Editing WVMX

{{About|the Delaware, Ohio station named "WVMX"|the Cincinnati, Ohio station formerly known as "WVMX"|WNNF}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = WVMX
| logo             = WVMX Mix107.9 logo.png
| logo_size        = 200px
| city             = [[Westerville, Ohio]]
| area             = [[Columbus, Ohio]]
| branding         = Mix 107.9
| frequency        = 107.9 [[Megahertz|MHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| airdate          = [[1991 in radio|1991]] (as WCEZ)
| format           = [[Hot adult contemporary]]
| language         = 
| erp              = 3,000 [[watt]]s
| haat             = {{convert|143|meters}}
| class            = A
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| facility_id      = 54556
| coordinates      = {{coord|40|14|41.5|N|82|55|49.1|W}}
| callsign_meaning = '''W''' '''V'''ariety '''M'''i'''X'''
| former_callsigns = WCEZ (1991–1997)<br>WLYR (1997–1998)<br>WXST (1998-April 2001; May–July 2001)<br>WJHT (4/2001-5/2001)<br>WODB (2001–2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=54556&Callsign=WVMX|title=Call Sign History|access-date=2010-08-24}}</ref>
| affiliations     = [[Westwood One]]
| owner            = Saga Communications
| licensee         = Franklin Communications, Inc.
| sister_stations  = [[WLVQ]], [[WNND]], [[WNND|WNNP]], [[WSNY]]
| webcast          = [https://player.amperwave.net/7935 Listen Live]
| website          = [https://www.mymix1079.com/ mymix1079.com] 
}}

'''WVMX''' (107.9 [[FM broadcasting|FM]], "Mix 107.9") is a [[radio station]] broadcasting a [[hot adult contemporary]] format. Licensed to the suburb of [[Westerville, Ohio]], it serves the [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]] metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in [[1991 in radio|1991]] under the [[callsign (radio)|call sign]] '''WCEZ'''. The station is owned Saga Communications through licensee Franklin Communications, Inc., and operates as part of its Columbus Radio Group.  Its studios are located in [[Upper Arlington, Ohio|Upper Arlington]] and the transmitter site is west of [[Sunbury, Ohio|Sunbury]].

==History==
The station was first assigned the '''WCEZ''' call sign on April 5, 1991 (as "Easy 108"). On April 11, 1997, the station changed the call sign to '''WLYR''' (as "Lite Rock 108").

===WXST===
107.9 operated as '''WXST''' "Star 107.9" from May 1998 until July 24, 2001, under owners Stop 26/Riverbend and played primarily [[Top 40]]-based 1980s music. WXST was widely credited as the first radio station in the [[United States|U.S.]] to broadcast a 1980s-based [[Radio format|format]] full-time. The web site for "Star 107.9" has been restored and now operates as a tribute site to the original '''WXST''' "Star 107.9", once again streaming 1980s hits, along with voice overs by the original DJs, biographies and detailed history of '''WXST''' "Star 107.9". The call sign was changed briefly to '''WJHT''' on April 23, 2001, but changed back to WXST less than a month later on May 16. The station was rumored to be switching to a CHR/Pop station as "Hot 107.9" at the time.

Before committing to 1980s music, WXST '[[Stunting (broadcasting)|stunted]]' briefly by airing a [[Freeform (radio format)|freeform]] mix of music promoted on-air as the "Wheel of Formats".

The station switched to satelitte-based oldies after Columbus station [[WBNS-FM]] switched from oldies to hot adult contemporary. This switch left no FM oldies station in the Columbus metro area, so WXST quickly moved to fill this void. In the process, the Columbus area lost its only 1980s station. The '''WXST''' call letters now are assigned to STAR 99.7 in Charleston, South Carolina, but licensed by the FCC to the town of Hollywood. STAR 99.7 is an Urban Adult Contemporary formatted station.

The station was later sold to Saga Communications, which also owns AC [[WSNY]] 94.7 "Sunny 95", [[WNND]] 103.5, and [[WNNP]] 104.3.

===WODB===
WVMX previously broadcast a [[Classic Hits]] format as "B-107.9" playing music from the 1960s, 1970s, and occasionally 1980s (as WODB). The station also operated briefly as "Oldies 107.9" and "Oldies 108". The station's most recent slogan was "BIG Hits B-107.9", replacing the previous slogan "Feel Good Oldies All the Time." At first, WODB was playing songs from the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with most of the music from the 1970s and 1980s. But not long after the switch they added more 1960s and early 1970s songs in the playlist and cut back on the 1980s songs.

On January 27, 2009 at Noon, Big Hits B-107.9 switched from a Classic Hits format to a Hot AC format, calling itself Mix 107.9, playing 5,000 songs in a row. The switch was made the day after former MIX 97.1 ([[WBNS-FM]]) switched to a Sports simulcast of its AM sister station [[WBNS (AM)|WBNS]] 1460 The Fan. The switch makes Saga the majority owner of the AC format in Columbus, with the exception of rival Clear Channel's Gold-Based AC [[WODC|WLZT]] "Lite 93.3".

===WVMX===
On February 2, 2009, the [[Classic Hits]] and BIG Hits format returned, at 104.3 FM in [[Richwood, Ohio|Richwood]]. On February 6, 2009, "Mix 107.9" changed call sign to '''WVMX''' with the [[WNNP|WODB]] being reunited with the "BIG Hits" format on 104.3 FM.

During the summer of 2009, WVMX's city of license changed from [[Delaware, Ohio|Delaware]] to [[Westerville, Ohio|Westerville]]. Power was increased to 3000 watts while transmitter height was lowered slightly. As the station is transmitting from the same tower as before, there was no change in coverage area.

On February 2, 2009, Mix 1079 re-positioned as "Today's Best Mix" and eliminated the 1980s from their playlist. This gave Mix a more adult top 40 sound competing against WNCI, while sister stations WODB/WJZA would later flip to "Rewind 103.5/104.3" WNND/WNNP, featuring a 1980s-based classic hits format (in effect returning the format WXST once pioneered back into the market).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://columbusradiogroup.com/ Corporate Website]
*[https://www.mymix1079.com/ Mix 107.9]
*[https://www.star1079.com/ Star 107.9 America's First 80's Radio Station]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=-gkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA84 ''Billboard'': '80s mania reaches new heights with the unveiling of Columbus' Star 107.9]
*{{FM station data|54556|WVMX}}

{{Columbus OH Radio}}
{{Adult Contemporary Radio Stations in Ohio}}
{{Saga Communications}}

[[Category:Hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Columbus, Ohio|VMX]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1991]]