W249CK
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
| Predecessor | WWQT, WFOX |
| Founded | November 1, 1965 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States |
| Founder | Hall County Broadcasting Company (original owner) |
| Headquarters | Atlanta , United States |
Area served | Metro Atlanta area, Northeast Georgia |
Key people | Lexie Kaye (morning host), Chris Miller (former program director) |
| Products | Classic rock music radio programming |
| Owner | Cox Media Group |
| Parent | Cox Media Group |
| Website | 971theriver |
WSRV (97.1 FM) – known on-air as 97.1 The River – is a commercial radio station licensed in Gainesville, Georgia, catering to the Metro Atlanta area. Owned by Cox Media Group, WSRV features a classic rock music format. Its studios and administrative offices are located within the Cox Television and Radio Facility on West Peachtree Street, close to Atlanta's Brookwood district.
Transmitting with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts, WSRV’s antenna tower stands near Eagle Ranch Road in Braselton, situated on the northeastern outskirts of Metro Atlanta. The station utilizes HD Radio technology, with its HD2 subchannel broadcasting an alternative rock format titled "The Other Side of The River," HD3 simulcasting talk programming from WSB, and HD4 relaying the Latin Pop format from WCHK.
Initial phase
The station commenced operations on November 1, 1965, under the call letters WWQT, serving as the FM counterpart to AM 1580 WLBA Gainesville (currently WPGY in Ellijay), both owned by Hall County Broadcasting Company. Despite operating at 100,000 watts, its 440-foot tower limited its reach into the Metro Atlanta market.
In 1972, ownership transferred to Radio Athens, Inc., which rebranded the station as WFOX and adopted a Top 40 format aimed at audiences in Northeastern Georgia. Shamrock Broadcasting acquired WFOX in 1983 with intentions to develop it into a prominent metropolitan station.
Relocation to Atlanta market
By 1985, Shamrock repositioned WFOX’s transmission tower closer to the larger Atlanta media market, shifted its format to adult contemporary, and increased tower height to 1,550 feet. Chancellor Media purchased Shamrock in 1989. From January 1989 until January 2003, the station operated under an oldies format branded as "Fox 97."
In 2000, AMFM (formerly Chancellor Media) was acquired by Clear Channel Communications, which already held multiple Atlanta stations. To adhere to federal ownership regulations, Cox Radio took over the station.
Under Cox Radio
Beginning January 31, 2003, WFOX engaged in stunting, simulcasting sister stations across the country such as WPYM in Miami and WAPE in Jacksonville.
On February 3, 2003, WFOX transitioned to an upbeat Urban AC format branded "97.1 Jamz." Initially operating without on-air personalities, it targeted listeners aged 25 to 39 with a mix of '80s and '90s R&B, hip-hop, and current charting tracks. Its primary competitors were WVEE and WHTA, focusing on the 18–34 demographic alongside rhythmic contemporary sister station WBTS.
Classic hits era
On January 1, 2006, the station rebranded as "97.1 The River," offering a combination of classic hits and classic rock tailored for adults aged 25–54. The playlist concentrated on rock music from the late 1960s through the 1980s while excluding pop or dance genres.
The call sign changed from WFOX to WSRV on April 17, 2006, aligning with the "River" identity inspired by the nearby Chattahoochee River. The WFOX designation was reassigned to a Cox-owned station in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Classic rock focus
WSRV gradually adjusted toward a more traditional classic rock playlist while maintaining its "Classic Hits" branding. The station includes select tracks from the 1990s but omits songs from the 2000s. Its "Rock Blocks" programming features three consecutive songs by the same artist—including lesser-known album cuts and live recordings—aired during daytime hours and weekends.
On June 19, 2006, Lexie Kaye became the first solo female morning host for The River (5:30 am–8:30 am), managing all live broadcasts along with remote events and concert promotions. Chris Miller served as program director during this period.
In October 2011, rock vocalist Eddie Money briefly hosted “Money in the Morning” for approximately three months.
By September 2013, WSRV implemented an interactive radio format enabling listeners to rate songs positively or negatively and submit recordings for potential airplay; songs receiving higher approval would be played next.
WSRV also broadcasts digitally via HD Radio, with its HD-2 channel presenting an adult alternative rock format branded "The Other Side of The River." Both main and HD-2 streams are accessible live through WSRV’s website.
Signal
WSRV holds its license in Gainesville, Georgia, with its transmitter positioned near the southern boundary of Hall County, close to Braselton. Although initially serving Gainesville directly, the transmitter was relocated nearer to Atlanta to better access the larger metropolitan audience.
The station's signal reaches almost all parts of Northeast Georgia, including cities such as Athens, Cartersville, Roswell, and Toccoa. Under optimal conditions, the broadcast can extend as far as Knoxville, Tennessee and occasionally Greenville, South Carolina. However, due to the transmitter’s placement, reception tends to be weaker in Atlanta's southern and western suburban areas. WSRV has filed with the FCC seeking permission to reduce its classification to Class C0 and relocate its transmitter closer to Atlanta.
Broadcast translators
The HD-2 subchannel of WSRV, known as "The Other Side of the River," supplies programming to two FM translators: W249CK at 97.7 FM in Duluth operating at 75 watts and W228CA at 93.5 FM in Suwanee with 230 watts. These translators primarily serve Gwinnett County and surrounding northeastern metropolitan areas.
WSRV previously served as the originating station for W243CE 96.5 FM in Winder, Georgia, a low-power 5-watt translator owned by Davis Broadcasting of Atlanta. Initially authorized in 2004 and launched by Radio Assist Ministry in 2007 for speculative purposes, there were plans to relocate this translator to the WSRV/WSBB tower with increased power (250 watts) and antenna height (392 meters), effectively upgrading it to a Class A facility. Following changes in FCC regulations, W243CE was moved to Columbus, Georgia to offer FM service for AM station WOKS (1340).
On April 16, 2018, WSRV-HD3 began simulcasting an urban contemporary format branded "Power 92.3 Jamz" on translator W222AF 92.3 FM in Marietta. This programming arrangement was discontinued by Cox in December 2018 after a disagreement with the leasing operator.