTLT Claims X Brand In Fort Myers". radioinsight.com.
  12. ^ "Hot 93.7 Launch Brings CHR Battle To Fort Myers". RadioInsight. January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  13. ^ "Hell Yeah 93.7 Moves; WHEL Stunting With All-Taylor Swift". radioinsight.com. January 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "Trump Country 93.7 Reinaugurated In Fort Myers". radioinsight.com. January 20, 2025.
  15. ^ "Rock 103.3 Debuts In Fort Myers". radioinsight.com. March 8, 2022.
  16. ^ FOX SPORTS ADDS ADDITIONAL FORT MYERS SIGNAL Radioinsight - May 15, 2024
  17. ^ Hell Yeah 94.1 Goes Out With a Whimper Radioinsight - July 15, 2024
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Translators

26°30′18″N 81°51′14″W / 26.505°N 81.854°W / 26.505; -81.854

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