WKVP
MHz (HD Radio) | |
Branding | 106.9 K-Love |
---|---|
Programming | |
Format | Christian adult contemporary |
Subchannels |
|
Network | K-Love |
Ownership | |
Owner | Educational Media Foundation |
History | |
First air date | December 31, 1959 | (as WKDN-FM)
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "K-Love Philadelphia" |
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 20842 |
Class | B |
ERP | |
HAAT | 168 meters (551 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°54′33.4″N 75°05′58.6″W / 39.909278°N 75.099611°W |
Translator(s) | See § Translators |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | www |
WKVP (106.9
Station history
MOR music to Family Radio
The station signed on the air on December 31, 1959, as WKDN-FM. In 1966, the station was airing a MOR music format and was co-owned with WKDN (800 AM), which changed calls to WTMR after the two stations were sold to separate owners in 1968.
Family Stations, Inc., the holding company for stations run by Harold Camping's Family Radio religious ministry, acquired WKDN-FM for $500,000 on July 23, 1968. Under Family Stations' ownership, programming on WKDN (the "-FM" suffix was dropped from the call sign in June 1986) consisted mainly of Christian radio and teachings from Family Radio, along with some public affairs programming on weekends.
On December 6, 2011, Merlin Media, LLC announced it would acquire WKDN from Family Radio,[3] a sale that was completed on March 6, 2012. After the sale, Family Radio continued to program WKDN through a local marketing agreement while Merlin constructed new facilities for the station.[4]
Talk radio as "IQ 106.9"
Family Radio programming ceased on WKDN at precisely Midnight on the morning of April 16, 2012; after about a half-hour of dead air, a continuous playing loop of "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M. began, likely a play on Camping's infamous rapture predictions. After 12 Noon on April 16, the station changed its stunt to round-the-clock airings of The Sean Hannity Show (live airings and repeats), complete with the branding of "Hannity @ 106.9". With this "all-Hannity" change, the station also adopted a new call sign, WWIQ.[5][6] (Family Radio would move the WKDN call sign to its State College, Pennsylvania station on April 23.)[7]
Early speculation after Merlin's purchase had WWIQ being converted to an
Though "IQ 106.9" did include local weekday programming (see below), it relied heavily on nationally syndicated content, including three shows distributed by
Local content on "IQ 106.9" included "Philly's Morning News", a combination news/talk show (5–9 a.m.) initially co-hosted by Larry Mendte and Al Gardner; a radio veteran and Philadelphia native, Gardner was hired by Merlin Media in December 2011 to program "IQ", arriving from a morning host position at
Sale to EMF and change to K-Love
On August 7, 2013, Merlin Media announced that it had reached a deal to sell WWIQ to Educational Media Foundation (EMF). The sale, which would be consummated on November 19, 2013, at a reported price of $20.25 million,[17] would mean a return to religious-themed programming on the 106.9 signal, as EMF intended to move its K-Love Christian adult contemporary music network to the signal.[18][19] K-Love had been heard in Philadelphia on WKVP (89.5 FM) in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, whose 1,900-watt signal provides only a rimshot signal to the city.[20] The sale of WWIQ would leave Merlin with operations in only one radio market, Chicago.[21]
Merlin would continue to program "IQ" as a talk station until November 3, 2013. During "IQ's" last week, part of its daily schedule was turned over to
Signal and facilities
From the first sign-on until April 16, 2012, WKDN transmitted from a broadcast tower located in Camden, New Jersey, approximately 12 miles southeast of most other Philadelphia FM signals; as a result, the station enjoyed a better than average signal in southern New Jersey, especially in the Jersey Shore counties of Atlantic, Monmouth, Ocean, and Cape May. Under Family Radio, WKDN also operated three FM translator stations: W207AB (89.3 FM) in Atlantic City, New Jersey; W207AE (89.3 FM) in Reading, Pennsylvania; and W249AA (97.7 FM) in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. These translators were not part of the station's sale to Merlin. W207AB and W207AE continue to broadcast Family Radio programming through a satellite feed of its Sacramento station, KEBR. (W249AA currently simulcasts WLEB-LP.) WKDN's studios under Family Radio ownership were located at 2906 Mt. Ephraim Avenue in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
At the "IQ 106.9" debut on April 16, 2012, the station transmitted from a broadcast tower located on the spire of
Translators
The following translator simulcasts the programming of WKVP:
Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT |
Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W277AH | 103.3 FM | Dover, Delaware | 21076 | 80 | 45 m (148 ft) | D | 39°09′48″N 75°32′7″W / 39.16333°N 75.53528°W | LMS |
See also
Other K-Love stations in Pennsylvania include:
- WKHL (FM), Palmyra, PA
- WKHW (FM), Halifax, PA
- WKPA, State College, PA
- WLKA, Scranton, PA
- WLKJ, Johnstown, PA
- WLVX, Greenville, PA
- WPKV, Pittsburgh, PA
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WKVP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "FCC 335-FM Digital Notification [WKVP-FM]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. December 5, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ^ WKDN Philadelphia Sold from Radio Insight (December 6, 2011)
- ^ "Merlin closes on Philly station". Radio Ink. March 6, 2012. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ a b "106.9 Philadelphia Truth & Rumors," from Radio Insight, originally posted April 2, 2012, and updated April 12, 2012
- ^ "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ Call Sign history for WKDN/State College, PA, Retrieved May 8, 2012
- ^ "Radio station could be new fix for news junkies," from Philadelphia Daily News, September 12, 2011
- ^ "Merlin takes shots at CBS 'agenda' in Philadelphia...,"[permanent dead link] from Radio-Info, May 7, 2012
- ^ "IQ 106.9 Philadelphia To Debut Monday," from Radio Insight, May 6, 2012
- ^ "WPHT & WWIQ Philadelphia Fill Lineups," from Radio Insight, June 11, 2012
- ^ "Hannity and Beck silenced at 1210; Smerconish still on," from Philadelphia Daily News, November 19, 2010
- ^ "Merlin Media hires Al Gardner to program its new FM in Philadelphia," Archived April 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine from Radio-Info.com, December 9, 2011
- ^ "Dan Gross: Larry Mendte gets his talking papers from IQ 106.9," from Philly.com, January 4, 2013
- ^ "Fired From Talk Radio’s IQ 106.9 "Larry Mendte Says “I Have No Regrets” from PhillyMag.com, January 3, 2013
- ^ "Imus Replaces Local Hosts At WWIQ Philadelphia," from Radio Insight, July 12, 2013
- ^ "Merlin Gets $20.25 Million For Philly Station," from Radio Ink, August 13, 2013 Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "K-Love Debuts On 106.9 Philadelphia," from Radio Insight, originally reported August 7, 2013, and updated November 4, 2013
- ^ "Confirmed: Merlin Sells IQ 106.9/Philadelphia To EMF". All Access. August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ FCC Database: WKVP
- ^ "Michaels' Merlin sells WWIQ/Philly," from Radio Ink, August 7, 2013 Archived September 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Beck's Blaze Goes Live In Philly For One Week," from Radio Ink, October 25, 2013 Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Limbaugh & Hannity To Return To WPHT," from Radio Insight, October 15, 2013
- ^ File# BALH-20130812ACR granted by FCC October 23, 2013[dead link]
- ^ "APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST STATION, Comprehensive Technical Exhibit". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. January 31, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
External links
- Official website
- WKVP in the FCC FM station database
- WKVP in Nielsen Audio's FM station database