WFAV (95.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois. WFAV has a Contemporary hit radio format and is owned by Milner Media Partners.[5]

WFAV
Broadcast areaKankakee, Illinois
Frequency95.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWFAV 95.1
Programming
FormatTop 40 (CHR)
SubchannelsHD2: Simulcast of WIVR (country)
AffiliationsAmerican Top 40
Ownership
OwnerMilner Media Partners, LLC
WVLI, WYUR, WIVR
History
First air date
October 1992 (1992-10)[1][2]
Former call signs
  • WKVF (1990–1992)[3]
  • WZZP (1992–1995)[3]
  • WVLI (1995–2012)[3]
  • WKIF (2012–2013)[3]
Call sign meaning
"Favorite Hits"
Technical information[4]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID42656
ClassA
ERP2,300 watts
HAAT112 meters (367 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°04′41″N 87°45′22″W / 41.078°N 87.756°W / 41.078; -87.756
Translator(s)96.1 W241BS (Bourbonnais)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.wfav951.com

History

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The station was built by Dennis Baldridge and Richard Shelton, engineers at 89.7 WONU, and originally held the call sign WKVF.[2][3] As the station was coming on the air, it was sold to Rollings Communications for $90,000.[6] Its call sign was changed to WZZP by the time it began broadcasting in October 1992.[2][1][7] The station aired a classic rock format, and was part of a simulcast with 95.3 WZNF in Rantoul, Illinois and 107.9 WZNX in Arcola, Illinois.[2][1][7] In 1995, the station was sold to Milner Broadcasting, headed by Tim Milner, for $425,000.[8]

In March 1995, the station adopted an oldies format, branded "The Valley", and the station's call sign was changed to WVLI.[9][3] The station was simulcast on WFAV 103.7 from the station's sign-on in 2007 until 2011.[10][11][12][13] WFAV 103.7 would end the simulcast and begin airing a CHR format.[14] In August 2012, the station began simulcasting on 92.7 WKIF.[15]

On December 27, 2012, 95.1 began simulcasting the CHR format of 103.7, and "The Valley" oldies format was moved to 92.7. The two stations became known as 95.1 & 103.7 Hit Radio for the Kankakee River Valley.[16] On December 29, 2012, the WKIF calls moved from 92.7 to 95.1 and the WVLI calls moved from 95.1 to 92.7.[3][17] On February 20, 2013, the station's call sign was changed to WFAV (which moved from 103.7)[3] and its simulcast with 103.7 ended, as 103.7 adopted a country format as WYUR, which is a simulcast of 101.7 WIVR.[18] In 2018, Milner Broadcasting was sold to the newly formed Milner Media Partners.[19]

Translator

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Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W241BS 96.1 FM Bourbonnais, Illinois 140888 250 66.4 m (218 ft) D 41°9′39.1″N 87°52′30.2″W / 41.160861°N 87.875056°W / 41.160861; -87.875056 (W241BS) LMS

References

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  1. ^ a b c Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1993, Broadcasting & Cable, 1993. p. B-111. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 301.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  4. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WFAV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  5. ^ "WFAV Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  6. ^ "Transactions", Radio & Records, September 11, 1992. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 9, No. 43. October 28, 1992. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  8. ^ "Transactions", Radio & Records, January 6, 1995. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  9. ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 12 No. 11. March 15, 1995. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  10. ^ Radio stations award Free Ride scholarship", Kankakee Community College Update. January 2, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  11. ^ "River Valley Radio". Milner Broadcasting. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  12. ^ The Radio Book. 2008-2009. p. 205. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  13. ^ The Radio Book. 2010-2011. p. 208. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  14. ^ "WFAV 103.7 - Your New FAVorite Hit Radio Station". WFAV. Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  15. ^ Venta, Lance. "Milner Shifting Programming In Kankakee", RadioInsight. November 29, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  16. ^ "WFAV 95.1 - 103.7 - Your New FAVorite Hit Radio Station". WFAV. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  17. ^ Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  18. ^ "Format and Slogan Changes", VHF-UHF Digest. March 2013. p. 10. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  19. ^ Provost, Lee. "New ownership for WVLI, WFAV", Daily Journal, April 21, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
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