A familiar station on the radio dial has returned with a new sound. WAGX 101.3 FM, the longtime Manchester-based radio station that had recently gone silent, is back on the airwaves with new ownership, a fresh country music format, and a renewed focus on the local community.
After being off the air due to the health issues of longtime station manager and co-founder James Wagner, the station has undergone a major transition. According to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission, ownership of WAGX officially changed hands on April 25, 2025. The new owner is Total Media Group, part of a larger multimedia network based in Southeast Ohio and West Virginia.
The man behind Total Media is Alan A. Stockmeister, a prominent Jackson, Ohio, businessman whose diverse portfolio spans construction, manufacturing, media, and even medical product development.
Alan Stockmesiter, majority owner, Total Media Group, Jackson, Ohio
Through Jackson County Broadcasting—also known as Your Total Media—Stockmeister owns and operates a dozen radio stations, digital billboards, a newspaper, a streaming service, and a printing company, among other ventures.
WAGX now joins that growing media empire. Stockmeister has been a leading voice for Appalachian Ohio and was appointed by former Governor John Kasich to serve on the Board of Trustees of The Ohio State University, where he holds the position of Vice Chair.
Local listeners may have suspected something was brewing when the station came back on the air last week—looping Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Achy Breaky Heart” for days on end. The stunt turned out to be part of a marketing push to announce the station’s new identity: 103.1 Hank FM, offering classic country hits from the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, along with local news, weather, and sports coverage.
WAGX first went on the air in 1992 as an oldies station, founded by Maysville native and then-county sheriff Garey A. Beckett, along with Wagner and a group of local investors. For over three decades, the station has served as a staple for the Manchester and Maysville area. Its return marks both a nod to its legacy and a step forward with modern programming and broader regional support.
The format change to Hank FM aligns WAGX with other stations in the Total Media family that blend nostalgia and local engagement. The addition of WAGX strengthens Total Media’s footprint in southern Ohio and adds Adams County to its expanding broadcast reach.
As WAGX enters a new chapter, the station’s rich history and its commitment to serving the community remain front and center. With a clearer signal, broader backing, and a soundtrack rooted in country classics, WAGX 103.1 Hank FM is ready to ride again.
