Hootie guitarist buying two Columbia radio stations

Hootie & the Blowfish guitarist Mark Bryan has partnered with Kirk Litton of Hometown Columbia to purchase two Columbia radio stations -- WWNU-FM Carolina 92.1 and WWNQ-FM Country Legends 94.3. Both stations were formerly owned by Double O Radio. The deal is a joint venture of Hometown Columbia, Davis Media and Triple M Broadcasting.

WWNU will change formats from light adult contemporary to what Hometown Columbia, in a press release, referred to as “handpicked music.” A variety of rock-based formats will be played. The station, which has been dubbed The Palm, will also broadcast games of the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

WWNQ, which uses the Country Legends tag, will continue broadcasting the genre, but the playlist will be updated.

In April, “Good Morning Columbia,” the morning news and talk program hosted by Doug Enlow, Bill Benton and Charlie Benton, began broadcasting on Carolina 92.1 after more than a decade on WISW-AM 1320. When reached Friday evening, Kirk Litton, Hometown Columbia's owner and president, said “GMC” would be broadcast on WWNQ starting July 5.

Mike Allen, a veteran of WCOO-FM The Bridge 105.5, a Charleston rock station, will take over as WWNU's music director and morning host. According the a press release, Bryan will be a regular guest on the station.

Otis R. Taylor, Jr.

This story was originally published June 29, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Hootie guitarist buying two Columbia radio stations."