Jump to content

WHHL

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WHHL
Broadcast areaGreater St. Louis
Frequency104.1MHz(HD Radio)
BrandingHot 104-1
Programming
FormatUrban contemporary
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
October 16, 1967;57 years ago(1967-10-16)(as WJBM-FM inJerseyville, Illinois)
Former call signs
  • WJBM-FM (1967–85)
  • WKKX (1985–94)
  • WKBQ-FM (1994–97)
  • WALC (1997–98)
  • WXTM-FM (1998–2000)
  • WMLL (2000–04)
  • WRDA (2004–05)
Call signmeaning
"Where Hip-Hop Lives"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID74578
ClassC2
ERP50,000watts
HAAT140 meters (460 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
38°39′07″N90°17′02″W/ 38.652°N 90.284°W/38.652; -90.284
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live(viaAudacy)
Websitewww.audacy/hot1041

WHHL(104.1FM"HOT 104-1" ) is acommercialradio stationlicensedtoHazelwood, Missouri,and serving theGreater St. Louisarea. It broadcasts anurban contemporaryradio formatand is owned byAudacy, Inc.The studios and offices are on Olive Street at Tucker Boulevard indowntown St. Louis.

WHHL is aClass C2station. It has aneffective radiated power(ERP) of 50,000watts,using adirectional antenna.Thetransmitteris on DeBaliviere Avenue, just north ofForest Park.[2]

History

[edit]

1978-1994: Country

[edit]

The station signed on in 1978 as WJBM-FM, airing afull servicecountry format targeting the more Northern areas of the St. Louis metropolitan area, as well as theMetro Eastarea, with its city of license beingJerseyville.The station's transmitter at the time was located north of the city (near Jerseyville), which was a partial hindrance to any chance for success in the market for the next 21⁄2decades, despite later moving to a tower on Douglas Road inFlorissant, Missouri.They began targeting St. Louis in September 1985 ascountry musicstation WKKX ( "Kix 104 FM" ), and owned by Shelly Davis' Gateway Radio Partners. Zimmer Broadcasting bought the station out of bankruptcy in July 1991.[3]

1994-1997: Top 40

[edit]

On January 20, 1994, WKKX would swap frequencies withTop 40/CHR-formatted WKBQ-FM, with WKKX moving to 106.5 FM, and WKBQ-FM moving to 104.1 FM, and rebranding as "Q104". (WKBQ's simulcast on1380 AMwould continue with the swap.)[4][5]

WKBQ-FM was also the FM home for St. Louis morning team “Steve & DC”after one of the most significant stories/controversies in St. Louis radio history in the summer of 1993. The popular duo announced on January 6, 1994, that they would return on January 20 to “Q104” at a downtown press conference carried live on television stationsKTVI(ch. 2),KMOV(ch. 4),KSDK(ch. 5) andKDNL(ch. 30). Reporters from all major newspapers and magazines presented as well.[6][5]Emmis Communicationsbought the station in November 1996, for $42.5 million.[citation needed]

1997-1998: Modern AC

[edit]
WHHL transmitting tower

On January 24, 1997, the Top 40/CHR format was dropped forModern ACas WALC, "Alice 104.1".[7][8][9][10]

1998-2000: Active Rock

[edit]

On June 25, 1998, at 3 p.m., WALC flipped toactive rockas "Extreme Radio 104.1" and the WXTM-FM call letters (which were both adopted July 15, 1998).[11]WXTM was the original St. Louis affiliate ofThe Howard Stern Show.

2000-2004: 80s Hits

[edit]

On September 24, 2000, at 2 p.m., after playing "Fade to Black"byMetallica,and after Emmis purchasedKPNT(and moved Stern to that station), WXTM flipped toAll-80s Hitsas WMLL ( "104.1 The Mall" ).[12][13][14]The format would later evolve into a 80s/90s hits format, and would be the home of popular morning DJ's Steve & DC. On November 20, 2003, at Midnight, WMLL beganstuntingwithChristmas music;on December 25, the stunting changed to a "wheel of formats" by playing music from any given genre, as well as old airchecks from past formats on the frequency.[15][16]

2004-2005: Adult Standards

[edit]

At noon on January 8, 2004, the stunting stopped and the station flipped to anAdult Standardsformat as WRDA, "Red @ 104.1". The first songs on "Red" were "My Kind of Town"and"The Lady is a Tramp",both byFrank Sinatra.[17][18][19][20][21]The station specialized in "Music with Class" as they called it, playing classic standards singers such as Frank Sinatra,Dean MartinandBobby Darin,along with more modern 'crooners' such asRod StewartandMichael Bublé.

