WRFL

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

WRFL
Broadcast area Lexington-Fayette metropolitan area
Frequency 88.1 MHz
BrandingWRFL 88.1
Programming
Language(s) English
Format College radio
Affiliations Pacifica Radio Network
Ownership
Owner University of Kentucky
History
First air date
March 7, 1988;36 years ago (1988-03-07)
Call sign meaning
Radio Free Lexington
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 54586
Class C3
ERP 7900 watts
HAAT 87 meters (285 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 38°2′19.3″N84°30′15.8″W / 38.038694°N 84.504389°W / 38.038694; -84.504389
Links
Public license information
Website wrfl.fm

WRFL, Lexington (Radio Free Lexington) is a 7900-watt college radio station that broadcasts live, 24 hours a day, from the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Kentucky. The station has broadcast continuously at 88.1 MHz on the FM radio band (with rare interruptions due to power loss or other technical failures) since 1988, and prior to COVID-19, without automation. [2]

Contents

WRFL is operated at all times by volunteer deejays, consisting largely of University of Kentucky students and also of some Lexington community members. A large portion of its programming is left up to the deejays, who plan their own shows in either a general or genre-specific format. Music played on WRFL is strictly "alternative," here defined as material which cannot be heard on other radio stations or through traditional, commercial outlets. This requirement is not only part of the station's culture and character, but is also mandated by the station's educational U.S. Federal Communications Commission license.

WRFL also has a commitment to public affairs and the community, featuring student-produced news programs, student-produced sports programs, and broadcasting the syndicated progressive news program Democracy Now! five days a week.

The station has a strong connection with the Lexington music scene and highlights underground and local artists weekly through its live music program, WRFL-Live, as well as on many of the stations other shows.

The Gavin Report listed WRFL in the top 2% of college radio stations in the nation.

Current slogans of the station include "All the way to the left," and "The only alternative left."

History

Broadcasting began in 1988 using a 250-watt tower. In 2007, the FCC approved the station for an upgrade to 7,900 watts, [3] which increased its terrestrial broadcast considerably. To finance the cost of a new tower and transmitter, various managerial administrations campaigned under the title, "Build the Tower, Boost the Power". In May 2010, the old 250-watt tower was dismantled and the new 7900-watt tower was installed in its current place atop the Patterson Office Tower on June 1, 2010. [4]

The station has ties to the noise music community as several of its current and former DJs are members of bands such as Hair Police and Wolf Eyes. The station is thanked in the liner notes of recent Apples in Stereo albums, and has ties to the Elephant Six Collective.

An extensive oral history of WRFL has been catalogued and is publicly available via the University of Kentucky's Oral History Library. [5]

WRFL has used many slogans throughout its history, many of which allude to its broadcast frequency on the leftmost portion of the dial and its unofficial social and political tendencies. Examples include:

See also

Related Research Articles

WGLS-FM, known as Rowan Radio, is a college radio station licensed to Rowan University. The studios are located in the College of Communication on the campus of Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. WGLS-FM is Gloucester County's only FM radio station.

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.

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

WUKY is a listener-supported, public radio station in Lexington, Kentucky. Owned by the University of Kentucky (UK), it has an Adult Album Alternative radio format, airing more than 100 hours of music per week. Some news and informational programming is supplied by National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International (PRI), American Public Media (APM) and the BBC. The station broadcasts from state of the art radio studios in northwestern Lexington at the intersection of Greendale Road and Spurr Road.

WPYK is a radio station licensed to Portsmouth, Ohio. The station became notable when it stayed on air during the floods in Portsmouth in 1937, giving up-to-the-minute news and announcements to those separated and weary from the floods. In the 1960s, the then-WPAY-FM started to play country music on its FM while its AM sister station was reassigned to have a news-talk format. The AM signed off the air on June 3, 2011, after 80 years. WPYK is currently a K-Love affiliate station broadcasting a contemporary Christian format and is owned by Educational Media Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTKS (AM)</span> Radio station in Savannah, Georgia

WTKS is a radio station licensed to Savannah, Georgia. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., with iHM Licenses, LLC holding the license. WTKS airs a news/talk format. Its transmitter is located behind WTKS's studios on Alfred Street in Garden City, Georgia, with a Savannah address.

