WWCN

{{short description|ESPN Radio affiliate in Fort Myers Beach, Florida}}

{{for|the North Fort Myers, Florida radio station that held the call sign WWCN at 770 AM from 1991 to 2013|WBCN (AM)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WWCN

| logo =

| city = Fort Myers Beach, Florida

| area = Southwest Florida

| branding = Playa 99.3

| airdate = {{start date and age|1983|10|12}}

| frequency = 99.3 MHz {{HD Radio}}

| format = Tropical music

| erp = 50,000 watts

| haat = {{convert|142|m|ft|sp=us}}

| class = C2

| licensing_authority = FCC

| coordinates = {{coord|26.488|N|81.929|W|type:landmark_region:US-FL_source:FCC|display=inline,title}}

| facility_id = 74286

| callsign_meaning =

| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WQEZ (1983–1990)|WZCR (1990–1992)|WJBX (1992–2013)}}

| affiliations =

| owner = Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc.

| licensee = Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC

| sister_stations = WBCN, WJPT, WRXK-FM, WXKB

| webcast = {{listen live|https://playa993.com}}

| website = [https://playa993.com/ playa993.com]

}}

WWCN (99.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Fort Myers Beach, Florida, airing a Tropical music format branded as "Playa 99.3". It is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group with studios on South Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route 41) in Estero.

WWCN is a Class C2 FM station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts.

History

The station signed on the air on {{start date and age|1983|10|12}}.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41038954/|first=Roslyn|last=Averill|title=Easy-listening radio station to broadcast from Beach|date=October 13, 1983|access-date=December 24, 2019|work=News-Press|page=2B}} Its original call sign was WOEZ. As the call letters imply, it had an easy listening sound.[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1985/B-Radio-All-BC-YB-1985.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1985 page B-54. Retrieved Feb. 13, 2025.] It was powered at 3,000 watts, a fraction of its current output.

From the early 2000s until 2012, it was alternative rock station WJBX, although it flipped later to active rock after its sister station WRXK-FM switched to hot talk. Every December, WJBX hosted a concert called the "99Xmas Ball".

On June 20, 2013, WJBX took over sister station 770 WWCN's ESPN sports radio programming, with the rock format moving back to sister station WRXK-FM.[http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2665948 Beasley Announces Multiple Format Changes At SW Florida Cluster][https://radioinsight.com/headlines/83831/wwcn-fort-myers-moving-to-fm/ Beasley Plays Musical Chairs In Fort Myers]

On May 28, 2021, the ESPN Radio format returned to 770 AM. At that point, WWCN changed its format to tropical music, branded as "Playa 99.3".[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/208860/playa-espn-move-to-new-locations-in-fort-myers/ Playa & ESPN Move To New Locations In Fort Myers] Radioinsight - May 28, 2021 (Playa is Spanish for Beach.)

References

{{Reflist}}