 | |
| Broadcast area | Albemarle County, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1400kHz |
| Branding | 94.1 The Oasis |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian adult contemporary[1] |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WCHV,WCHV-FM,WCYK-FM,WHTE-FM,WHUK | |
| History | |
First air date | October 31,1957 (as WELK at 1010)[2] |
Former call signs | WBFY (1954–1956, CP) WELK (1956–1980) WXAM (1980–1984) |
Former frequencies | 1010 kHz (1957–1974) |
Call sign meaning | "Kavalier" [sic] |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 10651 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°1′49.0″N78°29′22.0″W / 38.030278°N 78.489444°W /38.030278; -78.489444 |
| Translator(s) | 94.1 W231AD (Charlottesville) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 941theoasis.com |
WKAV (1400AM) is aChristian adult contemporary formattedbroadcastradio station licensed toCharlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville andAlbemarle County, Virginia.[1] WKAV is owned and operated byMonticello Media.[4]
In 1954, a construction permit was issued to Lawrence Lee Kennedy for WBFY, a 1000-wattdaytimer on 1010 kHz. After several extensions and a callsign change to WELK, Charlottesville's fourth radio station signed on October 31, 1957.[2] WELK was Charlottesville's first strictlytop 40 station; its competitors,WINA andWCHV, both ran older-skewingmiddle-of-the-road formats.[5]
In 1966, WINA moved from 1400 kHz to 1070 kHz, opening up a valuable channel that allowed for 24-hour operation. WELK andWUVA, which was then acarrier current AM station broadcasting only inUniversity of Virginia residence halls, both filed for the 1400 kHz allocation the following year.[6] The competing applications required arbitration by the FCC, who first recommended denial of both as neither proposed transmitter site provided a listenable signal to both the university and downtown Charlottesville at night.[7] Asserting that a third nighttime station was needed, WELK found an adequate site and paid WUVA and another applicant $10,000 in exchange for withdrawing their applications.[8][9]
WELK was sold to Richard Latora in late 1979.[10] Under the new callsign WXAM, the station remained top-40, with programming fromABC'sAmerican Contemporary Network.[11]
Failing to regain ratings traction during this time due to competition from FM, the station was sold to Charles Wilson's Cavalier Country Broadcasting in 1984, who changed the callsign to the current WKAV and instituted acountry music format.[12] Top-40 radio would not return to the market until the launch ofWHTE-FM (101.9 MHz) in 2001.
Charlottesville Broadcasting Corporation, longtime owners of WINA (1070 kHz) andWQMZ (95.1 MHz), purchased WKAV in 1993 and flipped it toadult standards.[13] Charlottesville Broadcasting merged with Eure Communications, which ownedWWWV (97.5 kHz) and WCHV (1260 kHz), in 1998. Ownership concentration concerns from theDepartment of Justice forced the new company to divest the two least-valuable properties, WCHV and WKAV. The stations went toClear Channel in 2000.[14][15]
Clear Channel at first kept the standards, but in 2001 flipped the station to "Sports Talk 1400" withFox Sports Radio programming that had run briefly on WCHV.[16]
George Reed's Sistema 102, LLC, later renamed toMonticello Media, bought all of Clear Channel's Charlottesville stations in June 2007. Monticello tweaked the branding to "1400 The Ticket" after taking control. The station picked up most local sports broadcasting rights during this time, including theWashington Redskins,[17]Washington Capitals,Washington Nationals,Washington Wizards, andVirginia Tech Hokies.
Monticello suddenly flipped WKAV to "94.1 Hank FM" withclassic country music on September 14, 2015, pairing the station with a downtown Charlottesville FM translator that had been associated withWZGN (102.3 MHz). This flip came three days before WUVA was to flip to classic country fromNash Icon.[18] Fox Sports Radio was dropped, while WCHV andWCHV-FM (107.5 MHz) picked up live sports coverage on nights and weekends.
In September 2017, the classic country "Hank FM" format was dropped and thecontemporary Christian-formatted "The Oasis" appeared in its place.[19]
WKAV is relayed by one translator to provide an FM home for its music programming.[20]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W231AD | 94.1 FM | Charlottesville, Virginia | 11670 | 250 | 91.9 m (302 ft) | D | 38°1′49″N78°29′22″W / 38.03028°N 78.48944°W /38.03028; -78.48944 (W231AD) | LMS |