What's is Surge?

Throbbing bass, four-on-the-floor beats, 120 beats-per-minute; this is what you can expect to find on Surge Radio. A plethora of feel good Dance tracks that have been all but lost to time. Our playlist is based on many years of music appreciation; perfectly crafted and refined. We blend the best Dance Hits of the last several decades with many carefully selected House, Trance, and Drum & Bass tracks that may not have made it to the mainstream charts. Surge is your perfect, uplifting companion whether you're at the gym, cruising the city, or trying to get in the mood for a night out. With nearly 19 years of history under our belt, you know we get it right.

20 Years of Surge History

The station that would eventually become known as Surge Radio was first launched at 8pm on December 28, 2000. Broadcasting on FRS Channel 8 (467.5625 MHz) across the west side of Lancaster, California; FRS Radio Station DPI5 was on the air every afternoon 3pm-9pm with a small playlist of just 48 songs, which slowly would grow to thousands. The rest of the time FRS Radio Station DPI5 was a simplex repeater service. The station gained a following despite sound quality limitations and the unorthodox method of transmission.

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In June 2001, FRS Radio Station DPI5 began broadcasting 24/7, and was alternately known as "Europa Plus Antelope Valley," weaving together a mix of local programming with simulcasts of Europa Plus 106.2 FM in Moscow during the daytime and Digitally Imported Trance overnight. By early 2002, the station had expanded to FRS Channel 3 (462.6125 MHz) in the Quartz Hill area, FRS Channel 10 (467.6125 MHz) in West Palmdale/Rancho Vista, and FRS Channel 14 (467.7125 MHz) in East Lancaster.

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The station opened an IRC chatroom on GamesNet to communicate with listeners, and eventually began streaming online at 24kbps MP3 (same quality as AM radio). After an investigation was initiated by the Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club, FRS Radio Station DPI5 came to an abrupt end on the night of May 7, 2003. The station relaunched a few months later as an internet-only radio station offering 96kbps and 24kbps MP3 streams; offering less simulcasts and more unique programming.

In June 2004, the station began a collaboration with a group from Ukraine, and became known as "Zed Radio, The Online Party Station" which primarily featured a Dance Hits format blended with Deep House and Downtempo with both Russian-speaking and English-speaking personalities, and included various Russian-language syndicated programs from Ukraine-based FDR Media Service, as well as English-language specialty programs of various genres; the most notable being in-house production Mandatory Metal-For True Headbangers with Vaughn "Zombie" Meyer & Kyle "Wee Man" Bundy featuring Underground Metal. The collaboration ended in March 2005, and the station went offline for just under a month.

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On April 22, 2005 the name "Surge Radio" was officially adopted and the station signed on under its new identity. The format started similar to that of Zed Radio, excluding Russian-language programming. Within a few months, the format evolved to encompass a wider variety of music and programming. The music format would include mainstream Dance Hits, Underground Metal, Underground EDM, and local Antelope Valley bands and artists of various genres, including Rock, Metal, Punk, and Hip Hop; as well as a few off the wall additions (i.e. Guy Lombardo's hit from 1947, "I'm My Own Grandpa"). Programming included Democracy Now, Free Speech Radio News, Alternative Radio, and other news and political commentary, as well as Comedy programs, Punk Rock and Metal specialty programs, and simulcasts of programming from Ministry of Sound Radio and Europa Plus Radio.

Surge Radio was briefly apart of the micropower radio movement as it was simulcast on a 5-watt FM signal at 96.3 FM which covered approximately 60% of the Antelope Valley. Later, a 2-watt FM signal at 102.1 FM was added for supplemental coverage, but was shut down after being contacted by KSCA 101.9 FM in Los Angeles. 96.3 FM was shut down shortly after a construction permit was issued for 96.1 FM in Mojave, CA.

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After Surge Radio's micropower radio era, Surge split into 4 separate internet streams: Surge Radio - offering primarily Hard Rock, Punk Rock, and non-music programs; Brutal Surge - offering Death Metal, Black Metal, and Grindcore; Extreme Surge - offering Metalcore, Groove Metal, and Thrash Metal; and The Pulse (named as a homage to late KENU-Pulse 1330 in Washington) - offering Dance Hits and Underground EDM. All of Surge's channels signed off on May 7, 2007 as a result of a proposed royalty rate hike. The Pulse, however, continued streaming, but was later rebranded as "Rave HD, The High Desert's Dance Authority." Rave HD signed off in February 2009.

