New “Wave” of Adult Contemporary for Wausau

After a month running Christmas music, “Wave 100.5” has formally launched on WAVL/100.5 (Rothschild-Wausau) with an Adult Contemporary format.

The station’s Facebook page says the format launched at 6 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 26. It’s positioned as ” the best mix of the 80’s, 90’s and today” with Craig Collins in the morning.

Sunrise Broadcasting moved 100.5’s former Sports format to WXCO/1230 (Wausau), displacing that station’s former Oldies format.

Wausau has not had an AC or Hot AC station for most of the past eight years. WLJY was the market’s heritage AC station, first on 106.5 (Marshfield) for a quarter century before moving to 96.7 (Whiting) in 2006 and then changing format to Contemporary Hits in late 2011. (The callsign is now used by “Y105.5” in Nekoosa-Wisconsin Rapids, which does not reach Wausau.)

In 2014, WMZK/104.1 (Merrill-Wausau) carried a Hot AC format for nine months before reverting to Rock and later being sold to a to non-commercial Christian network.

Over the years, former AC listeners may have relocated to Midwest Communications heritage Contemporary Hits outlet WIFC/95.5 (Wausau), NRG Media’s “Hot 96.7” (WHTQ), NRG Classic Hits station “Big Cheese 107.9” (WBCV Wausau), or Muzzy Broadcasting Classic Hits outlet WSPT/97.9 (Stevens Point).