WSML signed on December 2, 1967, as a daytimer operating at 1190 AM, owned by Smiles of Graham, Inc. In its early years, the station had a top 40 format, but by 1970 it had become a country music station. This gave way to a rock format by 1973, and a blend of country and rock soon thereafter. By 1975, WSML had integrated beautiful music into the format and cut back its country music programming; however, after a sale of the station to Acme Communications in 1976, it reverted to a full-time country format. In 1981, the station was sold to Graycasting, Inc. and became WWOK; a year later, Evans Communications Corporation took over the station and reinstated the WSML call letters. By this time, the station had added religious programming to its country format; religion had become its full-time format by 1987, after having been acquired by Gray Broadcasting Company two years earlier. WSML moved to 1200 AM in 1991, allowing the station to begin 24-hour operation. By the 1990s, programming consisted of gospel music. What had become Graycasting Media sold WSML to Clear Channel Communications in 1998. Clear Channel converted the station to a news/talk format, largely simulcasting sister stationWSJS from Winston-Salem; this filled in a gap in WSJS' coverage of Greensboro and the eastern part of the Piedmont Triad. There was some separate programming — predominantly NC State Wolfpack sports and Sunday morning programming. After Clear Channel was forced to divest some of its stations in order to merge with AMFM Broadcasting, WSML and WSJS were sold in 2000 to Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, which also purchased WMFR from AMFM. CBS Radio, in turn, sold the three stations to Curtis Media Group in 2007. Curtis dropped the WSJS simulcast from WSML on July 15, 2010, replacing it with the current sports radio programming.
Programming
WSML primarily airs syndicated programming, both national programming from ESPN Radio and the regionally syndicated The David Glenn Show, and The Drive. It also carries Appalachian State Mountaineers football and basketball and High Point University Panthers basketball, as well as select additional local sports coverage. Most of WSML's programming is simulcast with WCOG and WMFR; all three stations break away to carry certain programming as necessary. WSML entered into an agreement with the Burlington Royalsminor league baseball team beginning with the 2015 season. All 35 home games, as well as select road games, were broadcast. In addition, WSML became the flagship station for Elon Phoenix sports during the 2015 baseball season. The partnership extends to football and men's basketball starting with the 2015-16 academic year.
