WRYS

WRYS (104.7 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station licensed to Hagerstown, Maryland. It simulcasts a Christian adult contemporary format with WRBS-FM 95.1 in Baltimore and WRHS (103.1 FM) in Grasonville. They are known as "Bright FM" and are owned and operated by Peter & John Radio Fellowship, Inc. The studios and offices are off Commerce Drive near Interstate 95 in Halethorpe, Maryland, using a Baltimore address.^[3]

WRYS

Simulcasting WRBS-FM Baltimore
Hagerstown, Maryland
Broadcast area	Western Maryland Central Maryland South Central Pennsylvania Northern Virginia Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Frequency	104.7 MHz
Branding	Bright-FM
Programming
Format	Christian adult contemporary
Ownership
Owner	Peter & John Radio Fellowship, Inc.
Sister stations	WRBS-FM WRHS
History
First air date	January 1947 (1947-01)
Former call signs	WJEJ-FM (1947–1977) WWMD (1977–2000)[1] WAYZ-FM (2000–2005) WAYZ (2005–2025)
Former frequencies	95.7 MHz (1947)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	25827
Class	B
ERP	8,300 watts
HAAT	420 meters (1,380 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	39°41′47.3″N 77°30′45.9″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	www.brightfm.com

WRYS has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 8,300 watts. The transmitter is near High Rock in Fort Ritchie.^[4]

History

FM 104.7 signed on the air in January 1947. The original call sign was WJEJ-FM, the sister station to WJEJ (1240 AM).^[5] The stations were owned by the Hagerstown Broadcasting Company and were network affiliates of the Mutual Broadcasting System. At first, the two stations simulcast their programming.

In the late 1970s, the FM station began airing its own beautiful music programming as WWMD.^[6] The station was mostly automated and played quarter-hour sweeps of instrumental music, with some Broadway and Hollywood show tunes and a few soft vocals each hour. Over time, the number of vocals increased.

On August 28, 2000, WWMD was traded to Verstandig for WAYZ-FM 101.5 for $2.5 million.^[7] For most of the 2000s, the station was WAYZ, airing a country music format.^[8]

In July 2025, the 104.7 FM facility was sold to Peter and John Radio Fellowship for $3.1 million. The buyer is a non-profit organization that also owns WRBS-FM 95.1 in Baltimore. WAYZ changed its call sign to WRYS upon the sale's closure, while Verstanding retained the WAYZ branding and call sign for use on another of its stations;^[9] the call sign and country format would return to 101.5. Once the sale was completed, WRYS began simulcasting the Christian AC format of WRBS-FM, known as "Bright FM".^[10]