WAFY
WAFY (103.1 FM; "Key 103") is a radio station located in Frederick, Maryland, in the United States. The station currently airs a Top 40 format and is owned by Manning Broadcasting, Inc.
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City | Middletown, Maryland |
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Broadcast area | Frederick, Maryland Frederick County, Maryland |
Frequency | 103.1 MHz |
Branding | "Key 103" |
Slogan | "Today’s Hits, Yesterday’s Favorites!" |
Programming | |
Format | Contemporary Hit Radio |
Ownership | |
Owner | Manning Broadcasting, Inc. |
Sister stations | WWEG, WARK |
History | |
First air date | 1990 |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 3728 |
Class | A |
ERP | 1,000 watts |
HAAT | 174 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 39.418°N 77.501°W |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | WAFY Online |
The station was created in 1990 by Barbara Marmet, with the intention of having a community radio station for Frederick. Community has always been a main focus for the station. Marmet sold WAFY to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2005.[1] After Nassau went into chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the station, along with WARK and WWEG in Hagerstown, were purchased by Manning Broadcasting, Inc. in May 2012,[2] with the sale being completed on November 1, 2012 at a price of $6.4 million.[3]
Format change
On September 16, 2010 at 9am, Key 103 dropped the "Frederick's Continuous Soft Rock" moniker and began a 20th anniversary retrospective show looking back at the 20 years of the station's personalities, music, and activities. This retrospective ended at 12 noon with a launch into its current Top 40 format, now positioning as "Key 103, Today’s Hits, Yesterday’s Favorites!"
The Station continues to maintain a Frederick community focus.
Trivia
- Key 103's studios are located in a renovated barn on Industry Lane in Frederick. The barn is visible from Interstate 270 just south of its northern terminus, on the northbound side. The silo of the barn had Key 103.1 lettering on it, but that was removed in 2015.
- The name "Key" comes from Frederick's affinity for hometown hero Francis Scott Key.
- The call letters WAFY were randomly assigned by the FCC and have no significance.
References
- Smith, Kevin M. (November 5, 2004). "WAFY sold to N.J. broadcast company". The Gazette. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- Aines, Don (May 9, 2012). "Two area radio stations return to local owners". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- "EMF Buys Dallas-Fort Worth FM From Liberman". All Access. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
External links
- Key 103 website
- WAFY in the FCC's FM station database
- WAFY on Radio-Locator
- WAFY in Nielsen Audio's FM station database