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WFAV

WFAV
Broadcast area
Kankakee, Illinois
Frequency95.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWFAV 95.1
Programming
FormatTop 40 (CHR)
SubchannelsHD2: Simulcast of WIVR (country)
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
OwnerMilner Media Partners, LLC
History
First air date
October 1992 (1992-10)[1][2]
Former call signs
  • WKVF (1990–1992)[3]
  • WZZP (1992–1995)[3]
  • WVLI (1995–2012)[3]
  • WKIF (2012–2013)[3]
Call sign meaning
"Favorite Hits"
Technical information[4]
Licensing authority
FCC
42656
ClassA
ERP2,300 watts
HAAT112 meters (367 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°04′41″N 87°45′22″W / 41.078°N 87.756°W / 41.078; -87.756
TranslatorHD2: 96.1 W241BS (Bourbonnais)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.wfav951.com

WFAV (95.1 FM) "Your FAVorites from the 2000's [sic] to NOW!" is a radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois. WFAV has a Contemporary hit radio format and is owned by Milner Media Partners.[5]

History

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The station was built by Dennis Baldridge and Richard Shelton, engineers at 89.7 WONU, and originally held the call sign WKVF.[2][3] As the station was coming on the air, it was sold to Rollings Communications for $90,000.[6] Its call sign was changed to WZZP by the time it began broadcasting in October 1992.[2][1][7] The station aired a classic rock format, and was part of a simulcast with 95.3 WZNF in Rantoul, Illinois and 107.9 WZNX in Arcola, Illinois.[2][1][7] In 1995, the station was sold to Milner Broadcasting, headed by Tim Milner, for $425,000.[8]

In March 1995, the station adopted an oldies format, branded "The Valley", and the station's call sign was changed to WVLI.[9][3] The station was simulcast on WFAV 103.7 from the station's sign-on in 2007 until 2011.[10][11][12][13] WFAV 103.7 would end the simulcast and begin airing a CHR format.[14] In August 2012, the station began simulcasting on 92.7 WKIF.[15]

On December 27, 2012, 95.1 began simulcasting the CHR format of 103.7, and "The Valley" oldies format was moved to 92.7. The two stations became known as 95.1 & 103.7 Hit Radio for the Kankakee River Valley.[16] On December 29, 2012, the WKIF calls moved from 92.7 to 95.1 and the WVLI calls moved from 95.1 to 92.7.[3][17] On February 20, 2013, the station's call sign was changed to WFAV (which moved from 103.7)[3] and its simulcast with 103.7 ended, as 103.7 adopted a country format as WYUR, which is a simulcast of 101.7 WIVR.[18] In 2018, Milner Broadcasting was sold to the newly formed Milner Media Partners.[19]

Translator

[edit]
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassTransmitter coordinatesFCC info
W241BS 96.1 FMBourbonnais, Illinois14088825066.4 m (218 ft)D41°9′39.1″N 87°52′30.2″W / 41.160861°N 87.875056°W / 41.160861; -87.875056 (W241BS)LMS

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1993[dead link], Broadcasting & Cable, 1993. p. B-111. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 301.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  4. "Facility Technical Data for WFAV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  5. "WFAV Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  6. "Transactions", Radio & Records, September 11, 1992. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 9, No. 43. October 28, 1992. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  8. "Transactions", Radio & Records, January 6, 1995. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  9. "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 12 No. 11. March 15, 1995. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  10. Radio stations award Free Ride scholarship", Kankakee Community College Update. January 2, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  11. "River Valley Radio". Milner Broadcasting. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  12. The Radio Book[dead link]. 2008-2009. p. 205. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  13. The Radio Book[dead link]. 2010-2011. p. 208. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  14. "WFAV 103.7 - Your New FAVorite Hit Radio Station". WFAV. Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  15. Venta, Lance. "Milner Shifting Programming In Kankakee", RadioInsight. November 29, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  16. "WFAV 95.1 - 103.7 - Your New FAVorite Hit Radio Station". WFAV. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  17. Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  18. "Format and Slogan Changes Archived September 18, 2020, at the Wayback Machine", VHF-UHF Digest. March 2013. p. 10. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  19. Provost, Lee. "New ownership for WVLI, WFAV Archived August 6, 2018, at the Wayback Machine", Daily Journal, April 21, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
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