WFGE

Last updated

WFGE
Broadcast area State College, Pennsylvania
Tyrone, Pennsylvania
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Frequency 101.1 MHz
BrandingBig Froggy 101
Programming
Format Country
Affiliations Compass Media Networks
Westwood One
Ownership
Owner
  • Seven Mountains Media
  • (Southern Belle Media Family, LLC)
WBUS, WHUN, WLEJ, WOWY, WBHV, WZWW
History
First air date
August 15, 1961 (1961-08-15) (as WGMR)
Former call signs
WGMR (1961-2008)
Call sign meaning
"Froggy"
Technical information
Facility ID 1057
Class B
ERP 8,500 watts
HAAT 357 meters
Transmitter coordinates
 40°55′10.0″N77°58′28.0″W / 40.919444°N 77.974444°W / 40.919444; -77.974444
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website bigfroggy101.com

WFGE (101.1 FM) is a country music formatted broadcast radio station licensed to State College, Pennsylvania, serving the State College/Bellefonte area. WFGE is owned and operated by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC.

Contents

WFGE boasts one of the strongest signals in Central Pennsylvania.

History

Founded by Allegheny Mountain Network President Cary H. Simpson, WGMR first signed on the air on August 15, 1961, as the FM sister station to WTRN Tyrone. Though also licensed to Tyrone, WGMR has primarily served State College and Centre County. Through the years, WGMR has changed formats a couple times, from country to alternative and Top 40 at the turn of the 21st century.

Prior to the top 40 format, WGMR was the State College region's alternative music station, branded as "101.1 The Revolution", and was rated one of the Top 10 alternative stations in the country for a couple of years. The station switched formats and became a Top 40 radio station using the handle "The All New Revolution 101", which was later shortened to "G101". The station also broadcast at 101.3 FM in Altoona, but no longer does due to the Altoona area already having a "Froggy" station, "Froggy 98".

This station was previously owned by the Allegheny Mountain Network, and was sold to Forever Broadcasting of Altoona on July 2, 2008. Prior to the sale of the station, the station invited back some of the old personalities for one last show. On the last day before the sale was final the station turned back the clock for a couple of hours and played Alternative music under the Revolution branding.

The station is now a country music station serving communities primarily in Centre County, Clearfield Country, Clinton County, Huntingdon County, and Mifflin County, and northern portions of Blair County, all in central Pennsylvania.

WFGE today

Starting July 7, 2008, WGMR began broadcasting a country station owned by Forever Broadcasting branded "Froggy 101." Shortly after, WGMR switched its call sign to WFGE. The WFGE call sign was originally used by a station in Murray, Kentucky that is also a "Froggy" country station. The old WFGE is now called WFGS, although the branding did not change.

As of October 25, 2010, the station is known as "Big Froggy 101" to avoid confusion with WGGY (101.3 FM) from Scranton.

It was announced on October 12, 2022, that Forever Media was selling 34 stations, including WFGE and five of its sister stations, to State College-based Seven Mountains Media for $17.3 million. [1] The deal closed on January 1, 2023. [2]

Related Research Articles

Froggy is a brand name radio format used for a variety of radio stations in the United States, most of which broadcast a country music format, with a few playing adult contemporary. Although the frog logo is shared among these stations, most of them are not associated with one another. The "Froggy" branding is particularly common among country stations currently or formerly owned by Forever Broadcasting or Forever Communications and Keymarketradio LLC, companies founded by Froggy creator Kerby Confer.

WFGY is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Altoona, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC, and broadcasts a Froggy-branded country format.

WFGI-FM is a Froggy branded country music formatted radio station in Pennsylvania serving the Johnstown area. The station is owned and operated by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFVY</span> Radio station in Lebanon, Pennsylvania

WFVY is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC, with a country music format. WFVY also broadcasts local high school sporting events and Hershey Bears hockey games.

