Jump to content

WAKC

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 66.31.76.221 (talk) at 17:47, 17 April 2014. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

WWHK
Broadcast areaConcord, New Hampshire
Frequency102.3 MHz
Programming
FormatEasy Listening (temporary)
Ownership
Owner
  • Birch Broadcasting, Inc.
  • (Capitol Broadcasting Corporation, Inc.)
History
First air date
March 7, 1972 (as WKXL-FM)
Former call signs
WKXL-FM (1972–2000)
WOTX-FM (2000–2005)
Call sign meaning
The HawK (previous format)
Technical information
Facility ID8683
ClassA
ERP3,000 watts
HAAT87 meters
Transmitter coordinates
43°13′0.0″N 71°34′34.0″W / 43.216667°N 71.576111°W / 43.216667; -71.576111

WWHK (102.3 FM) is an American licensed radio station in Concord, New Hampshire. The station is owned by Birch Broadcasting and is currently playing string arrangements of classic rock and pop music performed by the Vitamin String Quartet. The station sought permission to remain silent for an additional extended period, however this was denied by the FCC in June 2012.

History

WWHK began operations March 7, 1972[1] as WKXL-FM, the FM sister station to WKXL (1450 AM), under the ownership of Frank Estes, who also owned WKXR in Exeter, New Hampshire.[2] In 1980, Estes sold the WKXL stations to a group of station employees. At one point, WKXL-FM offered its own programming (including a contemporary hit radio format), but in 1991[3] it was converted to a simulcast of the AM side's programming.[4]

In 1999, the employee group sold the WKXL stations to Vox Media,[3] who, after buying WRCI (107.7 FM) several months later, shifted the simulcast to that station;[5] as a result, on January 3, 2000, the station returned to separate programming as a country station, WOTX-FM ("Outlaw Country").[6]

In 2004, Vox sold most of its stations in the area to Nassau Broadcasting Partners;[7] however, Nassau could not buy WOTX outright due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership restrictions.[8] Nassau did take control of the station under a local marketing agreement,[8] and on February 7, 2005 swapped formats with WNHI (93.3 FM) and became a classic rock station as WWHK ("102.3 The Hawk"), in tandem with a nearby Nassau classic rock station, WWHQ (101.5 FM) in Meredith, New Hampshire.[9]

WWHK had planned to drop the classic rock format in favor of sports talk provided by Boston's WEEI in January 2008,[10] but the deal between Nassau and Entercom ended up collapsing.[11] In March 2008, the station shifted from classic rock to a more mainstream rock format.

However, in September 2006, the FCC ruled that local marketing agreements and joint sales agreements counted towards the operator's ownership count in a market.[12] Initially, Nassau continued to operate WWHK in violation of this ruling as it attempted to obtain a waiver to buy WWHK outright, but the FCC ruled in April 2008 that Nassau had worked with Arbitron to create a Concord radio market, and barred its purchase of WWHK.[8] Four months later, the FCC ordered Nassau to terminate the joint sales agreement with Capitol Broadcasting (the Vox Media subsidiary that continued to hold the WWHK license while Nassau ran the station).[12] Nassau complied, and on August 22, 2008, Vox reassumed control of the station with a commercial-free rock format.[13] The station switched to classical music in September 2008;[14] soon afterwards, the station went silent.[15]

Vox sold WWHK to Andrew Sumereau in 2009; future programming plans will remain unknown until the sale is finalized.[16] In the interim, the station returned to the air in July, again airing a classic rock loop.[17] In April 2010, the station began simulcasting WTPL from Hillsborough.[18] The sale to Sumereau's company, Birch Broadcasting, was finally completed on June 22, 2011; a week earlier, Vox temporarily signed WWHK off once more.[19]

As of April, 2014 Northeast Broadcasting through its subsidiary Devon Broadcasting has negotiated to purchase the station for future use as a simulcast of WXRV Andover, Massachusetts also known as "The River".[20] As of April 14 it has begun broadcasting selections from that station's "River Music Hall" performances commercial free.

References

  1. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1989 (PDF). 1989. p. B-188. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  2. ^ "NHAB Alumni: Frank Estes". New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters. October 28, 2001. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Fybush, Scott (April 2, 1999). "The Eagle Has Crash-Landed". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  4. ^ Wollman, Garrett. "WTPL promo vehicle". New Hampshire, June, 2005. Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  5. ^ Fybush, Scott (December 26, 1999). "Citadel Bulks Up in Worcester". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  6. ^ Fybush, Scott (January 28, 2000). "Welcome Back WMEX, and We Take On LPFM". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  7. ^ Fybush, Scott (March 22, 2004). "Vox Sells 10 More to Nassau". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  8. ^ a b c Fybush, Scott (April 7, 2008). "CBS Cutbacks Hit Local TV Staffs". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  9. ^ Fybush, Scott (February 7, 2005). "Qantum Buys the Cape; Cherry Creek Buys the East End; WSMN Goes Dark". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  10. ^ "Nassau Broadcasting Brings A Championship To New Hampshire" (Press release). Nassau Broadcasting Partners. October 26, 2007.
  11. ^ "Entercom-Nassau Deal Falls Through". Radio Ink. January 4, 2008.
  12. ^ a b "FCC Denies Waiver Bid, Rules Nassau Must End JSA". Radio Ink. August 12, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  13. ^ Fybush, Scott (August 25, 2008). "Atlantic Coast, Nassau Shake Up Maine". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  14. ^ Fybush, Scott (September 8, 2008). ""Now" Time at Philly's WJJZ". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  15. ^ Fybush, Scott (September 29, 2008). "Scranton's Ron Allen Dies". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  16. ^ Hanna, Maddie (March 21, 2009). "Off-air station purchased; future unclear". Concord Monitor. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  17. ^ Fybush, Scott (July 27, 2009). "Whither Pulse?". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  18. ^ http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=165514.0 WTPL on WWHK
  19. ^ Sumereau, Andrew T. (June 24, 2011). "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  20. ^ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/88283/wwhk-concord-nh-sold/
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WAKC&oldid=604622168"