WIRO (FM)
 | |
| Broadcast area | Huntington/Ashland/Ironton |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 107.1MHz |
| Branding | Air1 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Worship |
| Affiliations | Air1 |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Educational Media Foundation |
| History | |
First air date | 1973(as WITO) |
Former call signs | WITO (1973–1985) WMLV (1985–1997) WFXN (1997–2002) WBKS (2002–2010) WLRX (2010–2019) WAWT (2019–2022) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 61686 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 3,100watts |
| HAAT | 137 meters (449 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°31′23″N82°39′11″W/ 38.523°N 82.653°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | air1 |
WIRO(107.1FM) is a station covering theHuntington, West Virginiaarea. TheEducational Media Foundationoutlet broadcasts at 107.1 MHz with an ERP of 3.1 kW, is licensed toIronton, Ohioand is currently branded as anAir1affiliate playingcontemporary worship music.
History
[edit]WIRO, which originally signed on the air in 1973 as WITO, would later go through format and call sign changes as WMLV (1985–97) and WFXN (1997–2002) beforeClear Channel Communicationstransformed them into a local version of theKISS-FM brandunder the WBKS call sign. But unlike the traditionalmainstream top 40format that was used at their sister stations, this version focused onrhythmic hitsand did not use the trademarked blue ball. The reason for this was due to having a sister station inWKEE,which is the market's top 40 outlet.
On or before December 31, 2009, WBKS underwent a format change, becoming asimulcastofactive rockstationWAMX.On January 19, the station changed its call sign from WBKS to WLRX.
On October 30, 2012, the station underwent another format change, joining24/7 Comedy.[2]
On June 2, 2014, WLRX flipped to classic country as107.1 The Bear.[3]
On March 3, 2019, iHeartMedia announced it would sell four stations in its Aloha Station Trust, including WLRX, to the Educational Media Foundation in exchange for six translators already operated by iHeartMedia. The station was expected to flip to one of EMF's national networks (K-Love,Air1,orK-Love Classics) upon the sale's closure.[4]
On May 31, 2019, the sale to Educational Media Foundation was closed and WLRX began operating under theAir1branding.[5]The station changed its call sign to WAWT.[6]
The station changed its call sign to WIRO on November 9, 2022.
Former logo
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^"Facility Technical Data for WIRO".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^"Radio station starts 24/7 comedy broadcasting".The Herald-Dispatch.October 30, 2012.RetrievedNovember 12,2012.
- ^"WLRX Shifts To Classic Country".RadioInsight.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
- ^"iHeartMedia Swaps Four From Aloha Station Trust To EMF For Six Translators".RadioInsight.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
- ^"AM-Translator Combos In Maine, Tennessee, Florida Sold".AllAccess.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
- ^"EMF Sets New Call Letters For Cumulus/Aloha Acquisitions; WRQX Moves To..."RadioInsight.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 61686 (WIRO)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- WIROinNielsen Audio's FM station database