2005-present: Urban Contemporary

[edit]
Previous logo

In September 2005, after 18 months of subpar ratings and low advertising revenues, Emmis announced they would sell WRDA toRadio One,for $20 million. The station flipped to its currenturban contemporaryformat as "Hot 104.1" on October 1, 2005, at Midnight. The first song on "Hot" was "Play"by rapperDavid Banner.[22][23]The call letters would change to WHHL on November 24, 2005. Radio One would take full possession of the station in 2006 after running it under alocal marketing agreementfrom Emmis.[citation needed]The station's signal problems were finally solved in 2008, when it changed itscity of licensetoHazelwoodand relocated its transmitter to a site in the city of St. Louis, giving the station full market coverage.[citation needed]

WHHL transmitter building

On November 5, 2020, Urban One announced that it would swap WHHL, the intellectual property ofWFUN-FM,and two other stations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. toEntercom,in exchange for itsCharlotte, North Carolinastations. Entercom took over the station under alocal marketing agreementon November 23. The swap was consummated on April 20, 2021.[24]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WHHL".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^Radio-Locator /WHHL
  3. ^"RR-1991-07-12"(PDF).americanradiohistory.
  4. ^Stark, Phyllis (January 15, 1994). "Vox Jox".Billboard.Vol. 106, no. 3. p. 64.
  5. ^ab"RR-1994-01-07"(PDF).americanradiohistory.
  6. ^Stark, Phyllis (January 15, 1994). "Vox Jox".Billboard.Vol. 106, no. 3. p. 64.
  7. ^Diane Toroian, "St. Louis loses Top 40 station,"The Boston Globe,January 25, 1997.
  8. ^"RR-1997-01-31"(PDF).americanradiohistory.
  9. ^Alice 104.1 Commercial,retrieved2024-01-31
  10. ^ALICE @ 104.1 St Louis Fall 1997 Composite,retrieved2024-01-31
  11. ^"RR-1998-07-03"(PDF).americanradiohistory.
  12. ^"RR-2000-09-29"(PDF).americanradiohistory.
  13. ^Roberts, Randall."Death of a Format".Riverfront Times.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  14. ^WMLL "104.1 The Mall" Jerseyville IL/St. Louis - Tony Columbo - May 11 2001,retrieved2024-01-31
  15. ^"St. Louis' 104.1 FM Flips to all Christmas Music, all the Time... -- re> ST. LOUIS, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-11.
  16. ^"Too Soon - St. Louis Journalism Review | HighBeam Research".2016-09-10. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-09-10.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  17. ^Lance (2004-01-08).""104.1 The Mall" WMLL flips from 80's to Standards "Red 104.1" WRDA ".Format Change Archive.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  18. ^"St. Louis Stories".bizjournals.May 1, 2004.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  19. ^"RR-2004-01-16"(PDF).americanradiohistory.
  20. ^Research, Edison (2004-01-21)."First Look:" Modern Standards "Red 104/St.Louis".Edison Research.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  21. ^Red 104.1 Radio Station Commercial [2004, St. Louis, Missouri],retrieved2024-01-31
  22. ^"Emmis Announces Sale of St. Louis'" Red "to Radio One".Emmis Corporation.1970-01-01.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  23. ^Lance (2005-10-01)."WRDA Becomes Hot 104.1".Format Change Archive.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  24. ^"Entercom To Swap Charlotte Stations To Radio One For WPHI, WTEM and St. Louis Duo".RadioInsight.5 November 2020.Retrieved2020-11-14.
  • "1".Retrieved2008-02-27.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WHHL&oldid=1249589030"