WQWK is an active rock FM radio station broadcasting in State College, Pennsylvania. It is known as QWIK Rock. The station, owned by Jeffry and Mark Schlesinger, through licensee Schlesinger Communications, Inc., was founded by brothers C. Dean & Sheldon Sharpless, doing business as Moshannon Valley Broadcasting. The current incarnation was formed after WQWK abandoned its active rock format for talk radio in 2008. On April 21, 2023, the station recaptured the WQWK call sign after a shakeup in the market which made it available. WQWK's tower is located in Sandy Ridge, south of Philipsburg.

WIFT is a country music formatted broadcast radio station licensed to DuBois, Pennsylvania, serving the DuBois/Punxsutawney/Clearfield area. WIFT is owned and operated by Kristin Cantrell, through licensee Southern Belle, LLC.

WJHT is a radio station licensed to serve Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC. This station was assigned the WJHT call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on July 13, 2006.

WRKW is a commercially-licensed radio station that is licensed to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. Owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC, it maintains studios and offices at 109 Plaza Drive in Johnstown. It operates at the federally-assigned, effective radiated power of 50,000 watts, and transmits from a facility at 480 Tower Road in Summerhill, Pennsylvania.

WKYE is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC, and broadcasts an adult contemporary format. Its broadcast tower is located east of Johnstown at.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWSR</span> Radio station in Lima, Ohio

WWSR is a commercial radio station in Lima, Ohio, broadcasting a sports format.

WALY is an adult contemporary music formatted FM radio station in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Seven Mountains Media. The station has an ERP of 3,000 watts.

WYLE, branded as Willie 95.1 & 97.5, is a classic country formatted FM radio station in Grove City, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC. The station originates its programming from facilities it shares with WKST and WUZZ in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGYY</span> Radio station in WGYI: Oil City, Pennsylvania

WGYY and WGYI, branded as Froggy 100.3 and 98.5, are commercial radio stations in Crawford County in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Both stations simulcast a country music radio format and are owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC. WGYY is licensed to Meadville, Pennsylvania. WGYI is licensed to Oil City, Pennsylvania.

WTRN is an American commercial AM radio station, licensed to the borough of Tyrone, Pennsylvania. The station operates at the federally assigned frequency of 1340 kHz with a full-time power output of 1,000 watts. WTRN also operates two FM translators. One at 100.7 MHz Tyrone and 96.9 MHz Altoona, Pennsylvania. WTRN was the flagship station for the former Allegheny Mountain Network (AMN).

WUZZ is an AM radio station broadcasting a classic country format, simulcasting WYLE 95.1 FM Grove City. Licensed to New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States. It serves the New Castle, Pennsylvania and Youngstown, Ohio areas. The station is currently owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC.

WGGI is an American AM radio station, licensed to serve Somerset, Pennsylvania; the seat of country music for Somerset County. The station broadcasts with a maximum output power of 10,000 watts during the day and greatly reduces power to 100 watts at night, using a two-tower directional antenna system. The station is a simulcast of WFGI-FM in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

WKPQ is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Hornell, New York, United States, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area including the Canisteo valley and northern Pennsylvania. The station is currently owned by Seven Mountains Media.

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

WFGS is a radio station located in Murray, Kentucky licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and owned by Forever Communications. The station airs a country music format. Froggy 103.7 is one of the most listened to radio stations in Western Kentucky and Northwest Tennessee for country music.

WFXS is a sports FM radio station that is located in Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania.

WLEJ is a classic country AM radio station broadcasting in State College, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by Kristin Cantrell's Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC. Programming is also heard over FM translator W279DK, offering a signal on the FM band in the immediate State College area.

References

  1. ↑ "SEVEN MOUNTAINS MEDIA TO ACQUIRE 34 STATIONS FROM FOREVER MEDIA". RadioInsight.com. October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Seven Mountains Media-Forever Media Deal To Close Jan. 2". October 12, 2022.
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