| Simulcast ofWEST | |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Lehigh Valley |
| Frequency | 1600kHz |
| Branding | Loud 106.9/99.5 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Rhythmic contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WEST,WTKZ | |
| History | |
First air date | 1948; 77 years ago (1948) (at 1230 kHz) |
Former frequencies | 1230 kHz (1948–1955) |
Call sign meaning | "Hola" (former branding; means "hello" in Spanish) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 36987 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000watts day 56 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°35′33″N75°28′42″W / 40.59250°N 75.47833°W /40.59250; -75.47833 |
| Translator(s) | 93.7MHz W229AO (Fogelsville) 106.9 W295CR (Allentown) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | loud1069.com |
WHOL (1600AM) is arhythmic contemporaryradio station inAllentown, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by licensee Major Keystone LLC, and airs arhythmic contemporaryradio format. It issimulcast with co-ownedAM 1400WEST inEaston, Pennsylvania. Thestudios andtransmitter are on Colorado Street in Allentown.[2]
WHOL is powered at 1,000watts by day. But to protect other stations on1600 AM, it reduces power to 56 watts at night. It uses adirectional antenna at all times. Programming is also heard on 99 wattFM translatorW295CR at 106.9MHz.[3]
WHOLsigned on the air at 1230 AM, on September 5, 1948.[4] It was aCBS RadioNetwork affiliate, bringing CBS programming to the Allentown area, including dramas, comedies, news, sports,soap operas,game shows andbig band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio."
Founded by the Allentown Broadcasting Corporation, the station was granted itsconstruction permit in 1946. A suit was immediately brought by a competing applicant, Easton Publishing Co., owner of the dailyEaston Express newspaper, charging that theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) erred in granting a fourth license to Allentown whileEaston had only one radio frequency. The FCC reversed its decision in favor of the newspaper. The case eventually reached theU.S. Supreme Court, which in 1955 ruled the FCC had acted properly.[5] The Express was subsequently awarded the 1230 AM frequency for a new full-time station,WEEX, while WHOL moved to 1600 AM as adaytime only operation. Currently, WHOL operates full-time with reduced wattage at night.
For much of the 2000s and 2010s, it aired aSpanish languageTropical Music formatsimulcast with 1400WESTEaston.
During 2014, WHOL changed is image from "Hola Radio" to "La Ola Radio" and added a translator, W258BM, that allows the station to also be heard on FM radio at 99.5.
On January 1, 2017, at the stroke of Midnight, WHOL, WEST, and W258BM rebranded as "Mega 99.5".[6][7]
On October 19, 2020, WHOL split from its simulcast with WEST and changed its format tosyndicatedconservative talk, branded as "106.9 The Talk".[8]
77 days later, on January 5, 2021, WHOL dropped its conservative talk format and beganstunting with a heartbeat, interspersed with a voice saying "It's coming! It's almost here! Very soon!". The next day, WHOL flipped to aRhythmic Contemporary format as "Loud 106.9/99.5", once again simulcasting WEST.[9]
The station, along with WEST and translators W258DV and W295CR, was sold to Major Keystone LLC on January 17, 2022 in exchange for the licenses to WGLD, WTKZ, and W296EA.[10] The swap was consummated on March 31, 2022.