WVEI-FM

WVEI-FM (103.7 FM, SportsRadio 103.7) is a radio station broadcasting a sports radio format, largely simulcasting Boston-based WEEI-FM. Licensed to Westerly, Rhode Island, USA. The station is currently owned by Entercom Communications. In addition to WEEI programming, WVEI-FM carries Providence Friars men's basketball,Boston Bruins hockey, and ESPN Radio (despite the presence of a full-time ESPN Radio affiliate in the market, WLKW). Its transmitter is in Exeter, Rhode Island but due to being a simulcast, its studios are located actually in the Brighton portion of Boston.

History

The station signed on October 17, 1967 as WERI-FM. At one time a simulcast of its sister AM station (1230 AM; now WBLQ), in the mid-1970s, WERI-FM became a totally separate station with an automated Drake/Chenault format called "Hit Parade". Eventually, in the early 1980s, the station switched to Stereo with a live album rock format called "Number 1-04", consulted by Clark Smidt. By the mid-1980s, after a major power upgrade, it had become "RI 104", a top 40 station. On March 9, 1987, the station changed its call sign to WWRX, and the station shifted to an album rock format. Though WWRX saw some success in the New London, Connecticut market, management opted to focus on the larger Providence market, and the station moved its transmitter from West Greenwich to Exeter in 1989. The call sign was modified to WWRX-FM on February 22, 1992, concurrent with a brief period of time in which then-sister station WHIM (1110 AM; now WPMZ) discontinued its country format in favor of CNN Headline News under the WWRX call sign; however, the "-FM" suffix was not removed from 103.7 when the AM station reverted to WHIM and the country format in 1993.