WCTL

Last updated
WCTL
106.3 WCTL-Erie, PA.png
City Erie, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Erie, Pennsylvania
Frequency 106.3 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding106.3 WCTL
Programming
Format Contemporary Christian
Ownership
OwnerInspiration Time, Inc.
History
First air date
April 23, 1967 (as WBVB) [1]
Former call signs
WBVB (1967–1972)
Call sign meaning
With Christ, There's Life
Technical information
Facility ID 28774
Class A
ERP 860 watts
HAAT 262.1 meters
Transmitter coordinates
 42°00′04″N79°52′34″W / 42.001°N 79.876°W / 42.001; -79.876
Translator(s) 93.1 W226BQ (Girard)
99.1 W256AL (North East)
105.9 W290BI (Erie)
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website wctl.org

WCTL is a Christian radio station on 106.3 FM in Erie, Pennsylvania. The station is owned and operated by Inspiration Time, Inc.

Contents

History

The 106.3 license began operations as WBVB, licensed to Union City, on April 23, 1967. [1] The call letters came from the original owners, William E. Baker and Virgil A. Brown. [2] The four-month-old FM outlet would go through a major transformation when a group of 21 Christian businessmen and pastors, organized as Inspiration Time, Inc., became a part-owner of the Bee Bee Broadcasting Company on October 3, 1967 [3] (with FCC approval obtained in early 1968); when Inspiration Time bought the station outright in 1971, it changed the call letters to the present WCTL on February 1, 1972; a power increase from 435 to 3,000 watts followed that April. [2] A translator in Erie was first established in 1978. [3]

The station grew again in the early 1990s when it increased its power to 6,000 watts. A translator was also briefly put into service in Oil City [3] before it was displaced by a new full-service FM station. More translators were built in North East, Warren, and Jamestown, New York; the Warren and Jamestown translators, as well as WYVL in Youngsville, a station that had been donated to Inspiration Time by original WBVB owner Baker at his death, [3] were sold to the Calvary Church of Russell in 2012 and now operate as a separate Christian radio station. [4]

In 2017, in conjunction with WCTL's 50th anniversary, Inspiration Time conducted a capital fundraising campaign to fund the purchase of radio station WZTE from Mercyhurst University in order to change its community of license to Union City. By maintaining a station licensed to Union City, WCTL would be able to change its city of license to Erie and move its signal closer to the population center of Erie County. The FCC granted construction permits for the project; on January 2, 2019 construction was completed, and program testing began on the new WCTL facility near the intersection of US 19 and Interstate 90.

Since the mid-1980s, WCTL has provided live coverage of high school football contests as a service to the community, expanding from single team coverage to multiple schools in 1993.

Translators

WCTL has translators in towns in either direction along the shore of Lake Erie. The Girard translator is owned by Girard Alliance Church.

Broadcast translators of WCTL
Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license Facility
ID 		ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Class FCC info
W256AL99.1 North East, Pennsylvania 141622200−0.2 m (−0.66 ft)D FCC LMS
W226BQ93.1 Girard, Pennsylvania 141643384.6 m (15 ft)D FCC LMS
W290BI105.9 Erie, Pennsylvania 141612180262 m (860 ft)D FCC LMS

Related Research Articles

Low-power broadcasting Type of broadcasting station

Low-power broadcasting is broadcasting by a broadcast station at a low electric power to a smaller service area than "full power" stations within the same region. It is often distinguished from "micropower broadcasting" and broadcast translators. LPAM, LPFM and LPTV are in various levels of use across the world, varying widely based on the laws and their enforcement.

WVFJ-FM Radio station in Greenville, Georgia

WVFJ-FM is a Christian radio station that serves southwestern metro Atlanta and western central Georgia, and has listeners in the nearby metro areas of Columbus, Georgia and Auburn, Alabama, and to some extent west of Macon, Georgia. Its city of license is Greenville, Georgia. The WVFJ studio is located in Tyrone, Georgia. It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian format.

WRCA is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Watertown, Massachusetts, and serving the Greater Boston media market. The license is held by the Beasley Media Group, LLC, part of the Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. WRCA is simulcast with WNBP 1450 AM Newburyport and carries financial news from Bloomberg Radio with some local news, weather and traffic reports.

WLOA Radio station in Farrell, Pennsylvania

WLOA is a commercial rhythmic contemporary radio station licensed to Farrell, Pennsylvania. Owned by Over/Under, LLC, the station serves both the Sharon, Pennsylvania, and Youngstown, Ohio markets. WLOA also simulcasts over Youngstown translator W272EI. The WLOA studios are located in the city of Meadville, while the transmitter for WLOA resides off of South State Line Road in Masury, Ohio; W272EI's transmitter is located off of Mabel Street in Youngstown's Lansingville neighborhood. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WLOA is available online.

