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| Broadcast area | Tuscaloosa metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 98 TXT |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Subchannels |
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| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| WACT,WRTR,WZBQ | |
| History | |
First air date | January 29, 1977; 48 years ago (1977-01-29) (as WHKW) |
Former call signs | |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 68418 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 274 meters (899 ft) |
| Translators |
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| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast |
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| Website | |
WTXT (98.1FM, "98 TXT") is acommercialradio stationlicensed toFayette, Alabama, and serving theTuscaloosa metropolitan area and west-central Alabama. It airs acountry musicformat and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. WTXT carries twonationally syndicated programs on weekdays:The Bobby Bones Show in morningdrive time andAfter Midnite with Granger Smith overnight.[3] The studios and offices are on 11th Avenue, offInterstate 359 in Tuscaloosa. WTXT calls itself "98 TXT, Tuscaloosa's Country."
WTXT is aClass C1 station. It has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts, the maximum for most FM stations. Thetransmitter is off Boyd Road near Columbus Creek inEchola.[4] WTXT broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. Its HD2subchannel airs aclassic country format known as "ThePossum." The HD3 subchannel playsSouthern gospel music. They feedFM translators at 92.1MHz and 96.1 MHz respectively.
In the early 1970s, broadcaster Harlon Kenneth Watts sought to build a new FM station in Fayette and applied for aconstruction permit from theFederal Communications Commission (FCC).[5] While it was still under construction, it was given thecall sign WVEL. Itsigned on the air on January 29, 1977; 48 years ago (1977-01-29).[6] It used the call letters WHKW, representing Watts' initials.
During the 1980s, the format wasTop 40 hits. Watts served as the president and general manager. WHKW was Tuscaloosa'saffiliate for theRick Dees Weekly Top 40. The station's Top 40 format lasted more than a decade.
In the early 1990s, the call sign changed to WTXT and a country music format was adopted. In August 2000, the station was acquired bySan Antonio-basedClear Channel Communications, a forerunner to today's iHeartMedia.[7]
In 2006, WTXT added theBig D and Bubba morning show fromWYNK-FM inBaton Rouge. The station also had Wild Bill Seckbach hosting afternoons. In 2014,The Bobby Bones Show fromNashville was added to the lineup, replacing Big D and Bubba.
On April 27, 2011, following severe weather known as the2011 Super Outbreak, WTXT's 860 foot (260 m)broadcast tower in Echola was destroyed. That forced the station to broadcast with a reduced signal. In the Fall of 2012, WTXT returned to full-power from a new tower at the same site.[8]
WTXT's primary coverage area includes Tuscaloosa, Fayette, andAliceville in Alabama andColumbus,Starkville andWest Point inMississippi. The station's signal extends into the western suburbs ofBirmingham (e.g.,Bessemer,Fairfield,Hueytown).
33°19′17″N87°46′29″W / 33.3215°N 87.7747°W /33.3215; -87.7747