WSOC FM

1970s

WSOC-FM became a country radio station in 1971.

Don Bell worked at WSOC-FM from 1975 to 1987, hiring many of the station's most popular announcers, and working on the air as well. He played a major role in making WSOC one of Charlotte's top radio stations. Before moving to Charlotte, Bell worked at KFRE and KMJ in Fresno, California and WIOD in Miami, Florida.

In 1977, despite a consultant's view that Country would never be a viable FM format, Bell moved forward with his plans to take WSOC off an automated system and go live from morning to night. Longtime veteran John Harper was replaced with morning show host Bob Call. Call, who thought he was auditioning for a spot on WSOC's AM station, decided to take the job even though he had no knowledge, and at that time, appreciation for country music. Bill Ellis, who started at WSOC as a copywriter in 1975, was given helicopter traffic duties and served as the station's mid-day announcer.

Country music was evolving, and its popularity grew as the result of the movie Urban Cowboy. WSOC-FM was getting ready for big changes.

Edd Robinson moved to afternoons on WSOC-FM in 1979 after 11 years at WAME, which had changed formats. He remained at WSOC until late 1987. Bob Brandon, who also had worked on WAME was hired by Bell in 1981 to do the evening shift. He remained with the station until 1986. He also briefly did a stint under Paul Johnson in 1995-1996.

1980s

In 1980, Bob Call took the job as Program Director at KYGO Denver and WSOC-FM hired Bill Dollar as its morning host. Dollar had worked for WGST in Atlanta, Georgia and was familiar with WSOC-FM owner Cox Enterprises. He wanted to start his own station in Boone, North Carolina and had no plans to stay long. Bell said he liked Dollar's voice and warmth, and the fact that he wasn't funny, unlike so many morning hosts. Bell wanted WSOC-FM to be full service radio like WBT, combining information and entertainment.

In 1982, Dollar succeeded Robert Murphy of WAYS/WROQ, and unlike Murphy, he did it without attacking The PTL Club, often called "Pass the Loot" by its critics. Dollar did not even take advantage of the situation when PTL experienced scandal in 1987.

On June 29, 1987, Bill Ellis did his midday show for the last time before leaving to do the morning show for WSSL-FM in Greenville, South Carolina after 11 years at WSOC-FM. Program director Paul Johnson said Ellis would likely not have replaced Dollar anytime soon, so if he wanted to be a morning host, he had to go elsewhere. Ellis went on to host WSSL's Ellis and James Show, garnering 5 CMA Broadcast nominations. Ellis is currently host of the Ellis and Bradley Show. Bill Ellis was hired on at WSSL by former WSOC general sales manager John Cullen who had become WSSL's general manager.

For seven years, Dollar was Charlotte's top DJ, and in October 1989 after three nominations, he received the Broadcast Personality of the Year award (medium markets) from the Country Music Association.

In Fall 1989, Dollar returned to the #1 position after John Boy and Billy replaced him in the summer, a ratings period during which the market's top station lost to WPEG.

1990s

In 1991, WPEG became Charlotte's top station and remained in that position, though WSOC was still one of the top country stations in the United States.

In 1992, Cox sold WSOC and WSOC-FM, but kept the TV station. The FM station went to EZ Communications (owner of WMXC) as part of a trade with WHQT in Miami, and the AM went to Bible Broadcasting Network.

In August 1994, Dollar had been WSOC's morning host for 14 years, the longest of anyone in Charlotte. But Dollar's ratings with 25-54 listeners were way down, and he returned from vacation, on his 44th birthday, to find he had been moved to middays, replaced in the morning by Paul Schadt and Cindy O'Day. Program director Paul Johnson said the change would attract more younger listeners with "a more contemporary face" and "energy, entertainment and fun." The station tried to claim Dollar asked for the change, but he would not confirm that.

