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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Panama City -Florida Panhandle |
| Frequency | 94.5MHz |
| Branding | Rock 94.5 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Active rock |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | August 1977 (1977-08) (as WGCV at 93.5) |
Former call signs |
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Former frequencies | 93.5 MHz (1977–1982) |
Call sign meaning | An extension ofWFLA branding (previous format) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 61262 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 303 meters (994 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 29°49′10″N85°15′34″W / 29.819389°N 85.259361°W /29.819389; -85.259361 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | 945rocks |
WFLF-FM (94.5MHz) is acommercial radio stationlicensed toParker, Florida, and serving thePanama City area of theFlorida Panhandle. It airs anactive rockradio format and is owned and operated byiHeartMedia, Inc. In morningdrive time, it carries thesyndicatedLex and Terry show, based inDallas. Afternoon's arevoice tracked from Big Rig, based atWXTB inTampa.
WFLF-FM is aClass C0 FM station. It has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for most stations. Thetransmitter andtower are on Old Niles Transroad inPort St. Joe.[2]
The stationsigned on the air in August 1977.[3] It originally broadcast at 93.5 MHz and had thecall sign WGCV. The station'scity of license wasPort St. Joe, Florida. In 1982, Don Crisp bought WGCV, along with WJOE (1080 AM), and upgraded the FM signal to 94.5 with 100 kW of power.
In 1983, the stations were sold to Brown Broadcasting (affiliated withJohn Brown University ofSiloam Springs, Arkansas). It switched its call letters to WJST. WJOE's call sign was also changed to WJBU, where they would stay until the station's last days in 1989. WJST was originally analbum rock station called "T-94". Initially, WJST was on a shorter, 500-foot (150 m) tower, also used by its AM sister station at 1080 kHz. In 1986, WJST moved to a 1,000-foot (300 m) tower.
Brown Broadcasting sold the stations to Champion Broadcasting in 1986. Champion immediately sold the stations to Asterisk, Inc. WJST then became acountry music station, but proved unable to compete effectively with the already establishedWPAP. WJST had a call letter change to WWZR in 1989, and adopted theSatellite Music Network's "Z Rock"heavy metal format.[4] This hard rock sound only lasted until January 28, 1990, when the station made a dramatic switch toSouthern Gospel music. That was the format for only one year.
From 1991 until 1993, the station was a member of Satellite Music Network's "Real Country" network. In 1993, the station's call letters were changed again to WKNB. Marketed as "B94.5", WKNB aired a modern country format for just under a year. Then in 1994, its call sign was changed to WPBH and it operated under the name "Beach 94.5" for three years, playing aclassic hits format.
In 1997, WPBH, along with WPAP,WDIZ andWFSY, were sold toClear Channel Communications, now iHeartMedia. The call sign was changed again, this time to WPPT, as "Pirate Radio". It was the second station in the Panama City market to have the "Pirate Radio" moniker. The first wasWTBB from 1992 to 1997.
Pirate Radio existed until 2002. At that point, the station flipped to anactive rock format called "The Fox 94.5". Its call letters were changed to WFBX. This lasted until 2007, when, after the call letters were changed to WFLF-FM, it became atalk radio station, carrying news updates fromFox News Radio. WFLF-FM cross-branded with another Florida talk stations owned by Clear Channel,WFLA inTampa Bay. WFLF-FM shared much of WFLA'sconservative talk radio lineup from co-ownedPremiere Networks. The talk format lasted from 2007 to 2021.
On September 15, 2021, WFLF-FM beganstunting withChristmas music, branded as "Christmas 94.5". This happened even though Christmas was more than three months away. In addition, the WFLA talk radio programming moved to twoFM translators, fed by WPAP-HD2.[5] At 5 p.m. on September 17, 2021, WFLF-FM flipped tomainstream rock as "Rock 94.5".[6]