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by | Mar 15, 2018 | Taxus Baccata

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Not to be confused with WEEI.

WEII (96.3 FM, "SportsRadio 96.3") is a radio station in Dennis, Massachusetts. The station airs a sports radio format from Boston-based WEEI-FM. It is owned by iHeartMedia.

History

The station started life in 1981 under the call letters WGTF, operating on 93.5 FM. It moved to 96.3 in 1982[3] (the 93.5 frequency is now occupied by WFRQ) and changed its call letters to WXJY in 1984[4][5] and WNTX in 1988.[5] The station's format as WNTX was "Oldies 96", competing with the larger "Oldies 103" in Boston. The Makkay family, headed by Al Makkay, purchased the frequency in late 1992, and in January 1993, it flipped to a Top 40 (CHR) format as WRZE "96.3 The Rose". In 2003, Makkay Broadcasting sold WRZE, along with its sister stations WPXC and WCIB, to Qantum Communications for $32 million. In 2008, the station, which was originally licensed to Nantucket, was re-licensed to Dennis.[6]

On March 25, 2009 (though the changeover was originally announced for April 1[7]), WRZE flipped formats, becoming a simulcast of popular Boston sports radio station WEEI.

On May 15, 2014, Qantum Communications announced that it would sell its 29 stations, including WEII, to Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), in a transaction connected to Clear Channel's sale of WALK AM-FM in Patchogue, New York, to Connoisseur Media via Qantum.[8] The transaction was consummated on September 9, 2014.

On November 28, 2023, iHeartMedia disclosed in a job posting that it would not renew WEII's contract to carry WEEI programming, with the costs to carry the WEEI network and Boston Red Sox baseball being diverted to hiring a locally-based sports talk host.[9]

References

  1. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-211. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WEII". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 14, 1982. p. 70. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  4. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 25, 1984. p. 78. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  6. ^ Hale, Bill (August 2008). "FM News" (PDF). VHF-UHF Digest. p. 12. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Shemkus, Sarah (February 19, 2009). "Sports radio boosted on Cape". Cape Cod Times. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  8. ^ Venta, Lance (May 15, 2014). "Qantum Sells To Clear Channel; Connoisseur Expands In Long Island". RadioInsight. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  9. ^ Vents, Lance (November 28, 2023). "WEEI To Lose Cape Cod Simulcast". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 28, 2023.

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