| Broadcast area | Youngstown metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 830kHz |
| Branding | 99.7 The Drum |
| Programming | |
| Format | Urban Gospel - Blacktalk - ClassicR&B |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | April 1, 1985[1] |
Former call signs | WLND (1985-1989) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000wattsdays only |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°24′56.0″N80°43′49.0″W / 41.415556°N 80.730278°W /41.415556; -80.730278 |
| Translator(s) | 99.7 FM W259DI(Youngstown) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | thedrumradio |
WKTX (830kHz) is acommercialAMradio station inCortland, Ohio, serving theYoungstown metropolitan area. It broadcasts anurban gospelradio format in the daytime, along with some Blacktalk andChristian talk and teaching programs. At night it switches to ClassicR&B music. The on-air identity is known as "The Drum 99.7 FM."
WKTX is powered by day at 1,000watts, as aClass Ddaytimer station. BecauseAM 830 is aclear channel frequency, reserved for Class AWCCOMinneapolis, WKTX mustsign off at night. Thetransmitter is off Mahan Denman Road at Phillips Rice Road inMecca Township, Ohio.[2] WKTX programming is also heard around the clock on 200 wattFM translatorW259DI 99.7MHz inYoungstown.[3]
Theconstruction permit for the station that would later be known as WKTX was first issued in October 1982. Itsigned on the air on April 1, 1985, under the ownership of Cortland Broadcasting Company, headed by the Skip and Nancy Hoffman and Glen Barker families. The originalcall sign was WLND.
For many years, the station had studios and offices in Cortland, with the original location along Route 5 (Elm Street Extension). The format at the time of sign-on wascountry music,oldies, and farm information.
In February 1989, the station was sold to the Trumbull County Broadcasting Company, owned by Patrick Engrao. It flipped to aChristian music format and switched its call letters to WKTX. In this station's formative years, it was the AMsister station ofWLLF, licensed toMercer, Pennsylvania. During this brief period of common ownership, that station was known as WKTX-FM.
In October 1991, WKTX-AM/830 was purchased by Nationality Broadcasting Network, headed by Miklos Kossanyi and the format becameAdult Standards. In 1997 it went off the air for a month to move the tower and transmitter to a new location and then returned with the same format, Adult Standards. It later became an ethnic radio station, airing programs in foreign languages.
Miklos Kossanyi continued ownership of the station, with Kossanyi, his wife and his son listed as the licensee, instead of Nationality Broadcasting Network. Miklós Kossányi, born inKomárom, Hungary, died in October 2009. His wife, Mária Kossányi replaced him as the director of the station.[4] When her husband and ethnic broadcasting partner died, Maria Kossanyi took ill and never recovered. Mrs. Kossanyi died August 15, 2010, at her Bay Village home, at the age of 84.[5]
Upon settlement of the Kossanyis' estates, ownership of WKTX's broadcast license was assigned to their son Attila Kossanyi on June 23, 2016. Attila subsequently sold the station to Kingstrust LLC, effective July 21, 2016, at a price of $85,000.
On January 1, 2020, the station began programming an urban gospel format. Programming originally was provided by Rejoice, Musical Soul Food.
On Friday, September 11, 2020, WKTX launched its FM translator, calling the station "99.7 The Drum." The format was modified from all gospel music to a locally programmed gospel music andChristian talk and teaching programming airing on Sundays and during the weekday daytime hours.R&B,soul music, southernblues, and public affairs talk programming air on Saturdays and during the evening and overnight hours on weeknights.
The station is programmed byColumbus, Ohio, attorney and former Youngstown native Percy Squire, who at one time owned Youngstown area radio stations WRBP Jamz 101.9 (nowK-LoveWYLR), WGFT-AM (now Star 94.7), and the defunct 1500 WASN-AM. The drum format most recently aired on WVKO-AM 1580 / 92.9 FM W225CS Columbus, Ohio.
41°24′56″N80°43′49″W / 41.41556°N 80.73028°W /41.41556; -80.73028