WKHL (FM)

WKHL (92.1 FM, "K-LOVE") is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Palmyra, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation and is an affiliate of K-LOVE, EMF's contemporary Christian music network.

WKHL
CityPalmyra, Pennsylvania
Broadcast areaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Frequency92.1 MHz
BrandingK-LOVE
SloganPositive & Encouraging
Programming
FormatContemporary Christian
Ownership
OwnerEducational Media Foundation
History
First air date1959 (as WJWR)
Former call signsWJWR (1959-1965)
WRLC (1965-1969)
WCTX (1969–1995)
WNCE-FM (1995–2001)
WWKL (2001–2011)
WTPA (2011-2018)
Technical information
Facility ID12050
ClassA
ERP1,500 watts
HAAT183.2 meters (601 ft)
Transmitter coordinates40°23′28.3″N 76°43′29.8″W
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.klove.com

History

The station was first licensed on December 4, 1959 with the WJWR call sign.[1] It was owned by William N. Reichard.[1] The station was sold effective January 1, 1961 to Radio Music, Inc.[1] On July 20, 1965, the call sign was changed to WRLC, followed by a change in ownership to Harrisburg Broadcasting Corporation effective on August 27, 1965.[1] Another ownership change took place effective April 14, 1969 to Clinton Broadcasting Company, followed by a call sign change on May 15, 1969 to WCTX.[1] By 1977, the station was broadcasting a beautiful music format.[2]

By 1990, the station had switched to an oldies format,[3] but by 1994 the format had switched back to beautiful music.[4]

On November 2, 1995, the station was sold to Quaker State Broadcasing corporation.[5] Following the change in ownership, the station's call sign was changed to WNCE-FM on November 8, 1995.[6] The station's beautiful music format was not changed.[5]

In 1999, AMFM, Inc, through licensee Capstar TX L.P., purchased WNCE-FM (along with WTPA (FM)) for $15 million.[7] On October 3, 1999, Clear Channel Communications announced the purchase of AMFM, Inc., in a deal valued at $17.4 billion.[8] As a condition of the Clear Channel-AMFM merger, the United States Department of Justice forced the new company to sell 99 radio stations in 27 markets in United States, including Harrisburg-area stations WTPA (FM), WNNK-FM, WTCY and WNCE-FM. All went to Cumulus Media.[9] The sale of WNCE-FM was completed on November 28, 2000.[10]

Following the sale, the station switched format to classic rock via a simulcast of Cumulus-owned sister station WTPA (FM).[10] On August 3, 2001, the station's call sign was changed to WWKL.[6] The WTPA (FM) simulcast would continue until 2004.[11]

By 2005, the station had switched to a CHR/rhythmic format, branded as HOT 92. The move was part of a shakeup in the market when sister station WNNK shifted to Adult Top 40 and to counter Rhythmic-leaning Top 40 Mainstream rival upstart WHKF-FM, a move that has paid off for them in terms of ratings. By 2006 WWKL began shifting towards a mainstream CHR direction to compete with WLAN-FM, even though as of 2009 they still reported to R&R/Nielsen BDS Rhythmic Airplay panel.[12] This kind of direction has also sparked debate from radio message boards about stations that decided to add certain Pop and Dance tracks but stay within the Rhythmic realm.[13] Mediabase still reports the station as contemporary hit radio, and despite them not being contemporary hit radio, they have always been a rhythmic contemporary due to WHKF airing a contemporary hit radio format.

In 2011, the United States Department of Justice approved the purchase of Citadel Broadcasting by Cumulus, provided that Cumulus divest itself of three stations,[14] two of which were WWKL (HOT 92) and WCAT-FM (Red 102.3) as well as the "intellectual property" of WTPA.[15] Cumulus chose to swap the WTPA and WWKL licenses, effectively moving the WTPA call sign and the rock music format to 92.1, while the WWKL call sign and the CHR format moved to 93.5. The swap took place on September 16, 2011,[16] after which WTPA changed its branding to 92.1 WTPA.

Cumulus Media placed WTPA into a trust named Potential Broadcasting LLC. On October 12, 2012 it was announced that the trust had sold WTPA to Patrick H. Sickafus, owner of WWSM in Annville, PA.[17] The transaction consummated on January 31, 2013 at a purchase price of $530,000.[18]

Sale to Educational Media Foundation

On November 9, 2017, Educational Media Foundation purchased WTPA for $750,000.[19] EMF planned to transition the station to become part of their K-LOVE contemporary Christian radio network,[20] which in the Harrisburg area already includes translator W269AS[19] and WKHW (FM).[21] WTPA went silent on January 31, 2018 in preparation for the ownership change.[22][23] The sale consummated on February 1, 2018.[24] On February 12, 2018, the FCC granted WTPA a new license, which modified the previous license granted in 2006 from commercial to non-commercial status.[25][26] Two days later, on February 14, 2018, the FCC assigned the WKHL call sign to the station.[6] Prior to this call sign change, a station with the WTPA call sign had been on the air in the Harrisburg market since 1980.[20]

WKHL resumed operations with K-Love programming on March 21, 2018.[27]

gollark: There are actually some controls which hide some controls, add new ones, randomly change existing ones, shuffle them all around, that sort of thing.
gollark: It's not like I make mine easy. The buttons are all unlabelled.
gollark: My software has sub-toolbars to help navigate the "omega toolbar".
gollark: My development style with potatOS is to fix the bugs by layering hacky fixes on top, which have their own bugs.
gollark: Oh, I make sure to find bugs then not fix them.

References
  1. "Broadcast Station License Record". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  2. "Stations by State NE-Territories" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1977. p. C-180. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  3. "Stations by State N-W and Territories" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1990. p. B-266. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  4. "Stations by State NE to USVI" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1994. p. B-318. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  5. "Stations by State NE-Territories" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1996. p. B-361. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  6. "Call Sign History [WKHL]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  7. "Stations by State NE to USVI" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 2000. p. D-385. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  8. "Clear Channel gets AMFM". CNNMoney. 1999-10-04. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
  9. "Clear Channel-AMFM Merger Gets Approval". Los Angeles Times. Washington. 2000-08-30. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  10. "Stations by State NE to USVI" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 2001. p. D-387. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  11. "Stations by State NE-Territories" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 2003–2004. p. D-408. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  12. From bdsonline.com Archived March 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  13. From Radio-info.com Archived July 9, 2012, at Archive.today
  14. "Cumulus gets antitrust OK to buy Citadel". Reuters. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  15. "DOJ Approves Cumulus/Citadel Merger Pending Additional Spinoffs". radioinsight.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  16. "Radio dial rotates 93.5 WTPA, HOT 92.1 and other area stations are undergoing changes". York Daily Record. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  17. Venta, Lance (October 12, 2012). "WTPA Harrisburg Sold". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  18. "Classic Rocker WTPA Sold! Format change next?". mediaconfidential.blogspot.com. October 15, 2012. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  19. "WTPA Harrisburg Sold To EMF - RadioInsight". RadioInsight. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
  20. Adams, Sean (January 12, 2018). "92.1 WTPA will transition from rock music to Christian adult contemporary". PennLive. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  21. "Master Station List [Pennsylvania]". klove.com. Educational Media Foundation. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  22. "Notification of Suspension of Operations". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. February 13, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  23. "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  24. "Consummation Notice". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. February 1, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  25. "Application Search Details [WKHL]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. February 12, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  26. "FM BROADCAST STATION LICENSE" (PDF). fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. February 12, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  27. "Resumption of Operations". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. March 21, 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
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