WMGX first
signed on the air on June 10, 1977. It was owned by Sunshine Broadcasting and played a
soft rock format as "Magic 93". Core artists included
James Taylor,
Carole King,
Cat Stevens and
Carly Simon. Announcers did not talk over the music. Several songs were played in a row, with no talking in between songs. From the mid-to-late-1980s and through the 1990s, WMGX had a unique format, blending classic, soft, and progressive rock with
adult contemporary music. At this time, the station claimed that "[It] never [played] the same song twice [in one 24-hour period]," a boast that it later backed up with a monetary prize to anyone who caught the station doing so. In 1992, WMGX and WGAN were acquired by Saga Communications. On March 9, 2006, 29 years after the station's launch, WMGX changed format, rebranding as "Coast 93.1", and shifted to a
hot adult contemporary format, playing music from the "80s, 90s and Now". WMGX eventually dropped the "80s, 90s and Now" slogan and changed it to "Today's Best Mix" to reflect the
playlist from the current and recent Top 40 charts, minus any songs deemed too hard-edged or rap-oriented. Songs from the last couple of decades also were heard, but WMGX rarely played any song recorded before 1990. As of April 2016, to compete more with long dominant
Top 40 station
WJBQ, WMGX shifted to an
Adult Top 40 format under the branding of "Portland's Adult Hit Music Station". The station currently acts as a hybrid between a hot AC and a mainstream Top 40 station. On Sunday mornings, WMGX airs the
nationally syndicated show
American Top 40 with
Ryan Seacrest. ==The Blake Show (Coast Morning Show)==