| Simulcast ofWYCR,York–Hanover, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| |
| Broadcast area | Susquehanna Valley |
| Frequency | 1490kHz |
| Branding | Rocky 98.5 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic rock |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | June 1922; 103 years ago (1922-06) |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies |
|
Call sign meaning | "Rocky" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 25870 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 600 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°3′38.35″N76°18′5.0″W / 40.0606528°N 76.301389°W /40.0606528; -76.301389 (WRKY) |
| Translator | See § Translator |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WRKY (1490kHz, "Rocky 98.5") is aNon-commercial educational station,licensed toLancaster, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Forever Media andsimulcasts theclassic rock programming ofsister station 98.5WYCR.[2] WRKY is one of Pennsylvania's oldest radio stations.
WRKY is powered at 600 watts, using anon-directional antenna. Itstransmitter is off Fruitville Pike in Lancaster.
The station was first licensed on June 24, 1922 to the Lancaster Electric Supply & Construction Company at 23 East Orange Street,[3] andsigned on that same month. It is one of Pennsylvania's earliest stations. The originalcall sign was WGAL, which was randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call signs. The station was once housed in the historicJasper Yeates House.[4]
WGAL was owned by the Steinman family, which also owned two local newspapers, theIntelligencer Journal and theLancaster New Era. In 1947 an FM sister station went on the air, WGAL-FM, nowWROZ. In 1949, the family added Pennsylvania's first television station outsidePhiladelphia. The TV station is now owned byThe Hearst Corporation and still has theWGALcall sign.[5] For most of its history, WGAL/WLPA was a full service radio station, airingmiddle of the road music, news, talk and sports. It was a long-timeaffiliate of theNBC Radio Network.
In the early 1990s, WLPA simulcast the audio ofCNN Headline News and WGAL's local newscasts, before switching to One-on-One Sports, then Sporting News Radio (both forerunners ofSportsMap). It also broadcastPhiladelphia Phillies games.
In July 2005, WLPA changed to asports radio format, first affiliating withFox Sports Radio. On August 1, 2013, WLPA became an affiliate ofESPN Radio. The station had attempted to affiliate with ESPN Radio for some years beforehand, but was unable to do so due to its geographic proximity to another ESPN affiliate,WGLD inManchester Township. However, that station joinedCBS Sports Radio in early 2013, making the ESPN affiliation available to WLPA.[6]
On April 1, 2015, WLPA changed format from ESPN sports toadult standards, supplied byWestwood One'sAmerica's Best Music service, returning the station to the music it once played decades ago.[7]
On April 4, 2016, WLPA reverted back to a sports radio format, with a simulcast of the ESPN Radio programming of sister station WONN-FM, nowWPPY. WLPA adopted that station'sESPN Radio 92.7 branding at that time.[8]
On July 23, 2021, it was announced that Forever Media would purchase WLPA and its translator along with WONN-FM for a total of $400,000. This signals Hall Communications' withdrawal from the market, as the sale of 101.3 WROZ to religious broadcasterEducational Media Foundation was announced earlier that month.[9]
The sale consummated on October 15, 2021. WLPA and its translator subsequently switched to a simulcast of the classic rock programming of sister station WYCR.[2] The station's call sign was changed to WRKY effective November 1, 2021. On July 2, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission granted its application to switch from a commercial to a noncommercial station.[10]
WRKY programming is broadcast on the followingtranslator:
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W223CH | 92.5 FM | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 155427 | 250 | 57 m (187 ft) | D | 40°02′18.3″N76°18′21.8″W / 40.038417°N 76.306056°W /40.038417; -76.306056 (W223CH) | LMS |