The station signed on in May 1986. Though it initially was planned to be a classical music station as WWGH, it instead signed on as WIAV, "Wave 96", with a Top 40/CHR format. It had been constructed by Elleck Seymour of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, who conceived a network of stations serving mid-Atlantic beach communities. After already dealing with technical problems, a lightning strike caused the station to leave the air in October 1987. The parent company, Resort Broadcasting, then filed for bankruptcy organization in March 1988.[6] It was then co-owned with WVAB (1550 AM).
Bishop L.E. Willis later bought the two stations and then bought 92.1, later spinning off WVAB. It then shifted to a dance-leaning CHR as WKSV, "Kiss 96", in December 1988. Six months later, in May 1989, it flipped to a Christian adult contemporary format after WXRI was sold; the station inherited WXRI's music catalog. The format was tweaked to a more adult contemporary version in March 1990.[7]
In May 1991, after several months off air due to storm damage, WKSV returned as urban contemporary "Touch 96";[8]WMYK then flipped to rock in June.[9] It formed a simulcast with a new WMYK on 92.1 MHz.[10]
In October 1993, Willis sold the station to current owner Sinclair Telecable. Shortly after the sale, WMYA left the air for three weeks; it then flipped to its current format and "96X" branding on October 25.[11]
In 1995, in order to fill a coverage gap in the core portion of Hampton Roads, they put their new 250 watt translator at 106.1 MHz (W291AE) on the air; it was best heard in downtown Norfolk to help eliminate signal dropout in the downtown area. The translator existed until 2004, when WUSH was born.[12]
On July 22, 1998, WROX-FM shifted to Top 40/CHR. The station terminated all of their on air personalities.[13] This proved to be extremely unpopular with locals,[14] as the station reverted back to alternative rock one year later on July 16, 1999.[15] The station's call letters did not change during this time.
On June 24, 2019, WROX-FM shifted its format from alternative rock to adult album alternative, still branded as "96X".[16]
On June 29, 2020, 96X quietly changed its format back to alternative rock in the midst of iHeartRadio's abrupt format flip of WNOH, launching an African American-oriented national news radio network.[citation needed]
