WREF (FM)

Last updated
WREF
Broadcast area Evansville, Indiana
Frequency 97.7 MHz
BrandingESPN 97.7 The Ref
Programming
Format Sports
Affiliations ESPN Radio
Ownership
Owner
  • Henson Media, Inc.
  • (Henson Media of Henderson County, LLC)
WSON, WMSK-FM, WUCO
History
First air date
April 9, 1976;48 years ago (1976-04-09) [1]
Former call signs
WHRZ (1976–2004)
WWKY (2004–2017) [2]
Technical information [3]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 67479
Class A
ERP 6,000 watts
HAAT 96 meters
Transmitter coordinates
 37°42′41″N87°31′43″W / 37.71139°N 87.52861°W / 37.71139; -87.52861
Links
Public license information

WREF (97.7 FM) is a radio station licensed to Sebree, Kentucky, United States, serving Hopkins and Webster counties, as well as the greater Evansville, Indiana, area. The station is owned by Henson Media, Inc.

Contents

History

The station's construction permit for a new radio station, originally licensed to Providence, Kentucky, was issued on May 22, 1975. [4] Its first broadcast as WHRZ was in April 1976, with former WOMI general manager Doug Gabby as manager of the station. Under original ownership by Tradewater Broadcasting Company, the station aired an adult contemporary format in its early years as the only radio station within Webster County boundaries. [5] : 100  The station became a country music- formatted station in 1983. [5] : 100 

In 1991, the station's transmission was relocated near Dixon, Kentucky, with the opening of a second studio/office facility in Madisonville. [5] : 100 

The station changed its callsign to WWKY (unrelated to the current WWKY-FM (104.9 MHz) in Providence) on July 14, 2004. [2]

Rebirth as an ESPN Radio affiliate

On the 27th of March 2017, WWKY went silent. On April 13, 2017, WWKY, under current ownership by Henson Media, changed callsigns to WREF, and relocated its broadcast license location to Sebree, Kentucky, with studios in Henderson. The station resumed broadcasting June 1, 2017 with an ESPN Radio affiliation, branded as ESPN 97.7, The Ref. [6]

Programming

Past Programming

Rick Stevens was heard on weekdays from 9 until noon.

Howdy-FM covered local news of Madisonville and Hopkins County with Boyce Tate.

WWKY was the sports voice of Webster County High School, the University of Kentucky and the Tennessee Titans.

Current Programming

WREF now broadcasts ESPN Radio and a local sports talk show called "All About Sports" on weekdays. WREF also broadcasts local high school sporting events along with local collegiate sports.

Related Research Articles

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

WKTG is a radio station broadcasting a Mainstream Rock format. Licensed to Madisonville, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Owensboro area. The station is currently owned by Sound Broadcasters, Inc. and features programming from United Stations Radio Networks and Westwood One.

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.

WDCJ, known on air as "Majic 102.3 & 92.7," is an urban oldies-leaning urban adult contemporary formatted radio station licensed to Prince Frederick, Maryland, and serving the southeastern Washington metropolitan area. The station's programming is a relay of WMMJ in Bethesda, Maryland

WKVN is a radio station broadcasting the K-Love network. Licensed to Morganfield, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Evansville area. The station is currently owned by the Educational Media Foundation and broadcasts out of Rocklin, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFXN-FM</span> Radio station in Galion, Ohio

WFXN-FM – branded as 102.3 The Fox – is a commercial mainstream rock radio station licensed to serve Galion, Ohio. Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., WFXN-FM primarily services the Mid-Ohio counties of Richland, Crawford, and Morrow, and is the local affiliate for Rover's Morning Glory and The House of Hair with Dee Snider. The WFXN-FM studios are located in Mansfield, while the station transmitter resides in Galion. Besides a standard analog transmission, the station is available online via iHeartRadio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNSP</span> Radio station in Bay Minette, Alabama

WNSP is a radio station licensed to serve Bay Minette, Alabama, United States. The station, founded in 1964, is currently owned by Dot Com Plus, LLC. WNSP and sister station WZEW broadcast from the former Smith Bakery building in Mobile, Alabama. WNSP's transmitter is near Bay Minette.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTTL-FM</span> Radio station in Madisonville, Kentucky

WTTL-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Madisonville, Kentucky, United States. The station is licensed to Madisonville CBC, Inc. and owned by Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation. It airs an adult contemporary format.

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.

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

WUCO is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Morganfield, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Evansville area. The station is currently owned by Henson Media, Inc. and features programming from Fox Sports Radio and Kentucky Sports Radio.

WEKV 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWKY-FM</span> Radio station in Providence, Kentucky

WWKY-FM is a radio station licensed to Providence, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation, through licensee Madisonville CBC, Inc. Studios are in downtown Princeton at 108 West Main Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBGN (AM)</span> Oldies AM music station in Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S.

WBGN is an oldies formatted radio station licensed to Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Forever Communications, Inc. as part of a conglomerate with Glasgow–licensed country music station WLYE-FM, Auburn–licensed country station WBVR-FM, and Smiths Grove–licensed Top 40/CHR station WUHU. All four stations share studios on Scottsville Road in southern Bowling Green, and its transmitter is located off Church Avenue in the northern part of the city.

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

WFMW is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to and serving Madisonville, Kentucky, United States, the station is currently owned by Sound Broadcasters, Inc. and features programming from CBS 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.

WWKY is a radio station broadcasting a soft adult contemporary format. Licensed to Winchester, Kentucky, the station and FM translator primarily serves Clark County but the AM signal can be listened to in much of the Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky in the daytime. The station is owned by Gateway Radio Works, Inc.

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

WHVO and WKDZ are a pair of radio stations simulcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States, WHVO serves the Clarksville-Hopkinsville area. WKDZ is licensed to Cadiz, Kentucky. The stations are currently owned by Ham Broadcasting Co., Inc. and feature news programming from Fox News Radio. WKDZ is a daytime-only radio station, while WHVO broadcasts 24 hours a day.

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

WLBQ, known locally on air as "BeechTree Radio," or simply as "The Q", is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Hits format. Licensed to and located in Morgantown, Kentucky, United States, the station is currently owned by Beech Tree Publishing. Its transmitter is located along South Main Street, and the studios are located at 107 West Ohio Street in downtown Morgantown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTTL (AM)</span> Radio station in Madisonville, Kentucky

WTTL is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Madisonville, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Madisonville CBC, Inc.

WTCJ is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Tell City, Indiana. The station is owned and operated by Hancock Communications, Inc., doing business as the Cromwell Radio Group, and the station's broadcast license is held by Hancock Communications, Inc.

References

  1. ↑ Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook (1985 ed.). Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1985. p. B-112.
  2. 1 2 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WREF". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ↑ FCC History Cards for WREF (as WHRZ, 1976-1980)
  5. 1 2 3 Nash, Francis M. (1995). Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State (PDF). HOST Communications. ISBN   9781879688933 – via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ "ESPN Radio to Return to Evansville Market". RadioInsight. May 16, 2017.


Radio svg icon.svg Flag of Kentucky.svg

This article about a radio station in Kentucky is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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.