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

WBUL-FM is one of four country music radio stations serving the Lexington, Kentucky radio market. The station broadcasts with an ERP of 100,000 watts, with a nearly 100-mile broadcasting radius. The station is heard as far south as London, as far east as Grayson, as far north as Cincinnati and as far west as Louisville. iHeartMedia, Inc. currently owns the station. WBUL-FM was the third station to begin broadcasting HD Radio in Lexington after WUKY and WKQQ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLKT</span> Radio station in Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

WLKT is a commercial radio station licensed to Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. who determines its programming in New York using automation, non-local talent, and airs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format. The station's studios are located on Nicholasville Road in south Lexington, and its transmitter is located in rural far east Fayette County, Kentucky.

WFFG is an American radio station licensed to operate in Marathon, Florida, United States, in the Florida Keys, broadcasting a news/talk format.

WVLK is a commercial AM radio station in Lexington, Kentucky. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a news/talk format. The studios are inside Kincaid Towers on West Vine Street in downtown Lexington.

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

WMXL is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Lexington, Kentucky. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., who determines its programming in New York using automation, non-local talent, and airs an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December.

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">WKQQ</span> Radio station in Winchester–Lexington, Kentucky

WKQQ is a radio station licensed to the city of Winchester, Kentucky, serving Lexington and the greater Central Kentucky area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a classic rock format.

WAIN is an Infinity Sports Network–affiliated radio station licensed to Columbia, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by Forcht Broadcasting as part of a duopoly with country music station WAIN-FM. WAIN's transmitter is located along KY 206 on the east side of Columbia.

WCLU is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format at a frequency of 1490 kHz. The station is licensed to Glasgow, Kentucky, United States, and serving Glasgow, Bowling Green, and the Caveland area of south-central Kentucky. The station is owned by Royse Radio, Incorporated.

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

WWTF is a commercial radio station broadcasting an active rock and alternative rock radio format. Licensed to Georgetown, Kentucky, United States, WWTF serves the Lexington Metro Area. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. WWTF programming is simulcast on FM translator W249DJ at 97.7 MHz. Since most listening to rock music is on FM, the station uses its FM dial position to identify itself, as "97.7 Lexington's Rock Alternative."

WHOP is an AM radio station broadcasting a news–talk format. Licensed to and serving Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Clarksville–Hopkinsville area. The station is currently owned by Forcht Broadcasting.

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

WRUS is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Russellville, Kentucky. WRUS is owned by Logan Radio Inc. WRUS operates with a daytime power of 1800 watts and 59 watts at night per FCC authorization.

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

WLAP is a commercial AM radio station in Lexington, Kentucky, serving the Central Kentucky region. It airs a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Nicolasville Road in Lexington.

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

WMTL is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Leitchfield, Kentucky, United States, the station is owned by Heritage Media of Kentucky, Inc. It features programming from Fox News Radio and Fox Sports Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQXE</span> FM radio station in Kentucky, U.S.

WQXE is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, United States, the station is currently owned by Skytower Communications-E'town, Inc. and features programming from Westwood One.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WRFL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Bennett, Katy; Taylor, Anthony (March 31, 2011). "WRFL Sponsors Concert". University of Kentucky News. UKNow. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  3. ↑ "FCC Application Details". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  4. ↑ Bennett, Katy; Taylor, Anthony (June 24, 2010). "Can You Hear Me Now? WRFL Boosts Wattage, Coverage". UKNow. University of Kentucky. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  5. ↑ "History of Broadcasting in Kentucky: Radio Free Lexington (WRFL) Oral History Project". Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. University of Kentucky. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
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.