WEKV (FM)

Last updated
WEKV
KLOVE 2014.svg
Broadcast area Owensboro, Kentucky
Evansville, Indiana
Madisonville, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Frequency 101.9 MHz
BrandingK-Love
Programming
Format Christian adult contemporary
Network K-Love
Ownership
Owner Educational Media Foundation
History
First air date
December 18, 1956;67 years ago (1956-12-18)
Former call signs
  • WNES-FM (1955–1981)
  • WKYA (1981–1993)
  • WQXQ (1993–2020)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 46945
Class C1
ERP 100 kW
HAAT 204 metres (669 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 37°35′03″N86°59′29″W / 37.58427°N 86.99149°W / 37.58427; -86.99149
Links
Public license information

WEKV (101.9 FM) is a K-Love owned-and-operated radio station that is licensed to Central City, Kentucky, United States. The station serves the Central City, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana areas. The station is currently owned by Educational Media Foundation, the owner of the K-Love radio network.

Contents

The station's transmitter is located along U.S. Highway 231 in northwestern Ohio County near Pleasant Ridge, located along the Ohio-Daviess County line.

History

The early years as an FM simulcast and first format change

On, November 2, 1955, Muhlenberg Broadcasting Company (later Starlight Broadcasting Company, Inc., now Radio Active Media, Inc.), the original owner of WNES-AM, was granted a construction permit by the FCC to launch an FM radio service. [2] Over a year later, the station signed on the air as WNES-FM on December 18, 1956. [3] From the beginning and throughout the station's ownership with Muhlenberg Broadcasting Company and its successors, the station has maintained shared facilities with WNES-AM and the Greenville Leader-News newspaper, located on Everly Brothers Boulevard (U.S. Highway 62) on the west side of Central City. For WNES-FM's first 24 years and four months on the air, it was as a simulcast of its AM sister station. [4] [3] This ended on April 23, 1980, when the station became a separate entity and started broadcasting an easy listening format.

First Hot AC attempt and Country format (1981–1993)

On December 1, 1981, the station increased its transmitter power to 50,000 watts, and switched to a Hot AC format and changed the call letters to WKYA. The radio station employed local radio talent during this period and experienced a great deal of success. [5] However, head-to-head competition with "Hot AC" giant WSTO, based at that time in Owensboro, took its toll on the station. After a slow down in listenership and sales, "KY-102" ceased to exist and it changed its format to country music sometime during the 1989–90 winter season. From that point on, it called itself "K-Country KY-102". This was successful for a period of time until another Owensboro station, in this case being WBKR, clamped down on the market by increasing the effective radiated power on their transmitter in southern Daviess County near the community of Utica.

New Hot AC era and increased power (1993–2013)

On February 23, 1993, WKYA discontinued their country format and changed the call letters to WQXQ. [6] Along with the new callsign, the station built a new transmission tower in northwestern Ohio County near Pleasant Ridge; its signal was previously broadcast from the WNES transmission tower at the studio. Once the station began broadcasting on the new tower, it returned to its previous "Hot AC" style format; this time featuring a local talent in the mornings only and then satellite powered broadcast for the rest of the day. The new format and the new tower also came with the increase of power to 100,000 watts for the purpose to have the station focus on the Owensboro area but still serve their original broadcast area. In 1996, the WKYA callsign was reassigned to its Greenville-licensed sister station, a country (now Oldies) station broadcasting at 105.5 MHz, which also shared studios with WNES and WQXQ since that station's 1981 sign-on.

After being branded as "Q-101.9 FM" for a time during the mid and late-2000s, the station's branding changed to "Q-102" around 2011, and the format was changed to a CHR/Top 40 format, which mostly included new music.

Sports format (2013–2020)

The Top 40 format lasted for only two years on WQXQ as it renewed the rivalry with the now-Evansville-based WSTO. In October 2013, WQXQ switched to a sports radio format after becoming an automated affiliate of Fox Sports Radio, bringing that format to the area. During its tenure as a Fox Sports Radio affiliated station, the station also broadcast University of Louisville football and men's basketball games from the U of L Sports Network from 2014 to 2020.