Claire B. Lang replaced O'Day as Schadt's co-host in October 1996. She had previously been a newsreader on John Boy and Billy's show. Johnson called her "outrageous." She would continue as "Inside NASCAR" host on The Nashville Network as well as covering NASCAR for Sports Illustrated.

Dollar was killed in a head-on collision near Gastonia, North Carolina in November 1996, and WSOC declared a day of mourning. Music director Rick McCracken, who also worked overnights, took Dollar's slot temporarily and later returned to late night. Mike Terry, who had hosted middays before, moved back to that slot to replace Dollar, and Jason Dean took over afternoons from Terry. Dean had hosted "The Nite Shift" from Los Angeles on the Blair Garner "After Midnight Entertainment" network, and he had also worked in San Francisco and Detroit. John Crenshaw's "Country Heartlines" continued in the evenings.

WSOC-FM would gain 4 sister stations (WBAV-FM, WBAV-AM, WNKS and WPEG) in December 1996 from Evergreen Media, as part of a multi-market swap (Evergreen received EZ Communications' Philadelphia stations WIOQ and WUSL in return). EZ would then be bought by American Radio Systems in July 1997. ARS would be bought out by Infinity Broadcasting on September 19, 1997, making WSOC-FM a CBS O&O station (Infinity was a division of CBS).

In December 1997, Schadt moved to WKKT after 16 years at WSOC, and in February 1998, WSOC fired Schadt's partner Lang. WSOC was still number two in Charlotte, and hoping to stay that way, when the station added Big Paul and Aunt Eloise of WTQR in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The two morning hosts intended to go back and forth between the two stations, and syndication to more stations was considered. "Big Paul" Franklin was from Gastonia, while the identity of Aunt Eloise remained a mystery. In October 2008, "Aunt Eloise" was revealed to be Toby Young after he was fired from WTQR. The pairing lasted eight months. Dave Temple and Terry Blake would then take over.

2000s

In Fall 2000, WSOC was 12th in the Charlotte market, while WKKT was 5th. Infinity Broadcasting management needed to make changes. Kevin O'Neal became program director and WSOC brought back 12 songs in a row, hired top Columbia, South Carolina personality Jeff Roper as morning host (with Blake as sidekick).

The strategy worked. In Summer 2001, WSOC was Charlotte's top station for the first time in about 10 years.

Roper's Morning Show was named 2003 Country Music Association Broadcast Personality of the Year (large markets) in 2003.

Roper made it to number two among morning hosts in the ratings and left the station as Program Director at #2 in the ratings, behind WLYT (adult contemporary/Christmas music). Roper returned to Columbia to sign on on a new station, WWNU.

Infinity changed its name to CBS Radio on December 14, 2005 as part of the spin-off of CBS' motion picture and cable television assets under a relaunched Viacom.

On February 24, 2009, the Academy of Country Music announced that WSOC had won the major market radio station of the year.

2010s

Catherine Lane, midday personality for WSOC-FM, was nominated for On-Air Personality of the Year by ACM's.

Charlotte Observer writer Mark Washburn calls morning man Rob Tanner "one of the most successful figures in the history of country radio in Charlotte."

On September 26, 2011, WSOC rebranded as "The New 103.7", as well as changing slogans from "Charlotte's #1 Country" to "Country's Hottest Hits". The station dropped most songs before the 1990s, while increasing an emphasis on current music.

Tanner in the Morning welcomed co-host Guenn Schneider on October 4, 2012. Previously, she worked for CBS Radio sister stations WNKS and WKQC.

On October 2, 2014, CBS Radio announced that it would trade all of their Tampa and Charlotte stations (including WSOC), as well as WIP in Philadelphia to the Beasley Broadcast Group in exchange for 5 stations located in Miami and Philadelphia. The swap was completed on December 1, 2014.

In June 2015, WSOC-FM had its highest ratings in the PPM era. The "Tanner in the Morning" show is the #1 morning show in the Charlotte market, and is a nominee for ACM Major Market Personalities of the Year.