WSRV
| 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 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta , United States |
Area served | Metro Atlanta region, Northeast Georgia |
Key people | Lexie Kaye (morning host, 2006), Chris Miller (program director, 2006), Eddie Money (host, 2011) |
| Products | Classic rock music programming |
| Owner | Cox Media Group |
| Website | wsrv |
WSRV (97.1 FM), known on-air as 97.1 The River, is a commercial radio station licensed in Gainesville, Georgia and serving the Metro Atlanta region. Owned by Cox Media Group, WSRV features a classic rock music format. Its studios and administrative offices are housed within the Cox Television and Radio Facility on West Peachtree Street, near Atlanta’s Brookwood neighborhood.
The station broadcasts with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts. Its transmitter tower is located off Eagle Ranch Road in Braselton, positioned at the northeastern boundary of Metro Atlanta. WSRV utilizes HD Radio technology; its HD2 channel delivers an alternative rock format branded "The Other Side of The River," while HD3 simulcasts talk programming from WSB, and HD4 retransmits the Latin Pop format from WCHK.
Initial phase
The station began operations on November 1, 1965, under the call letters WWQT as the FM counterpart to AM 1580 WLBA Gainesville (now WPGY Ellijay), owned by Hall County Broadcasting Company. Despite its 100,000-watt output, the 440-foot tower restricted its reach within the Metro Atlanta area.
In 1972, Radio Athens, Inc. purchased the station, changing its call sign to WFOX and adopting a Top 40 format aimed at listeners in Northeastern Georgia. Shamrock Broadcasting acquired WFOX in 1983 with plans to develop it into a prominent market station.
Transition to Atlanta market
By 1985, Shamrock moved WFOX's transmission tower closer to Atlanta’s lucrative media market, shifted to an adult contemporary format, and increased the tower height to 1,550 feet. Chancellor Media took ownership in 1989 following Shamrock's acquisition. From January 1989 through January 2003, the station broadcast an oldies format under the "Fox 97" brand.
After AMFM (previously Chancellor Media) was acquired by Clear Channel Communications in 2000—who already held multiple Atlanta stations—Cox Radio purchased this station to meet regulatory ownership limits.
Under Cox Radio
Beginning January 31, 2003, WFOX engaged in stunting, simulcasting various sister stations nationwide. On February 3, 2003, it launched an upbeat Urban AC format as "97.1 Jamz." Initially without on-air personalities, the station targeted adults aged 25 to 39 with a blend of '80s and '90s R&B, hip-hop, and current hits. It primarily competed against WVEE and WHTA for listeners aged 18–34, overlapping with rhythmic contemporary sister station WBTS.
Shift to classic hits
On January 1, 2006, WFOX transitioned to "97.1 The River," featuring a mix of classic hits and classic rock, targeting adults between 25 and 54 years old. The music selection emphasized rock tracks from the late 1960s through the 1980s while excluding pop or dance genres.
The call sign was changed to WSRV on April 17, 2006, to better reflect the "River" branding inspired by the nearby Chattahoochee River. The WFOX calls were reassigned to another Cox Radio property in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Classic rock
WSRV transitioned toward a more conventional classic rock format while maintaining the "Classic Hits" branding. Its playlist incorporates select tracks from the 1990s but deliberately omits music from the 2000s. During daytime hours and weekends, the station airs "Rock Blocks," which feature three back-to-back songs by the same artist, occasionally including rare tracks and live performances.
On June 19, 2006, Lexie Kaye became the first solo female morning host on The River, broadcasting weekdays from 5:30 am to 8:30 am. She was also the sole live on-air personality responsible for remote broadcasts and concert promotions. Chris Miller held the position of program director at that time.
In October 2011, rock vocalist Eddie Money took over hosting duties for “Money in the Morning” for a period of roughly three months.
By September 2013, WSRV introduced an interactive listener experience allowing audiences to like or dislike songs and submit their own recordings for potential airplay. The subsequent track selection is influenced by listener voting.
WSRV transmits digitally via HD Radio, with its HD-2 subchannel dedicated to an adult alternative rock format known as "The Other Side of The River." Both the main and HD-2 channels offer live streaming through WSRV’s official website.
Signal
WSRV holds its license in Gainesville, Georgia, while its transmitter is situated near Braselton in Hall County. This relocation brought the transmitter closer to Atlanta to better serve its larger market area, though it retains Gainesville as its city of license.
The station’s signal spans much of Northeast Georgia, reaching urban centers such as Athens, Cartersville, Roswell, and Toccoa. Occasionally, reception extends as far as Knoxville, Tennessee and Greenville, South Carolina. However, due to the transmitter’s position, listeners in southern and western Atlanta suburbs may experience weaker signal strength. WSRV has submitted an application to the FCC seeking approval to downgrade to Class C0 status and move its transmitter closer into Atlanta proper.
Broadcast translators
The HD2 channel "The Other Side of the River" supports two FM translators: W249CK at 97.7 FM in Duluth operating at 75 watts and W228CA at 93.5 FM in Suwanee with a power of 230 watts. These translators primarily serve Gwinnett County and adjacent northeastern metro areas.
WSRV formerly served as the primary station for W243CE at 96.5 FM in Winder, Georgia, a low-power translator owned by Davis Broadcasting of Atlanta. Initially authorized in 2004 and launched by Radio Assist Ministry in 2007, this translator was relocated to the WSRV/WSBB tower with intentions to boost power and antenna height to achieve Class A coverage. Following changes in FCC regulations, W243CE was moved to Columbus, Georgia, where it now provides FM service for AM station WOKS (1340).
On April 16, 2018, WSRV-HD3 began simulcasting an urban contemporary format branded as "Power 92.3 Jamz" via translator W222AF at 92.3 FM in Marietta. Cox Media Group discontinued this programming in December 2018 after a disagreement with the leasing operator.