Sale to Educational Media Foundation and current format (2020-present)

On July 22, 2020, after more than 63 ½ years under locally based ownership, Radio Active Media sold WQXQ to Educational Media Foundation for $617,000; the sale was approved on September 25, 2020. [7] Four days later, the new owners changed the station's call letters to the current WEKV and changed its programming to broadcast its current Christian adult contemporary format in the company-owned K-Love radio network. This change proved to be unpopular with some of the former WQXQ listening audience. [8]

Call letter history

The station's previous call letters WQXQ were previously assigned to an FM station in New York City in the 1940s. It was a sister station to WQXR (now WFME), operating on 96.3 MHz. [9]

Coverage area

With its 100,000 watt signal coverage from a tower 669 feet in height above average terrain, the station can be heard about 80 miles away in every direction from the tower site in northern Ohio County. The coverage area includes much of the Western Coal Field and Pennyrile regions of western and west-central Kentucky, and much of southern Indiana. The signal reaches several areas within the signal range, including all three major cities in the Evansville Tri-state area, and can reach as far east as the Elizabethtown/Fort Knox area, the Mammoth Cave National Park area, and some far western suburbs of the metro Louisville area. It can also reach as far south as a few areas in Montgomery and Robertson Counties in Tennessee, as far north as an area halfway between Evansville and Bloomington, Indiana, and as far west as Gallatin and Hardin Counties in Illinois and Crittenden County, Kentucky. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCKY (AM)</span> Radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio

WCKY – branded "Cincinnati's ESPN 1530" – is a commercial sports AM radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio, serving the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Owned by iHeartMedia, its studios are located in the Kenwood section of Sycamore Township, while its transmitter site is a four-tower facility in suburban Villa Hills, Kentucky. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WCKY is available online via iHeartRadio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDRB</span> Radio station in Des Moines, Iowa

KDRB is a commercial FM radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. It airs an adult hits radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia. Its slogan is "We Play Everything." KDRB is the flagship station for Iowa State University sports.

WBKR is an American radio station broadcasting a country music format. The station is licensed to Owensboro, Kentucky. Its powerful 100,000-watt signal covers much of northwest Kentucky and southwest Indiana, including the Evansville area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media. The station transmits from a tower located near Utica on Kentucky Route 140. The studios are located at 3301 Frederica Street in Owensboro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMTA</span> Radio station in Central City, Kentucky

WMTA is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. It is licensed to Central City, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Michael and Casey Davis and Jeremy Bennefield, through licensee Custom Voice Media. The station's studio and AM transmission tower are located on Oaktree Drive off U.S. Highway 62 on the west side of Central City. The station's FM translator, W297CC, broadcasts at a frequency of 107.3 MHz from a tower located near Rose Hill Cemetery on US 62 in the eastern end of Central City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVJS</span> Radio station in Owensboro, Kentucky

WVJS is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Owensboro, Kentucky. The station is owned and operated by Hancock Communications, Inc., doing business as the Cromwell Radio Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSTO</span> Radio station in Owensboro, Kentucky

WSTO is a radio station that serves the Evansville, Indiana, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Henderson, Kentucky markets with a contemporary hit radio format. It is licensed to Owensboro and broadcasts from a 1,000-foot tower located midway between these cities in the Kentucky town of Hebbardsville. WSTO's studio is located at the Midwest Communications offices on Mount Auburn Road in Evansville, Indiana, near the studios of WFIE-TV.

