WAXA (1200 AM; "Maxima 97.3/95.7") was a radio station which broadcast a Spanish-language Tropical hits format. Licensed to Pine Island Center, Florida, United States, the station served the Fort Myers area. The station was last owned by Fort Myers Broadcasting Company.
History
This section needs expansion with: the station's programming during the 1990s and early 2000s. You can help by adding to it. (August 2010)
WAXA signed on February 20, 1986, as WDCQ, offering an oldies format.[1] It had changed to a talk format by 1992.[2] Fort Myers Broadcasting Company bought the station in 1995, with the sale not being completed until October 1996;[3] soon afterward, the call letters were changed to WTLQ.
In 1999, the station swapped call letters with 1240 AM and became WINK; four years later, WINK was moved back to 1240, and 1200 became WPTK,[4] offering a separate talk lineup from that offered on WINK. The format was changed to tropical music in October 2005, with some of WPTK's programming being absorbed into WINK's schedule.[5] Another format change, this time to sports talk, followed in August 2008; programming was largely provided by Fox Sports Radio.[6]
WNPL signed on in 2009 to improve the station's coverage in the southern end of the market.[7]
The news format was adopted August 2, 2010.[8] To reflect the "WINK News Radio" branding, the WINK call sign was again moved from 1240 AM (which became WFSX) on August 26.[4]
On September 2, 2013, WINK dropped the news/talk format and adopted their current Spanish adult Hits format as Juan 1200. "Juan" is basically the Spanish-language version of Jack FM, both distributed by SparkNet Communications. WINK also changed their callsign on September 3, 2013, to match the new format as WJUA. It also simulcast on WNPL 1460 AM.
On January 19, 2018, the station changed its call sign to WAXA. On January 22, 2018, WAXA rebranded as "Maxima 97.3/95.7".[9] Fort Myers Broadcasting surrendered WAXA's license to the Federal Communications Commission, who cancelled the license on May 21, 2021. Due to that, W247CR started simulcasting the HD2 subchannel of WINK-FM
Former programming
On weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., WINK had an all-news format; the station also carried WINK-TV's 5 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. newscasts. Originally locally produced, by February 2012 WINK's news blocks (outside of WINK-TV simulcasts) began to be supplied by the Talk Radio Network-produced America's Radio News Network.[10]
The station aired Florida Gators football.[11] WPTK served as the flagship station for the Florida EverbladesECHL hockey team during the 2009–2010 season;[12] the station dropped the team after determining that Everblades coverage did not fit the "WINK News Radio" identity.[13]
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