WKEA-FM

Last updated

WKEA-FM
Frequency 98.3 MHz
Branding98.3 Wild Country
Programming
Format Country
Affiliations Jones Radio Network, Fox News Radio
Ownership
Owner
  • Southern Torch Media, Inc.
  • (Southern Torch, Inc.)
WMXN-FM
History
First air date
November 3, 1965 (as WCNA)
Former call signs
WCNA (1965–1981)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
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 / 34.53333; -85.92222
Translator(s) 105.7 W289BV (Scottsboro)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live

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.

Contents

WKEA-FM broadcasts a country music format including programming from Jones Radio Network and Fox News Radio. [2]

History

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. [3] 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. [4] 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. [3]

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. [5] The new owners had the FCC assign new call letters WKEA-FM on October 1, 1981. [6]

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". [7]

On August 19, 2019, WKEA rebranded as "98.3 Wild Country". [8] 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.

WKEA logo.jpg

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WKEA-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Chasity (April 28, 2008). "City to honor Dr. Sheppard". The Daily Sentinel. Sheppard went on later to start Jackson County's first FM radio station, WCNA FM, which ran on a country music format.
  4. ↑ "The Facilities of Radio". 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1972. p. B-8.
  5. ↑ "Application Search Details (BALH-19810724FG)". FCC Media Bureau.
  6. ↑ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  7. ↑ Alabama Broadcast Media Page
  8. ↑ WKEA Revamps as Wild Country Rdaioinsight - August 20, 2019

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.

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