The first station to broadcast from 107.7 in Birmingham was WENN-FM, a simulcast of the popular AM station at 1320 with the same call letters. WENN was the first FM station in Birmingham to target African-American listeners, playing what was then called “soul” music; the station had no FM competition until 1996. When the AM changed formats and call letters in 1983, WENN-FM was well established as Birmingham’s leading station for what is now called urban contemporary music.
In 1998, new owners of the 107.7 frequency moved the programming and call letters of WENN to 105.9 FM and moved the alternative music format and WRAX call letters to 107.7. Known on the air as "107.7 the X", WRAX became one of the highest rated alternative music/modern rock stations in the country. The station was successful, even though it broadcast from a tower atop Miles Mountain in Palmerdale, Alabama, some 15 miles northeast of downtown Birmingham. The majority of Birmingham’s other FM stations broadcast from towers atop Red Mountain, which overlooks the city.
In 2005, Citadel Broadcasting purchased several stations in nearby Tuscaloosa, including alternative music WANZ, whose signal covered Birmingham. Not wanting to own two stations with the same format in the same market, the WRAX call letters were moved to 100.5 FM. On March 31, 2005, "The X" changed frequencies again, moving to 100.5 and becoming known on the air as "The X @ 100.5".[2] On the same day, WUHT "Hot 107.7" debuted, branding itself as "Birmingham’s New #1 for R & B Hits".[3] The station now broadcasts at slightly reduced power from an antenna atop Birmingham’s Red Mountain. Its musical presentation places it squarely between Summit Media's stations, urban contemporary WBHJ (95.7 Jamz) and adult urban WBHK (98.7 Kiss FM). WUHT carries two nationally syndicated shows: Steve Harvey in the Mornings and D.L. Hughley in the Afternoons. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[4]
^Irvine, Steve (2007-08-03). "Blazers sign on with Citadel Broadcasting". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. Retrieved 2008-01-03. The Blazers ISP Sports Network has signed a three-year deal with Citadel Broadcasting to serve as the flagship radio stations for UAB football and men's basketball. UAB football and basketball games - as well as the pregame and postgame shows - can be heard on FM-107.7.
^Carlton, Bob (2007-07-26). "Daniels steps down as Citadel manager". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. Retrieved 2008-01-03. Among the changes Citadel made while [Dale] Daniels was in Birmingham was moving the once-popular alternative station The X (WRAX-FM) from the 107.7 frequency to the weaker 100.5 signal to start up Hot 107.7, an urban station. The X lost listeners after the switch, and in December, Citadel pulled the plug on the station altogether to make way for WJOX-FM, which moved from the AM dial to become Birmingham's first FM sports talk station.
