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WXLK

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WXLK-FM
Logo for WXLK-FM
Broadcast areaRoanoke
Salem
Lynchburg
New River Valley
Frequency92.3 MHZ
BrandingK92, K92 Radio, K-92, K92 FM, 92.3FM K92
Programming
FormatTop 40
Ownership
OwnerMel Wheeler, Inc.
History
First air date
Dec. 31, 1979, 6pm
Technical information
ClassC
ERP93,000 watts
Links
Websitek92radio.com

WXLK-FM / K92 (aka K92 Radio, K92-FM) is a Top 40 radio station serving the Roanoke - Lynchburg and the New River Valley area of Virginia and West Virginia, in the United States. WXLK has an ERP of 93,000 watts, with a tower located on Poor Mountain. Also WXLK currently ranks 3rd in the Arbitron ratings for the Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market (as of the SPRING '07 ARBITRON Quarterly Report). The station is owned by Mel Wheeler, Inc., along with "94.9 Star Country", Q99, "ViBE100" and WFIR-AM located in the same market.

It is interesting to know that WXLK deals with a tremendous amount of interference, especially in the Martinsville, Virginia area, from co-channel WKRR-FM which broadcasts out of Asheboro, North Carolina. The two stations are only 130 miles apart, and WKRR broadcasts with an Effective Radiated Power of 100,000 watts. Also interesting K92 has maintained its Top 40 format for over 26 years.

K92's main competitor in the market is WJJS. In 1998 WJJS began a serious challenge to take on K92 in a battle that would last for nearly seven years, WJJS shifted from their Rhythmic Top 40 format to Top 40 Mainstream. In 2005 WJJS began a gradual return to their Rhythmic Top 40 format.

History

In 1948, WROV-FM signed on at 103.7, simulcasting the programing of WROV-AM 1240. In the early 50's, the 103.7 frequency was reallocated by the FCC and WROV-FM moved down the dial to 92.3. By the summer of 1955, WROV-AM and FM was sold to Burt Levine, who decided to sell off the FM since it wasn't making any money at the time. The station eventually became WLRG, with a Beautiful/Easy Listening music format. In the meantime, WROV-AM went on to become a successful Top 40 station for the next 25 years.

By the late 70's, the radio landscape began to change as the listening audience shifted away from AM to FM, and at the same time Beautiful Music became a dying format. WLRG's owner Aylett Coleman recognized this trend and, seeing absence of an FM Top 40 in the market ( Top 40 in Roanoke had been dominated by WROV-AM for decades ) and noticing the many years of ratings success of WRVQ-FM/Q94 in nearby Richmond, decided to take his station Top 40 as well. But Coleman, not having any experience in Top 40 consulted WRVQ's manager, Phil Goldman, for advice, and hired a new program director named Russ Brown, as well as a new airstaff, including some veterans from WROV. On December 31, 1979, after a 77 thousand dollar technical renovation , at 6 PM, WLRG dumped their old format , and began stunting on-air by playing the song "Listen To The Music" by the Doobie Brothers nonstop until 12 midnight. When midnight came on January 1st, 1980, the station officially became Top 40 as WXLK-FM using the "K92-FM" nickname. Almost overnight, K92-FM became a ratings success, which continued throughout the remainder of the early 1980s.

In 1985, The Arbitron ratings area was expanded to include Lynchburg, Virginia as well, which diluted K92's rating a bit. This caused the station to dismiss Brown as Program Director, and the station went through a plethora of Program Directors and jocks in the late eighties and early nineties. Brown ended up returning for two more tenures at Program Director in the 90s.

The early nineties were not a good time for the station. K92 was beaten regularly by crosstown country WYYD-FM. The station also got caught up in a local controversy when one of it's DJs was arrested and charged with several violations which resulted from an improper phone conversation with a female listener. During this time, to expanded their coverage, K92 purchased a 20 KW FM station in Lynchburg (formerly WKZZ, "Z-100", a Top 40 competitor), which became WLYK 100.1 FM, where they began to simulcast for several years. 100.1 FM in Lynchburg has since adopted a separate urban music format and is known as "The Vibe". In the mid 90s, a new CHR competitor entered the Roanoke market; WJJS, known as "Jammin' WJJS", was programmed for many years by K92 alum David Lee Micheals.

A few years later longtime owner Aylett Coleman died. The station was managed by Coleman's family for a few years after his death until 1997.

  • Mel Wheeler, Inc. bought the station in 1997. Wheeler already owned WSLC-AM & WSLQ-FM, and purchased WFIR-AM & WPVR-FM in 1999, the latter of which became WSLC-FM, also known as "94.9 Star Country".

Some of more popular personalities at K92 included Larry Dowdy ( who was the ONLY holdover from the old WLRG Beautiful Music format, and is now a popular Roanoke TV Personality ), David Lee Michaels, Bart Prater, Vince Miller, Bill Jordan, Don “Hollywood” O’Shea (a.k.a Eddie Amos – General Manager for Microsoft, Redmond, WA), Jon Barry, Bill "Slam" Duncan, Coach Sammy Simpson (who went on to become Marketing Director at Z100, New York), Kasper (who would go on to such stations as WAKS in Cleveland and WIOQ-FM in Philadelphia plus syndicated on other Clear Channel radio stations across the country) Carter G., Su-Anna , Mofo & Sally, Dangerous Don Walker, Ritchie Cunningham (currently a popular morning jock in Seattle as "Bender"), Eddie Haskell (Operations Manager for Citadel Broadcasting, Albuqurque, NM), Blair Carter, Jay Slater, Cat Thomas ( later a successful Program Director in WAPE-FM in Jacksonville, Florida) and Gina St. John (who later was an anchor/reporter for "E News Daily" on E! Entertainment Television and appeared as an actress in several TV shows including "CSI" , "The Steve Harvey Show" and "Crossing Jordan", and the movie "Bruce Almighty". Coincidentally, 1997 afternoon jock and current Production Director Mike Adams appeared in that film's sequel, "Evan Almighty", as an extra.)

Programming

Monday-Friday

  • The K92 Mornin' Thang (5:00 AM - 10:00 AM)
    • with Danny Meyers, Zack Jackson and Miss Monica Brooks
  • Kevin Scott (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
  • Kidd Carter (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
  • Bob Patrick (3:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
  • Tater (7:00 PM - 12:00 AM)
  • No DJ on air (12:00 AM - 5:00 AM)

Weekends

  • Nigel (Saturdays 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM/Various Weekend Shifts)
  • Bob Patrick (Various Weekend Shifts)
  • Ryan O'Brian (Various Weekend Shifts)
  • Blair Peyton (Various Weekend Shifts)
  • Tater (Various Weekend Shifts)
  • Kidd Carter (Various Weekend Shifts)
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