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In January 2011, Surge Radio made a return as a LoudCity-member internet radio station, with a format which was an amalgamation of various types of music, heavily focused on Electronic Dance Music but also including older Rock, Metal, and other tracks from the original Surge library. Surge was broadcasting, for a time, from a studio at BLVD Today Cafe/King Photo Supply on Lancaster Blvd. In April 2011, after a period of refocusing and refining, Surge became a current-based Dance Hits format; alternately known as "The Surge of SoCal." Surge was promoting shows in the Antelope Valley and shows at various venues across Southern California, including shows in Hollywood, Anaheim, Lake Elsinore, and more. Live broadcasts were conducted from venues like BeX Bar & Grill and Ruben's Bar & Grill in Lancaster, The Avalon in Hollywood, and more. Surge interviewed artists live including Cosmic Gate, Emma Hewitt, and JES; and had ticket giveaways for shows including Chris Lake at Voyeur Nightclub in San Diego. Surge was the only internet station to broadcast from Cosmic Gate's "Wake Your Mind" tour. Surge staff members became infamous for calling in and troll advertising Surge on the Blog Talk Radio program "True Capitalist Radio" with Ghost, ultimately earning them the award of "Best Fail Troll" at the 2011 Ghosties. In early 2012, Surge was simulcasting nightly on KNIZ 90.1 FM in Gallup, New Mexico. The Surge Radio brand was trademarked with the United States Patent & Trademark Office in the summer of 2013. When LoudCity ceased operations in February 2014, Surge also ceased broadcasting. Surge Radio had a final sign off party at Ruben's Bar & Grill in Lancaster, CA.

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In October 2014, Surge Media, LLC was formed in the state of North Carolina. On November 15, 2014 Surge made its third appearance, this time in Duplin County, North Carolina on WEGG 710 AM serving "From The Capital To The Coast!" and W263BE 100.5 FM serving Duplin, Pender, and Sampson counties. The station was branded as "Surge 100". Michael Oaks (owner of Energy98.fm, former PD of KNRJ-Energy 92.7 & 101.1 in Phoenix, AZ and former APD/MD of KVBE-Vibe 94.5 in Las Vegas) was at the helm as Music Director and Assistant Program Director from November 2014 to August 2016. Surge 100 offered a Dance-heavy Rhythmic Hot Adult Contemporary music format, and was infamously known for its remixes. In addition, Surge 100 offered North Carolina News Network, Southern Farm Network, AccuWeather Reports, Local High School Football, Wallace Chamber of Commerce Talk Show, Community News & Information, and Sunday Gospel programming.

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Surge Media sponsored many local events including the Duplin County Sheriff's Ball, Wallace Strawberry Festival, Beulaville Hog Wild Festival, Kenansville Muscadine Festival, Rose Hill Poultry Jubilee, A Taste of Duplin County, and more. Surge was regularly seen in the community, conducting many remotes at various local businesses, festivals, and events.

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On March 1, 2016 Surge Radio expanded its coverage by taking over WSTK 104.5 FM, serving Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Hyde, and Pamlico counties; including New Bern, Little Washington, and Morehead City. Surge quickly grew in popularity, even achieving a 0.5 share in the Jacksonville-New Bern-Greenville market ratings, despite 104.5 not covering the entire market and frequent tropospheric interference issues during certain parts of the day. However, with small businesses in the market being very disappointed by the results of local commercial radio and the advertising dollars of larger companies being controlled by advertising agencies that refuse to invest in anything other than large corporate radio; Surge Media was unable to generate even a single penny from WSTK, and ultimately was faced with the difficult decision to terminate the LMA on WSTK effective August 31, 2016.

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On September 1, 2016 WEGG-Surge Radio 100.5 FM & 710 AM relaunched with all new imaging, and a refocused format with a heavier focus on Dance music; incorporating much of the playlist from The Surge of SoCal. On October 30, 2016 Surge Media entered into a time brokerage agreement with KCXL 102.9 FM & 1140 AM in Kansas City, Missouri and WEGG-Surge Radio began simulcasting nightly 12am-6am (plus Sundays 6pm-6am) on KCXL. KCXL added another translator at 104.7 FM, adding supplemental coverage in downtown Kansas City. Surge began hosting bimonthly events at Papa's Coffee Express in Liberty, Missouri.

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Surge's involvement with the Duplin County NAACP sparked controversy, as the NAACP was involved with lawsuits against local hog farms for civil rights violations (as seen in the documentary, "What The Health?" between time markers 36:30 and 42:10); as a result, the local business community in Duplin County began refusing to do business with the radio station. Surge ceased broadcasting on WEGG on January 10, 2017 but continued streaming online 24 hours a day with the same line up of personalities and mix shows intact, as well as overnights on KCXL in Kansas City. Surge announced that it would expand its time on KCXL with every 1000 new likes on Facebook. Surge soon began broadcasting on KCXL at 11pm nightly.

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Mainstream Dance music was taking an unfortunate direction away from what Surge's long-standing focus had been, instead favoring lower BPM subgenres known as Tropical House, Trap, and Dubstep. Several long-time Surge resident DJs were becoming discouraged with the state of Dance music and stopped producing new mixes. As a result of this new, unfortunate direction, Surge Media was left with a tough decision; either play the mass appeal game, or transition to online radio where the rules don't apply. Surge Media made the tough decision to end the time brokerage agreement with KCXL and signed off on July 17, 2017 at 6am. 11 days later on July 28th, Surge Radio returned as a completely automated internet-only radio stream, apart of the Live365 Network. At the end of June 2018, Surge's Kansas City studio was sold to "Kansas City Loves Oldies" internet radio and Surge's main server was relocated back to Lancaster, California.