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| Frequency | 98.3 MHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | 98.3 Wild Country |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Jones Radio Network, Fox News Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WMXN-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | November 3, 1965 (as WCNA) |
Former call signs | WCNA (1965-1981) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 33781 |
| Class | C3 |
| ERP | 11,000 watts |
| HAAT | 150 meters (492 feet) |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°32′00″N85°55′20″W / 34.53333°N 85.92222°W |
| Translator(s) | 105.7 W289BV (Scottsboro) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 983wildcountry.com |
WKEA-FM (98.3 FM, "98.3 Wild Country") is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Scottsboro, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by Southern Torch Media, Inc.
WKEA-FM broadcasts a country music format including programming from Jones Radio Network and Fox News Radio. [1]
Radio station WCNA-FM was founded in 1965 by Dr. Ralph Sheppard, a local dentist and owner of the Jackson County Advertiser, a weekly newspaper. [2] The first FM radio station in Jackson County, Alabama, WCNA-FM began broadcasting a country music format on November 3, 1965. In 1971, Sheppard transferred the license to a company named Mellow Sound Broadcasting. [3] The city of Scottsboro later honored Sheppard by declaring April 30, 2008, as "Dr. Ralph Sheppard Day" in honor of his many contributions to the community. [2]
In July 1981, Mellow Sound Broadcasting, Inc., made a deal to sell this station to KEA Radio, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 28, 1981. [4] The new owners had the FCC assign new call letters WKEA-FM on October 1, 1981. [5]
In late August 2013, the station debuted a translator (W289BV) on 105.7 MHz, relaying WKEA. In a curious move, despite being a simulcast, the translator has its own branding, as "Lake 105.7". [6]
On August 19, 2019, WKEA rebranded as "98.3 Wild Country". [7] The station became part of a landmark local radio deal in February 2019 when The Southern Torch newspaper and website companies made a deal to buy the KEA Radio properties, WKEA, and sister station WMXN-FM 101.7 to start Southern Torch Media, Inc. The purchase was consummated on April 1, 2019, at a price of $600,000.
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Sheppard went on later to start Jackson County's first FM radio station, WCNA FM, which ran on a country music format.
The station was originally planned as an easy listening music station and the call letters WCNA-FM stood for, "We Cover North Alabama with Fine Music. One of the stations early DJ's, Doug Hodges, convinced the owner to change to a country format.