WHKF
WHKF (99.3 FM, "Alt 99.3") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station broadcasts an alternative rock format.
| City | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Frequency | 99.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Alt 99.3 |
| Slogan | Central PA's Alternative Rock |
| Programming | |
| Format | Analog/HD1: Alternative rock HD2: Contemporary worship music (Air1) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | iHeartMedia (Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WHP, WKBO, WTKT, WRBT, WRVV, WLAN-FM |
| History | |
| First air date | July 1965 (as WSFM) |
| Former call signs | WSFM (1965–1987) WHIT (1987–1988) WIMX (1988–1995) WYMJ (1995) WWKL-FM (1995–2001) |
| Call sign meaning | W Harrisburg's Kiss F M (former branding) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 23464 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,350 watts |
| HAAT | 207 meters (679 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°11′30.3″N 76°52′3.9″W |
| Translator(s) | See table |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | altrock993.iheart.com |
History
The station first signed on the air in July 1965 by Hudson Broadcasting Corp. as WSFM. The studios and transmitter were co-located with WCMB on Poplar Church Road (40°15′45.10″N 76°54′37.155″W) in Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania. Through the 1960s and early 1970s the station's format was MOR like its sister station, but it did not duplicate WCMB. In 1978 the station rebranded as Rock 99 with a format change to CHR ("Top 40") and began competing with WKBO AM 1230 and WQXA-FM Q-106 (in York, PA).
In 1981, the format was changed to adult contemporary and the branding to WSFM-99, then Sunny 99-FM. In 1987, it switched back its format to CHR, branded as 99 HIT-FM with the WHIT call sign. In 1988 Barnstable Broadcasting purchased the station. The call sign was changed to WIMX, the branding to Mix 99.3 and the format changed several times over the years before settling on a mix of "Hot Talk" (WFAN-AM's Imus in the Morning, WJFK-FM's Don and Mike afternoons) and "Hot Music" (rhythmic CHR).
In 1995, the station's owner, Gemini Broadcasting, was on the verge of bankruptcy and sold the station (along with WCMB) to Barnstable Broadcasting. Following the sale, Barnstable changed the station's call letters to WYMJ in March 1995 in anticipation of a format change. On June 30, 1995, the station's format and call sign swapped with sister station KOOL 94.9, moving KOOL 94.9's oldies format to 99.3, branded as KOOL 99.3 (WYMJ became "Magic 94.9", a Hot AC format which did not gain traction in the market and changed formats within months to [WRBT]). Dame Media bought the station in 1997. The Dame Media stations were bought by Clear Channel Communications in 1999.[1]
In 2001, Clear Channel rebranded the station as KISS-FM, changed the call sign to WHKF and changed the format to CHR. Prior to launching, Clear Channel began stunting by playing a continuous sound effect of a small, noisy crowd. As the station's launch drew closer, the voiceover began announcing "Tomorrow at noon ... the talking stops." This was thought to be a direct shot at popular afternoon drive talk show host Bruce Bond, of Wink-104, who has since left that station.
In April 2018, in response to Cumulus Media moving WWKL to 106.7 (thus expanding the station's CHR format to cover Lancaster, York, and Reading), WHKF began redirecting listeners to sister station WLAN-FM and flipped to alternative rock as Alt 99.3 on April 4, 2018. This move removes redundancy with WLAN-FM, and also provides a competitor to Cumulus's WQXA-FM.[2]
Translators
WHKF-HD2 programming (Air1) is broadcast on the following translator:[3]
| Call sign | Frequency (MHz) | City of license | Facility ID | ERP (W) | Height (m (ft)) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W269AS | 101.7 | Carlisle, Pennsylvania | 20863 | 160 | 305 m (1,001 ft) | D | 40°20′43.1″N 76°52′8.3″W | FCC |
References
- 1966 Broadcasting year book, pg C-145
- Portzline, Timothy (2011). Harrisburg Broadcasting. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia. p. 109. ISBN 9780738575070.
- "99.3 Kiss-FM Harrisburg Begins Redirecting Audience To WLAN-FM". RadioInsight. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
- "Station Search Details, W269AS". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
External links
- Official website
- WHKF in the FCC's FM station database
- WHKF on Radio-Locator
- WHKF in Nielsen Audio's FM station database