WILLIAMSBURG — 92.3 FM The Tide is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, and Communications Director and morning show host Andy Harris sat down with WYDaily to talk all things Tide.
The Tide began broadcasting in 2005 as an Adult Album Alternative, playing a wide variety of music genres that are not necessarily mainstream and that appeal to both men and women between the ages 25 and 54. The station is owned by Local Daily Media, parent company of WYDaily.com.
Harris, who started with the company as a reporter for WYDaily from 2016-18, returned as on-air talent in early 2020. He discussed some of the changes at The Tide during his tenure.
“We’re more DJ-centric now. The last few years, we’ve added a lot of DJs. We’ve got a full staff of DJs — the only time we don’t have someone on air is overnights. Our team as a whole has come a long way. We’ve had a team that has been together for a long time now,” Harris said.
Harris said one thing that the Tide prides itself on is having a footprint in the community.
“Being out at community events, and being a place where people want to do business with us has been really cool to see. People are really eager to work with us,” Harris said.
The Tide team can often be found at races, golf tournaments, concerts, street festivals, and baseball games, which, according to Harris, is what makes the station special.
“Radio stations have to embrace the local community. That’s an advantage that we have with being local, right here in the greater Williamsburg area, is that we are a huge part of this community. Other stations that we can listen to here are usually in Richmond or Virginia Beach. You can listen to those stations but they aren’t Williamsburg/Historic Triangle-centric. We know before any of those stations about what events are happening. People come to us to promote those events or new businesses. Embracing the local community is one of the best things that we can do besides playing good music,” Harris explained.
It is also the radio home of the Tribe Sports Network in Williamsburg, carrying William & Mary football and men’s basketball.
The station team, along with the staff of WYDaily and Cannon Country 107.9FM, also plans and hosts the biannual Strictly Business, bringing together local businesses and the community for a night of networking, something Harris is extremely proud to have a part in.
“It’s one of the biggest events in the area and it’s ours. We had about 1,700 people at the last one, and to have that many people in one place, showing everything that our company has to share, is just something that is an incredible honor to be a part of,” Harris said.
The spring event at Jamestown Settlement helped kick off The Tide’s anniversary celebration.
The Hometown Radio Interview segment is another opportunity to connect with the community, where Harris speaks with community leaders, event organizers, and businesses to shine a light on events and organizations in the region.
“Having a platform for the community to get the word out is something I’m very proud of. Folks get to come in and really share stuff that is of interest to the community. If I’m bringing someone in here, it’s because I really think that they have something that our listeners are going to want to hear about,” Harris said.
As the Tide celebrates its 20th anniversary, Harris has been thinking about what the next 20 might bring.
“We’re going to keep on the cutting edge of new music and seeking out new bands, new artists, new songs from existing artists that will fit our format and what we do. One of the things that really keeps the lights on around here is having a playlist that keeps listeners coming back. We’re going to also continue to be that platform for the local community, advocating for the local music and business scenes. If we stay true to those things, we’ll be in good shape,” Harris said.
The Tide is currently hosting its summer promotion giveaway, the 92 Days of Summer sweepstakes. Each week, a new giveaway is announced, including concert tickets, Busch Gardens tickets, and more. For more about the sweepstakes, visit the contest page on the Tide website.