Radio 100.1 The Beat (WXBT)

WXBT is a Mainstream Urban station licensed to West Columbia, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Clear Channel Communications outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast at 100.1 MHz with an ERP of 5.9 kW. The station goes by the name 100.1 The Beat and its current slogan is "#1 For Hip-Hop and R&B."100.1 FM signed on August 5, 1975 as WSCQ, Columbia's first All-News station. It was owned by Sanders Guignard with studios located at 1440 Knox Abbott Drive on the Cayce-West Columbia city limit boundary. Ratings for the new station were at the bottom, measuring at a 0.1 in its first year on the air.With the station losing money, Guignard put a stake in the station's ownership for sale in late 1976. It was acquired by Congaree Broadcasters, a group consisting of former WIS-AM veterans Gene McKay (now deceased), Bill Benton, Dave Wright, and Dennis Waldrop. WSCQ retain its call letters, but changed the format to Adult Contemporary with Gene McKay hosting mornings (a position he had held previously at WIS-AM and would hold at WSCQ over the next 22 years). Meantime, station partners Bill Benton and Dave Wright held down various on-air duties while Dennis Waldrop became the station's general manager. The station did very well throughout the rest of the 1970s and on throughout the 1980s as FM became the choice for radio listening. Also, in the early 1980s, WSCQ adopted the "Q-100" handle with the slogan "Lite Rock, Less Talk". By 1991, the handle was changed to "Sunny 100" and a more upbeat AC approach was used.By 1992, WSCQ had found itself in a 3-way battle with WTCB and WAAS (now WARQ) for the Adult Contemporary listening audience as well as declining ratings and revenues from commercial advertising. Management realized there was a hole in the market for older listeners and it was decided to change the format to Adult Standards, but retain the "Sunny 100" nickname. Gene McKay was joined by station partners Bill Benton and Dave Wright as the morning show became "Good Morning Columbia", a mix of talk, news and music. Also, the station greatly expanded its news/talk programing in other parts of the day as the format became more full-service oriented. Almost overnight, the station rebounded and enjoyed tremendous ratings.In early 1997, WSCQ was sold to Benchmark Communications. While early rumors circulated that the station would change formats after the sale, it was not the immediate case and the station retained its Adult Standards format. However, by the end of 1997, Benchmark was sold to Capstar Broadcast Partners which started to consolidate management and programing staff with sister stations WCOS, WHKZ (now WLTY), and WVOC. Longtime WSCQ GM Dennis Waldrop was dismissed in 1997 and "Good Morning Columbia" co-host Dave Wright decided to retire from radio in the fall of 1997. Wright was replaced by former afternoon host Doug Enlow, who also served as the station's program director at the time.By late 1998, almost the entire airstaff of WSCQ was dismissed, reduced to voicetracking all shifts outside of "Good Morning Columbia". Ratings declined dramatically over the next few months, leaving little choice but to abandoned the Adult Standards format. In mid-June, 1999, it was announced that WSCQ would change formats to Jammin' Oldies over the July 4 weekend. In a rare move, uncommon in radio, the station was allowed to say goodbye to its longtime listeners ahead of time. After the dismissal, "Good Morning Columbia" resurfaced within a month's time on Citadel Broadcasting's News/Talk outlet WISW.On July 2, at 6 a.m. WSCQ began stunting by simulcasting sister stations WVOC and WLTY until 4 p.m., replaced by the sound of a ticking clock that lasted for an hour. At 5 p.m. the station launched into its new format. Initially, the station was known as "100.1 Columbia's Jammin Oldies", but became known once again as "Q-100" one year later. WSCQ remained voicetracked in its first year, but eventually added live air talent in morning and afternoon drive times.While most other Jammin Oldies stations nationwide burned out within a period of 12 to 18 months, WSCQ was able to retain the format for a period of four years, becoming one of the few remaining Jammin Oldies left in the country at the time.However, on July 17, 2003, after a period where WSCQ ratings had slowly eroded, the format was finally changed to Urban Contemporary as "100.1 The Beat", taking the new call letters of WXBT. Within a short amount of time, the station had beaten out rival Urban WHXT and Urban AC outlets WWDM and WLXC in the ratings.WXBT is home to the nationally syndicated Russ Parr In the Morning.The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, which also owns Country WCOS-FM, CHR WNOK, Variety Hits WLTY, News/Talk WVOC, and Sports/Talk WCOS in the Columbia radio market.