WXTA

Last updated

WXTA
Broadcast area Erie metropolitan area
Frequency 97.9 MHz
BrandingErie Country 97.9
Programming
Format Country music
Affiliations Westwood One
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
October 15, 1988;37 years ago (1988-10-15)
Former call signs
WMYJ-FM (1988–1989)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 72892
Class B1
ERP 10,000 watts
HAAT 154 meters (505 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 41°57′59.1″N80°6′39.2″W / 41.966417°N 80.110889°W / 41.966417; -80.110889 (WXTA)
Translator 96.3 W242CU (Erie)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.eriecountry.com

WXTA (97.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and broadcasting to the Erie radio market. Owned by Cumulus Media, WXTA airs a country music radio format branded as "Erie Country 97.9". The station carries the syndicated morning drive time show Dallas and Kincaid from co-owned WKHX-FM Atlanta. [2] WXTA's studios are at 471 Robison Road West in Erie.

Contents

WXTA has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 10,000 watts. The transmitter is near Oliver Road and Golden Road in McKean. [3]

History

The station signed on the air on October 15, 1988. [4] The power was 3,000 watts, a fraction of its current output. The original call sign was WMYJ, playing an adult contemporary format for a year as "Y-98". The studios were at 4910 Richmond Street in Erie.

WMYJ was purchased by Bob Winters (WinCapp Broadcasting) over the summer of 1989. The format was switch to country music at noon on September 11, 1989, and the station took the call letters WXTA.

WXTA was sold to Jim Embrescia's Media One Group in 1996, then to Regent Communications (now Townsquare Media) in 1999, then to Citadel Broadcasting in 2004, and most recently to Cumulus Media in 2011.

Former air personalities at WXTA include "Uncle Fred" Horton, Bobby Reed, Ron Kline, Mike McKay, Natalie Massing, John Cunningham, "Big John" Jacobs, Ed Beeler, Bobbi Weston, Brian Williams, Rick Shigo, Chris Atkins, Dale Thompson, Chet Price, Bill Shannon, Laura Luke, Jim Mirabello, Adam Reese, John Gallagher, Tom Lavery, Sammy James, Jay Foyst, Herb Palmer, Dan "Shoeless" Sheldon, Ellie McVay, Truckin' Tom, Cindy Wear and Becca Lynn. Morning Personality "Uncle Fred" Horton died on March 4, 2008.

On February 3, 2014, WXTA, along with nine other Cumulus-owned country music stations, made the switch to going under the Nash FM branding. [5] On March 28, 2024, the station dropped the Nash FM branding, rebranding to Erie Country 97.9. [6]

Former syndicated programming on WXTA included After Midnite with Blair Garner , Big D and Bubba , Country Gold Saturday Night and Neon Nights with Lia.

Current on-air personalities include Mike Sheffield, Jim Griffey, Nicole Dohoda and Chuck Stevens. Stevens is also the station's Program Director. On-air features include Sheffield in the Morning (Mike Sheffield), Country Cartunes at 5, Kickin' it with Kix (Kix Brooks), and Retro Country.

FM translator

Since March 2025, WXTA has been rebroadcast over a low-power FM translator to improve reception in Erie: [7]

Broadcast translator for WXTA
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinatesFCC info
W242CU96.3 FM Erie, Pennsylvania 14682717324  m (79  ft)D 42°6′15″N80°4′9″W / 42.10417°N 80.06917°W / 42.10417; -80.06917 (W242CU) LMS

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WXTA". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ WestwoodOne.com/programs
  3. ↑ FCCdata.org/WXTA
  4. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1990 page B-261. Retrieved Nov. 5, 2025.
  5. ↑ Cumulus-adds-11-more-nashfms
  6. ↑ Drops Nash For Erie Country
  7. ↑ Venta, Lance (March 14, 2025). "Twenty Cumulus & Townsquare Media Stations Cease Operations With More To Come". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
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