| Broadcast area | York–Lancaster–Hanover–Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 96.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 96.1 SOX |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Subchannels |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WARM-FM,WIOV-FM,WSBA | |
| History | |
First air date | 1959 (as WGCB-FM) |
Former call signs | WGCB-FM (1959–1997) WTHM-FM (1997–1998) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 55351 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 13,500watts (analog) 135 watts (digital)[2] |
| HAAT | 290 meters (950 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°54′16.4″N76°34′46.9″W / 39.904556°N 76.579694°W /39.904556; -76.579694 (WSOX) |
| Translator(s) | See § Translators |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) Listen Live (HD3) |
| Website | www HD3:hopefm |
WSOX (96.1FM, "96.1 SOX") is a commercialradio station licensed to serveRed Lion, Pennsylvania. The station is owned byCumulus Media through licensee Radio License Holding SRC, LLC and broadcasts aclassic hitsformat. The station'sservice contour includes the metro areas ofYork,Harrisburg,Lebanon,Gettysburg andLancaster, Pennsylvania, as well as the northern suburbs ofBaltimore, Maryland.[3] Its broadcast tower is located near Red Lion at (39°54′16.7″N76°34′46.6″W / 39.904639°N 76.579611°W /39.904639; -76.579611).[4]
WSOX usesHD Radio, andsimulcasts thetalk radio programming of sister stationWSBA on its HD2 subchannel. The HOPE FM brandedchristian radio programming is broadcast on the station's HD3 subchannel, which is simulcast on three FM translators.
TheFederal Communications Commission granted John M. Norris a construction permit for the station on July 22, 1959, with the WGCB-FM call sign. The station was granted its first license on August 1, 1960.[5] WGCB-FM aired achristian radio format.
The station's license was voluntarily assigned to Red Lion Broadcasting Company, Inc., effective May 23, 1963.[5]
In 1969, Red Lion Broadcasting lost a landmark First Amendment case (Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC), after the station refused to grant free on-air time for a journalist to rebutt the claims made against him by an on-air evangelist.[6]
In August 1997, the station's license was transferred from Thomas H. Moffit Sr. to Pioneer Broadcasting Corporation, followed by a call sign change to WTHM-FM on December 5, 1997.[7] On July 1, 1998, the call sign was changed to WSOX.[7] In March 2003, the license was transferred from Pioneer Broadcasting Corporation to Lancaster-York Broadcasting, LLC (owned by Brill Media[8]) and four months later, in July 2003, the license was transferred from Lancaster-York Broadcasting, LLC to Susquehanna License, LLC,[9] which was owned bySusquehanna Radio Corporation.[10]
On October 31, 2005,Cumulus Media announced the creation of a new private partnership, Cumulus Media Partners, LLC, formed withBain Capital,The Blackstone Group andThomas H. Lee Partners, to purchase Susquehanna Radio Corporation for approximately $1.2 billion.[11] The purchase was completed on May 5, 2006,[12] at which time the license for WSOX was transferred to Radio License Holding SRC, LLC., a licensee of Cumulus Media Partners Susquehanna Corporation.[13]
The following three translators are licensed to Hope Christian Church of Marlton, Inc, and simulcast the programming of HOPE FM (owned by Calvary Chapel of Marlton[14]) broadcast on WSOX-HD3:
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W237DC | 95.3 FM | New Holland, Pennsylvania | 144115 | 250 | 260 m (853 ft) | D | 40°04′45.4″N76°00′43.8″W / 40.079278°N 76.012167°W /40.079278; -76.012167 (W237DC) | LMS |
| W262CW | 100.3 FM | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 155485 | 250 | 170 m (558 ft) | D | 40°11′30.3″N76°52′0.9″W / 40.191750°N 76.866917°W /40.191750; -76.866917 (W262CW) | LMS |
| W265DE | 100.9 FM | Hershey, Pennsylvania | 144130 | 120 | 194 m (636 ft) | D | 40°15′2.3″N76°39′43.9″W / 40.250639°N 76.662194°W /40.250639; -76.662194 (W265DE) | LMS |
WSOX is short-spaced to three other stations:WHUR-FM96.3 WHUR (licensed to serveWashington, D.C.),WCTOCat Country 96 & 107 (licensed to serveEaston, Pennsylvania), andWWIN-FMMagic 95.9 (licensed to serveGlen Burnie, Maryland).
WSOX and WCTO operate on the same channel and the distance between the stations' transmitters is 78 miles as determined by FCC rules.[15] The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on the same channel according to currentFCC rules is 150 miles.[16]
WSOX and WHUR-FM operate on first adjacent channels (96.1 & 96.3) and the distance between the stations' transmitters is 71 miles as determined by FCC rules.[15] The minimum distance between twoClass B stations operating on first adjacent channels according to currentFCC rules is 105 miles.[16]
WSOX and WWIN-FM also operate on first adjacent channels (95.9 & 96.1) and the distance between the stations' transmitters is 48 miles as determined by FCC rules.[15] The minimum distance between aClass B station (WSOX) and aClass A station (WWIN-FM) operating on first adjacent channels according to currentFCC rules is 70 miles.[16]
WSOX uses adirectional antenna to reduce its signal toward the south-southwest, in the direction of WHUR-FM and WWIN-FM.[4]