sale was approved in mid-January 1994. BPI decided to merge WCKZ's rhythmic format with WPEG in order to eliminate the competition between the two stations. (The "Kiss-FM" moniker, with a more Mainstream Top 40 format, was relaunched on 95.1 FM in May 1996.) WBAV-FM On January 24, 1994, at 2 p.m., WCKZ flipped to Urban AC, branded as "V 101.9." New WBAV-FM call letters were adopted on January 24. (The WBAV call letters were assigned on February 11 to co-owned station WGIV. Following a format change, the AM station returned to the WGIV call letters in May 1997.) Broadcasting Partners merged with Evergreen Media in May 1995. In December 1996, as part of a multi-market swap, WBAV-FM, along with Evergreen's four other Charlotte stations, were traded to EZ Communications (owners of WSOC-FM and WSSS. WRFX then went to SFX Broadcasting, with Evergreen receiving EZ Communications' Philadelphia stations WIOQ and WUSL in return. In July, EZ Communications was bought by American Radio Systems. ARS was bought out by Infinity Broadcasting on September 19, 1997. Infinity changed its name to CBS Radio in December 2005 as part of the spin-off of CBS' motion picture and cable television assets under a relaunched Viacom. On January 22, 2004, WBAV-FM dropped the syndicated Tom Joyner morning show. That program moved to WQNC. WBAV-FM was one of only three Urban Adult Contemporary stations owned by CBS Radio, the other two being KTWV in Los Angeles and the now defunct WJBW/WNEW-FM/WUUB in West Palm Beach. Charlotte was also the only market where CBS Radio operated two full-powered urban stations, WBAV-FM and WPEG. On October 2, 2014, CBS Radio announced that it would trade all of the company's Tampa and Charlotte stations (including WBAV), as well as WIP in Philadelphia to the Beasley Broadcast Group in exchange for five stations located in Miami and Philadelphia. The swap was completed on December 1, 2014. The trade brought the 101.9 frequency back to its former owners for the first time since 1993. References External links WBAV-FM Website BAV-FM BAV-FM Radio stations established in 1947 Urban adult contemporary radio stations in the United States 1947 establishments in North Carolina BAV-FM