Besides a standard analog transmission, WSRS broadcasts over two HD Radio channels, and streams online via iHeartRadio.

[4] In May 1940, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had announced the establishment, effective January 1, 1941, of an FM band operating on 40 channels spanning 42–50 MHz.

However, there was a delay in receiving an authorization, after the FCC began an investigation whether newspaper ownership of radio stations should be restricted.

The station owners put on a series of promotional demonstrations, in conjunction with receiver manufacturers General Electric, Stromberg-Carlson, and Zenith.

[9][10] The outbreak of World War II resulted in a shortage of available male employees, and W1XTG began to promote the fact that it was now operating with an all-female staff.

[12] In late 1943, although the FCC's newspaper cross-ownership review was still ongoing, the 1940 application for commercial operation was provisionally approved.

[15] The station began a separate beautiful music format around 1960, playing mostly instrumental cover versions of popular songs, along with Hollywood and Broadway show tunes in quarter-hour sweeps.

In 1985, WSRS evolved into more of a vocal-based easy listening format with the instrumentals eliminated, except for hits such as "Music Box Dancer", "Chariots of Fire", "Rise" and "Theme from A Summer Place".

In 2004, WSRS began broadcasting in the HD Radio hybrid format, simulcasting the analog audio on its HD1 subchannel.

In 2007, it added "Pride Radio", a Clear Channel-produced dance music service aimed at the LGBTQ community, to the WSRS-HD2 subchannel.