WHMS-FM

Last updated

WHMS-FM
Broadcast area Champaign-Urbana
Frequency 97.5 MHz
BrandingLite Rock 97.5
Programming
Format Adult contemporary
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Community Media Group, Inc.
  • (Champaign Multimedia Group, LLC)
History
First air date
1949 (1949) (as WDWS-FM)
Former call signs
WDWS-FM (1949–1988)
Call sign meaning
Helen M. Stevick (longtime publisher of The News-Gazette ) [1]
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 14962
Class B
ERP 50,000 watts
HAAT 109 meters (358 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 40°5′4.1″N88°14′53.1″W / 40.084472°N 88.248083°W / 40.084472; -88.248083
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.whms.com

WHMS-FM (97.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Champaign, Illinois. It broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for part of November and December. WHMS-FM calls itself "Lite Rock 97.5" and is owned by The News-Gazette, the primary newspaper in the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area.

Contents

WHMS-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum for most FM stations in Illinois. The transmitter is on South Nell Street (U.S. Route 45) at West Windsor Road in Champaign.

Programming

Along with co-owned WDWS, WHMS-FM is the longtime broadcaster of the University of Illinois sports, simulcasting all Fighting Illini football and men's basketball games. On weekday evenings, WHMS-FM carries the nationally syndicated Delilah call-in and request show from Premiere Networks.

History

In 1949, the station signed on as WDWS-FM, a sister station to WDWS (1400 AM). In its first decades, it mostly simulcast WDWS. In the late 1960s, it switched to a beautiful music format, playing quarter hour sweeps of mostly soft, instrumental cover versions of popular songs, as well as Broadway and Hollywood show tunes.

Previous logo WHMS LiteRock97.5 logo.png
Previous logo

In the 1980s, as the easy listening audience was beginning to age, the station added more vocals to the playlist, eventually making the transition to soft adult contemporary music. It was renamed WHMS-FM in 1988 in honor of Helen M. Stevick, longtime publisher of the News-Gazette.

References

  1. ↑ "Call Letter Origins". Radio History on the Web.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WHMS-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
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