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| Broadcast area | Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area South Central Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Real 99.3 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Urban contemporary |
| Subchannels | HD2:Air1 (Contemporary worship music) |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | July 1965 (1965-07) |
Former call signs | WSFM (1965–1987) WHIT (1987–1988) WIMX (1988–1995) WYMJ (1995) WWKL-FM (1995–2001) |
Call sign meaning | Harrisburg's Kiss FM (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 23464 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,350 watts |
| HAAT | 207 meters (679 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°11′30.3″N76°52′3.9″W / 40.191750°N 76.867750°W /40.191750; -76.867750 (WHKF) |
| Translator | See§ Translators |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | real993 |
WHKF (99.3FM, "Real 99.3") is a commercial radio station licensed to serveHarrisburg, Pennsylvania. Owned byiHeartMedia, the station broadcasts anurban contemporary format.
The station first signed on the air in July 1965, by Hudson Broadcasting Corp. as WSFM. The studios and transmitter were co-located withWCMB on Poplar Church Road (40°15′45.10″N76°54′37.155″W / 40.2625278°N 76.91032083°W /40.2625278; -76.91032083) inWormleysburg, Pennsylvania. Through the 1960s and early 1970s, the station's format wasMOR like its sister station, but it did not duplicate WCMB. In 1978, the station rebranded asRock 99 with a format change toCHR ("Top 40") and began competing withWKBO andWQXA-FM in York.
In 1981, the format was changed toadult contemporary and the branding toWSFM-99, thenSunny 99-FM. On June 29, 1987, it switched back to CHR, branded as99 HIT-FM with the WHIT call sign. In 1988, Barnstable Broadcasting purchased the station. The call sign was changed to WIMX, the branding toMix 99.3 and the format changed several times over the years before settling on a mix of "Hot Talk" (WFAN-AM'sImus in the Morning,WJFK-FM'sDon and Mike afternoons) and "Hot Music" (rhythmic CHR).
In 1995, the station's owner, Gemini Broadcasting, was on the verge of bankruptcy and sold the station (along withWCMB) to Barnstable Broadcasting. Following the sale, Barnstable changed the station's call letters to WYMJ in March 1995, in anticipation of a format change. On June 30, 1995, the station's format and call sign swapped with sister stationKOOL 94.9, moving KOOL'soldies format to 99.3, rebranded asKOOL 99.3 (WYMJ became "Magic 94.9", a hot AC format which did not gain traction in the market and changed formats within months toWRBT). Dame Media bought the station in 1997, the Dame Media stations were bought byClear Channel Communications in 1999.[2]
On July 1, 2001, Clear Channel rebranded the station asKISS-FM, changed the call sign to WHKF and changed the format back to CHR. Prior to launching, Clear Channel beganstunting by playing a continuous sound effect of a small, noisy crowd. As the station's launch drew closer, thevoiceover began announcing "Tomorrow at noon ... the talking stops". This was thought to be a direct shot at popular afternoon drive talk show host Bruce Bond, ofWink 104, who has since left that station.
On April 2, 2018, in response to Cumulus Media movingWWKL to 106.7 FM (thus expanding the station's CHR format to cover Lancaster, York, and Reading), WHKF began redirecting listeners to sister stationWLAN-FM. On April 4, at 11 am, after playing "Never Be the Same" byCamila Cabello, the station flipped toalternative rock asAlt 99.3. This move removed redundancy with WLAN-FM, and also provided a competitor to Cumulus'sWQXA-FM. The first song on "Alt" was "This is War" byThirty Seconds to Mars.[3]
On May 28, 2021, at 11 am, after playing "Tongue Tied" byGrouplove, the station began stunting with a loop of "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" byREM. At Noon, following a single playing of "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" byGreen Day, the station flipped to urban contemporary as "Real 99.3". The first song on "Real" was "Dreams and Nightmares" by Philadelphia nativeMeek Mill.[4]
WHKF-HD2 programming (Air1) is broadcast on the followingtranslator:[5]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W269AS | 101.7 FM | Carlisle, Pennsylvania | 20863 | 160 | 307 m (1,007 ft) | D | 40°20′43.1″N76°52′8.3″W / 40.345306°N 76.868972°W /40.345306; -76.868972 (W269AS) | LMS |