 | |
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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 92.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | K92 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Subchannels | HD2:WZZU simulcast (Active rock) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Mel Wheeler, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | December 17, 1960; 64 years ago (1960-12-17) |
Former call signs |
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| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9692 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 605 meters (1,985 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°11′51.4″N80°9′9.1″W / 37.197611°N 80.152528°W /37.197611; -80.152528 (WXLK) |
| Translator(s) | See § HD Radio |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | k92radio.com |
WXLK (92.3 FM "K92") is acommercial radio stationlicensed toRoanoke, Virginia, serving theNew River Valley andSouthwest Virginia.[2] WXLK airs acontemporary hit radioformat and is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.[3]
WXLK's studios and offices are on Electric Road in Roanoke. Itstransmitter is on Honeysuckle Road inBent Mountain.[4] WXLK broadcasts in theHD Radio format.[5] The station runs at 100,000 wattseffective radiated power (ERP) on a tower 1,985 feet inheight above average terrain (HAAT). TheClass C station can be heard intoNorth Carolina andWest Virginia. At times it can be picked up more than 200 miles away.
On December 17, 1960, the station firstsigned on as WLRJ.[6] It was owned by Lee Hartman & Sons, a company headquartered in Roanoke that still provides audio and video services, although it no longer owns a radio station.[7] WLRJ ran at only 2,800 watts, a fraction of its current power.
The station specialized in what it called "fine music" includingmiddle of the road artists. WLRJ was anaffiliate of theABC-FM Network.[8] It was a rare "stand alone" FM station, with no AM counterpart.
In 1972, the station was bought by CEBE Investments.[9] CEBE switched the format tobeautiful music. With the new call letters WLRG, the station called itself "Large Radio - Always Beautiful".
contemporary hit radio "K92" debuted on January 1, 1980. FutureWVTF general manager Glenn Gleixner, then a DJ at the station, came up with the branding and callsign – picking K because he believed it was the most memorable letter, and including an X in homage toWIXL inNewton, New Jersey, where he previously worked.[10]
Throughout the 1980s, WXLK is an affiliate ofCasey Kasem'sAmerican Top 40 (since January 1981), theRick Dees Weekly Top 40, andDan Ingram's Top 40 Satellite Survey.
In 1997, the station was acquired by its current owner, Mel Wheeler, Inc. The price tag was $7.5 million for both WXLK and 100.1 WLYK inLynchburg, which at the timesimulcast WXLK.[11] (WLYK is nowWVBE-FM, which airs anurban adult contemporary format).
Over the years, K92 launched many of its high profile on-air personalities into major market radio, including Eddie Haskell, David Lee Michaels, Cat Thomas, Sonny Joe Stevens, Marc Anthony, Ellis B Feaster, Blair Carter & Jeffrey T. Mason.
HD Radio subchannel WXLK-HD2 debuted asmainstream rock formatted "97.3 & 98.5 The Rock Channel" on December 31, 2017. The subchannel is paired with two FM broadcast translators to provide reception on analog radios:[12]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W247AD | 97.3 FM | Roanoke, Virginia | 67688 | 99 | 219 m (719 ft) | D | LMS | Relays HD2 |