WOVK (98.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Wheeling, West Virginia, United States, it serves the Wheeling area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
 | |
| Broadcast area | Wheeling metro area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.7 MHz |
| Branding | 98.7 WOVK |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Country music |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | September 1, 1947 |
Former call signs | WWVA-FM (1947–1977) WCPI (1977–1984) |
Call sign meaning | Ohio Valley K(C)ountry |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 44048 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 119 meters (390 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°04′58″N 80°46′18″W / 40.08278°N 80.77167°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (via iHeartRadio) |
| Website | wovk |
WOVK is one of the Local Primary 1 Emergency Alert System stations in the Wheeling area.
History
editThe 98.7 MHz frequency in Wheeling was originally assigned to WWVA-FM, which began broadcasting September 1, 1947. It was licensed to West Virginia Broadcasting Corporation.[2]
As of 2022, local programming on the station consists of a daily live afternoon program hosted by cluster Program Director Corey Klug, as well as weekly broadcasts of OVAC high school football, which feature Klug as play-by-play announcer and Brad Mitchell as color commentator. Additionally, the station airs The Bobby Bones Show, After MidNite with Granger Smith, Country Top 30 with Bobby Bones, and The Crook & Chase Countdown from Premiere Networks, and utilizes the Premium Choice “Country Favorites” network during all other hours, which is hosted out of Baltimore, Milwaukee, Colorado Springs, New Orleans, Nashville, and St. Louis.[3]
In their 1990s and 2000s heyday, the station boasted an impressive lineup of local on-air talent and programming. Former disc jockeys include Steve Crow, Otis, Ken "Big K" Andrews, "Coffee Boy" Chad Tyson, Jamie Lynn, Skip Kelly, Rich Biela, Traci Fulton, Don Anthony, Scott Fisher, David Demarest, Kari Brooks, Charlie Mitchell, Michael St. James, and longtime Program Director & Music Director Jimmy Elliott.[4] The station’s former flagship morning program, Morning Madness, was consistently the #1-ranked morning program in the Ohio Valley from 1993 until its cancellation in November 2020.[5]
WOVK also served as the official radio station of Jamboree in the Hills for many years until its cancellation in 2018, broadcasting live audio of the entire country music festival. While the station is heavily involved in the festival's successor, Blame My Roots Festival, it does not broadcast live audio of the performing acts.
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WOVK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WWVA-FM Opens" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 8, 1947. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ "Find 98.7 Country WOVK's Sunday Live On-Air Schedule". 98.7 Country WOVK. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- ^ "98.7 WOVK - The Valley's Country Leader". 2008-01-11. Archived from the original on 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- ^ "More Names From iHeartMedia's Cuts Continue To Come Forward". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 44048 (WOVK) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WOVK in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
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