WAXA


For the South Carolina TV station that formerly used these call letters, see WMYA-TV.
WAXA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Tropical hits format. Licensed to Pine Island Center, Florida, United States, the station serves the Fort Myers area. The station is currently owned by Fort Myers Broadcasting Company.

History

WAXA signed on February 20, 1986 as WDCQ, offering an oldies format. It had changed to a talk format by 1992. Fort Myers Broadcasting Company bought the station in 1995, with the sale not being completed until October 1996; soon afterward, the call letters were changed to WTLQ.
In 1999, the station swapped call letters with 1240 AM and became WINK; four years later, WINK was moved back to 1240, and 1200 became WPTK, offering a separate talk lineup from that offered on WINK. The format was changed to tropical music in October 2005, with some of WPTK's programming being absorbed into WINK's schedule. Another format change, this time to sports talk, followed in August 2008; programming was largely provided by Fox Sports Radio.
WNPL signed on in 2009 to improve the station's coverage in the southern end of the market.
The news format was adopted August 2, 2010. To reflect the "WINK News Radio" branding, the WINK call sign was again moved from 1240 AM on August 26.
On September 2, 2013, WINK dropped the news/talk format and adopted their current Spanish adult Hits format as Juan 1200. "Juan" is basically the Spanish-language version of Jack FM, both distributed by SparkNet Communications. WINK also changed their callsign on September 3, 2013 to match the new format as WJUA. It also simulcasts on WNPL 1460 AM.
On January 19, 2018, the station changed its call sign to WAXA. On January 22, 2018, WAXA rebranded as "Maxima 97.3/95.7".

Former programming

On weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., WINK had an all-news format; the station also carried WINK-TV's 5 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. newscasts. Originally locally-produced, by February 2012 WINK's news blocks began to be supplied by the Talk Radio Network-produced America's Radio News Network. Outside of its news blocks, the station carried the syndicated talk shows The Dave Ramsey Show, and Red Eye Radio. Weekend programming included WINK-TV's weekend morning newscasts, additional syndicated and brokered talk shows, Bloomberg Radio, and Meet the Press.
During its all-news programming, WINK used the resources of WINK-TV, The News-Press, and the Naples Daily News for local news. It also carried CNN Radio newscasts, as well as financial reports from MarketWatch.
The station aired Florida Gators football. WPTK served as the flagship station for the Florida Everblades ECHL hockey team during the 2009-2010 season; the station dropped the team after determining that Everblades coverage did not fit the "WINK News Radio" identity. Other sports broadcasts carried by WPTK as a sports station include Florida State Seminoles football, South Florida Bulls football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Florida Firecats, and spring training games of the Minnesota Twins.

Former logos