 | |
| Broadcast area | North CentralPennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 600kHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | SoftOldies -Adult Standards |
| Affiliations | Westwood One "America's Best Music" ABC Radio News |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | L-Com Inc. |
| WHKS | |
| History | |
First air date | May 1953; 71 years ago (1953-05) |
Call sign meaning | WFaRM & Home Broadcasting (original owner) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 21196 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000watts days 46 watts nights |
| Translator(s) | 96.5 W243EB (Coudersport) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | WHKSWFRM.com |
WFRM (600kHz) is acommercialAMradio station,licensed toCoudersport, Pennsylvania, and serving listeners in Potter, Elk, Mckean & Cameron counties in North CentralPennsylvania. It broadcasts the Good Time Oldies format.
WFRM and itssister station,WHKS94.9 FM inPort Allegany, are owned by L-Com, Inc., a company controlled by David Lent.
By day, WFRM is powered at 1,000watts. But to protect other stations on600 AM from interference, it reduces power at night to 46 watts. WFRM uses anon-directional antenna, with itstransmitter on Radio Tower Road at Dutch Hill Road in Coudersport.[2] Programming is also heard onFM translatorW243EB at 96.5MHz.
In May 1953; 71 years ago (1953-05), WFRM firstsigned on the air. It originally was adaytimer, required to go off the air at sunset to avoid interference to other stations on 600 AM.
In the summer of 1953, the Smethport Centennial Celebration was the first "special event" covered by WFRM, the new radio station in Coudersport just constructed by the Farm & Home Broadcasting Company. Broadcast lines were installed and temporary broadcast facilities were put in place in Smethport to cover many of the Centennial activities. Pete and Bill, the stars of the morning show, were photographed in the derby hats that everyone in Smethport was wearing as part of the celebration. That photo is still on the wall at WFRM's current studio location at 9 South Main Street in downtown Coudersport.
When the McKean County Fair came along again, radio was a big part. Gert Curley, who was widely known as "Betty Bradford" brought her popular WESB interview show to the fairgrounds. WFRM also came to the Fair. A large tent along the midway was filled with country music entertainers from McKean, Potter and surrounding counties. Crowds loved it.
One of the earlydisc jockeys on WFRM was afternoon hostDanny Neaverth, who worked at the station between 1957 and 1959, becoming better known as the morning man at legendaryBuffalo radio station 1520WKBW.[3]
Encouraged by the enthusiastic reception from folks in Smethport, WFRM decided to put a local office and studio in Smethport. It was located on the second floor of the Auto Parts store on West Main Street. Bob and Lois Johnson became the nucleus of the staff in Smethport and an effort was made to expand the service to this part of the WFRM Coverage area. Russ Wells was the announcer, and Bob Morrison was the engineer. An hour each day was broadcast over the radio from this studio. These daily broadcasts continued for about three years. Meanwhile, the Johnsons had relocated to Kane, and joined the staff that was building the new radio station facility there.
WFRM was joined by an FM sister, 96.7 WFRM-FM, on September 18, 1985. WFRM-FM in 2008 received approval by the FCC to be licensed toPortville, New York. It was sold to Colonial Radio Group, owners of WLMI, switching to aChristian radio format. 600 WFRM was sold to L-Com (Lent Communications, a company controlled by David Lent), owner ofPort Allegany-basedWHKS. Lent had worked from the time of his graduation from Coudersport area Jr. Sr. High School in 1973 up until former co-workers James (Jim) Linn and Theresa Blewett constructed WHKS-FM in Port Allegany, Pennsylvania in July 1990. Linn & Blewett sold L-Com Inc. (licensee of WHKS) to Lent in 1993. WFRM began simulcasting on an FM translator at 96.5 in 2020.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W243EB | 96.5 FM | Coudersport, Pennsylvania | 201645 | 30 | 207 m (679 ft) | D | 41°45′11.2″N78°0′2″W / 41.753111°N 78.00056°W /41.753111; -78.00056 (W243EB) | LMS |
41°45′11″N78°00′03″W / 41.753056°N 78.000833°W /41.753056; -78.000833