The station's original managing director was Jay Oliver, an American who, with his Programme Controller Allen McKenzie (a Scot/Canadian), was responsible for the Mid-Atlantic sound that flooded the West Midlands for three years (including a US-style jingle package).

Its licence was later expanded in July 1987 to cover Shropshire and North East Wales, ostensibly broadcasting from its offices in Shrewsbury on 103.1.

Since January 1989, the station has been FM-only, with Beacon's former AM frequencies of 990 and 1017 kHz becoming branded as a separate service "Nice 'n' Easy Radio WABC".

WABC stood for Wolverhampton And Black Country, and presumably was not meant to be confused with, or identified with, New York City's WABC (AM), former radio flagship of the American Broadcasting Company, or its one-time sister station, current Disney/ABC Television Network flagship station and New York City production center, WABC-TV Channel 7.

The thinking behind this reversion to the 'radio' title had been floating around for a number of years within the company – new digital radios do not promote a frequency on 'FM' therefore as a 'radio' station it should be branded as such.

In July 2009, the stations were sold officially to a company backed by Lloyds Development Capital and Phil Riley[3] called Orion Media.

[4] Separate news and travel bulletins for Shropshire and the Black Country have been retained at peak times alongside advertising.

[5] On 9 January 2012, Orion Media announced that Beacon would be rebranded as Free Radio Shropshire & Black Country, along with its sister West Midlands stations BRMB, Mercia and Wyvern.

The new Hits at Breakfast show for the West Midlands, presented by John Dalziel and Roisin McCourt, began on Monday 29 November 2021.

Regional programming, under the Hits at Breakfast banner, is produced and broadcast from Bauer's Birmingham studios weekdays from 6-10am, presented by John Dalziel and Roisin McCourt.