WLKX-FM is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Forest Lake, Minnesota, and serving the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. It is owned by Lakes Broadcasting, a private corporation owned by the Peters family, who are primarily Christian-based broadcasters. Their holdings include including WQPM in Princeton, KLCI in Elk River, KASM and KDDG in Albany.

WZTE Radio station in Union City, Pennsylvania

WZTE is a broadcast radio station licensed to Union City, Pennsylvania, serving Erie County, Crawford County, and Warren County in Pennsylvania and Chautauqua County in New York. WZTE is owned and operated by Inspiration Time, Inc., with headquarters in Waterford, Pennsylvania.

KHFM is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and serving the Albuquerque metropolitan area. It airs a classical music radio format with some selections drawn from musical theatre. The studios and offices are located on Marble Avenue NE in Northeast Albuquerque. It is owned by KHFM Community Partners, a foundation set up by American General Media when the station switched from commercial to non-commercial. KHFM holds periodic fundraisers on the air during the year to support the station from listener donations.

WKMC Radio station in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania

WKMC is a classic country radio station broadcasting in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It is licensed to the community of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, located approximately 12 miles southeast of Altoona.

KMGE Radio station in Eugene, Oregon

KMGE is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is owned by McKenzie River Broadcasting and calls itself "94-5 Mix FM." KMGE broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December, for the Eugene-Springfield radio market.

WARB is a radio station licensed to serve Dothan, Alabama, United States. The station, which began licensed operation in 1996, is currently owned by Alarado Media, LLC. The station is licensed to broadcast only during daylight hours.

KTGG is a radio station broadcasting from Okemos, Michigan, with a Christian radio format of talk and classical music. It is owned by West Central Michigan Media Ministries and airs programming from the Strong Tower Radio Network, heard on about a dozen radio stations around Michigan and one in Illinois.

WMIT is a non-profit FM radio station licensed to Black Mountain, North Carolina. WMIT is a listener-supported ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It airs a mix of Contemporary Christian music with some Christian talk and teaching programs, including national religious leaders Jim Daly, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll and Charles Stanley. Studios and offices are on Porters Cove Road in Asheville. WMIT's tower rises 180 feet (55 m) above 6,557-foot (1,999 m) Clingman's Dome.

KLUU is an FM radio station licensed to Wahiawa, Hawaii, and serving the Honolulu metropolitan area. It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian radio format. It is owned by the Educational Media Foundation and carries the K-Love Network.

KQRI Radio station in Bosque Farms, New Mexico

KQRI is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Bosque Farms, New Mexico. It covers the Albuquerque metropolitan area and Valencia County. It is owned by the Educational Media Foundation broadcasting its "Air 1" Christian Worship Music service, a national radio format.

KGBI-FM Contemporary Christian music radio station in Omaha

KGBI-FM is a non-commercial FM radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian radio format. Licensed to Omaha, Nebraska, United States, the station serves the Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska radio markets. The station is owned and operated by the University of Northwestern - St. Paul.

KOBC is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Joplin, Missouri, United States, the station serves the Joplin area.

KIKO (AM) Radio station in Apache Junction, Arizona

KIKO is a radio station licensed to serve Apache Junction, Arizona, United States. The station is owned by 1TV.com, Inc.

WWCB Radio station in Corry, Pennsylvania

WWCB is a full-service radio station licensed to Corry, Pennsylvania and serving Corry, Union City, Erie County, Pennsylvania and Clymer, New York from its studio located at 122 North Center Street in downtown Corry and a transmitter facility off of West Columbus Avenue. It is a licensed Class B AM station operating 24 hours a day/7 days a week with 1,000 watts during the daytime, and 500 watts in the evening hours.

KGBC is a terrestrial American brokered time AM radio facility, paired with an FM relay translator. KGBC is licensed to serve the City of Galveston, Texas. K269GS is licensed to serve Houston, broadcasting from a location near Baytown, off of W Baker Road & Texas Highway 330. Established in 1947, KGBC Radio is wholly owned by SIGA Broadcasting, Inc., of Houston, Texas.

WDBF-FM Radio station in Mount Union, Pennsylvania

WDBF-FM is an American radio station, licensed to Mount Union, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts on the frequency of 106.3 MHz, with an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle, LLC. It is part of a simulcast of WIBF of Mexico. Although also owned by Seven Mountains Media, WIBF and WDBF do not feature the same programming as the network of Bigfoot Country stations based in Selinsgrove.

References

  1. 1 2 "WBVB(FM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1969. p. B-148 (312). Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  2. 1 2 FCC History Cards for WCTL
  3. 1 2 3 4 "History". WCTL. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ Fybush, Scott (September 17, 2012). "NERW 9/17/2012: Shark Sighting on Long Island". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.