WPYK is a radio station licensed to Portsmouth, Ohio. The station became notable when it stayed on air during the floods in Portsmouth in 1937, giving up-to-the-minute news and announcements to those separated and weary from the floods. In the 1960s, the then-WPAY-FM started to play country music on its FM while its AM sister station was reassigned to have a news-talk format. The AM signed off the air on June 3, 2011, after 80 years. WPYK is currently a K-Love affiliate station broadcasting a contemporary Christian format and is owned by Educational Media Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQEN</span> Radio station in Trussville, Alabama

WQEN is a radio station licensed to serve Trussville, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by San Antonio–based iHeartMedia. Other stations in the Birmingham market owned by iHeartMedia include WDXB, WERC-FM, WERC, and WMJJ. The station has studios at Beacon Ridge Tower in Birmingham and its transmitter is on the west end of the Red Mountain range.

WNKN is a commercial radio station licensed to Middletown, Ohio, and serving parts of the Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. It broadcasts a Catholic radio format and is owned by Relevant Radio.

WYHH is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed in Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States, it serves the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati area. The station is owned by Bible Broadcasting Network, Inc.

WSON is a radio station in Henderson, Kentucky broadcasting a classic hits format. The station is currently owned by Henson Media and features news, sports, weather and music features programming from NBC Radio News and Westwood One, as well as locally produced programming. The station can be heard during daylight hours in neighboring Evansville, Indiana and Owensboro, Kentucky.

WXMZ is an American radio station that is licensed to serve and located in Hartford, Kentucky. The station is owned by Radio Active Media, Inc., and it currently broadcasts an oldies format. The station's studios are located at 314 South Main Street in downtown Hartford and its transmitter is located along Bald Knob Road off US 231 near Cromwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCVQ</span> Radio station in Fort Campbell, Kentucky

WCVQ is a Fort Campbell, Kentucky-licensed radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format in the Clarksville-Hopkinsville broadcast area. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications under licensee Saga Communications of Tuckessee, LLC, and operates as part of its Five Star Media Group. and is also broadcasting on HD radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGGC</span> Radio station in Bowling Green, Kentucky

WGGC is a country music–formatted radio station licensed to and serving Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by Skytower Communications. Its transmitter is located in northern Allen County on Kentucky Route 101 near the Warren/Allen County line. Its broadcasting studio is located at 1727 US 31W Bypass in Bowling Green.

WKYA is a radio station licensed to Greenville, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Radio Active Media, Inc. and broadcasts an oldies format.

WNES is a classic country-formatted radio station that is licensed to and located in Central City, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Starlight Broadcasting Co., Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOMI</span> Radio station in Owensboro, Kentucky

WOMI is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Owensboro, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Owensboro area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media and features programming from Fox News Radio, NBC News Radio, Compass Media Networks, Genesis Communications Network, Premiere Networks, USA Radio Network, and Westwood One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQXE</span> FM radio station in Kentucky, U.S.

WQXE is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, United States, the station is currently owned by Skytower Communications-E'town, Inc. and features programming from Westwood One.

KARN is a commercial AM radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas, owned and operated by Cumulus Media. It airs a sports radio format known as "920 AM The Sports Animal." The station's studios are located on Wellington Hills Road in West Little Rock. The transmitter tower is located off North Hills Boulevard in North Little Rock. KARN broadcasts at 5,000 watts, using a directional antenna at night to avoid interfering with other stations on AM 920. KARN is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast a digital HD signal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area</span> Tri-state region of the United States

The Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area is a tri-state area where the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky intersect. The area is defined mainly by the television viewing area and consists of ten Illinois counties, eleven Indiana counties, and nine Kentucky counties, centered upon the Ohio and Wabash Rivers.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WEKV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ FCC History Cards for WEKV
  3. 1 2 Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook 1960 (PDF). 1965. p. A-157 – via World Radio History.
  4. ↑ Nash, Francis M. (1995). Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State (PDF). ISBN   9781879688933 – via World Radio History.
  5. ↑ Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook 1984 (PDF). 1984. p. B-102 – via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ "WEKV Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  7. ↑ Venta, Lance (July 24, 2020). "Station Sales Week Of 7/24: EMF Expands In Central Kentucky". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Fox Sports Radio 101.9 - WQXQ".
  9. ↑ "WQXQ on Fulltime". (PDF). Broadcasting. July 21, 1947. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Radio Station Coverage Map".
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.