KWHT
Encyclopedia
KWHT is a radio station
licensed
to serve Pendleton, Oregon
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1984, is currently owned by Capps Broadcast Group and the broadcast license
is held by KSRV, Inc.
format to the greater Walla Walla, Washington
, area. This includes select programming from the Westwood One Radio Network. Syndicated music programming includes America's Grand Ole Opry Weekend
from Westwood One
.
(1240 AM), KUMA
(1290 AM), and KWHT (103.5 FM). This multi-station facility is located at the west end of Eastern Oregon Regional Airport
.
from the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) on May 15, 1980
. The new station was assigned the call letters KFMT by the FCC.
In September 1983, Faith Media, Inc., announced an agreement to sell this permit for this still-under construction station to AgPal Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 1, 1983, and the transaction was consummated on February 7, 1984. AgPal Broadcasting was owned by Pendleton couples Andy and JoAnn Harle plus Cheryl and Jim McAnally.
Under new ownership, the station was assigned the current KWHT call letters by the FCC on February 3, 1984. After several extensions, KWHT finally received its license to cover
from the FCC on October 17, 1984.
In September 1997, AgPal Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell KWHT and its sister station
s to Capps Broadcast Group through its KSRV, Inc., subsidiary. The deal was approved by the FCC on May 14, 1998, and the transaction was consummated on August 27, 1998.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1984, is currently owned by Capps Broadcast Group and the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
is held by KSRV, Inc.
Programming
KWHT broadcasts a country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format to the greater Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, area. This includes select programming from the Westwood One Radio Network. Syndicated music programming includes America's Grand Ole Opry Weekend
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
from Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
.
Facilities
KWHT shares a studio building with sister stations KTIXKTIX
KTIX is a radio station licensed to serve Pendleton, Oregon, USA. The station, which began broadcasting as KWRC in May 1941, is currently owned by Capps Broadcast Group and the broadcast license is held by KSRV, Inc.-Programming:...
(1240 AM), KUMA
KUMA (AM)
KUMA is a radio station licensed to serve Pendleton, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by Capps Broadcast Group and the broadcast license is held by Round-Up Radio, Inc. David N. Capps and Clare M...
(1290 AM), and KWHT (103.5 FM). This multi-station facility is located at the west end of Eastern Oregon Regional Airport
Eastern Oregon Regional Airport
Eastern Oregon Regional Airport , also known as Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendleton, is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Pendleton, a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, USA. The airport covers and has three runways. It is used primarily...
.
History
This station received its original construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
from the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) on May 15, 1980
1980 in radio
The year 1980 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* 20 March - The pirate radio station Radio Caroline sinks.* 29 October - President Carter on a visit to Pittsburgh gives a nationally broadcast campaign interview to KDKA-AM of that city....
. The new station was assigned the call letters KFMT by the FCC.
In September 1983, Faith Media, Inc., announced an agreement to sell this permit for this still-under construction station to AgPal Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 1, 1983, and the transaction was consummated on February 7, 1984. AgPal Broadcasting was owned by Pendleton couples Andy and JoAnn Harle plus Cheryl and Jim McAnally.
Under new ownership, the station was assigned the current KWHT call letters by the FCC on February 3, 1984. After several extensions, KWHT finally received its license to cover
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
from the FCC on October 17, 1984.
In September 1997, AgPal Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell KWHT and its sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
s to Capps Broadcast Group through its KSRV, Inc., subsidiary. The deal was approved by the FCC on May 14, 1998, and the transaction was consummated on August 27, 1998.
Former on-air staff
- Paul Bonnell, known on the air as Kaptain Kevin Cook, worked as a disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
at KWHT in the 1990s after serving in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Bonnell co-hosted a morning show at a radio station in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, until his death in 2007.
- Ron Arp, now the general manager of the Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
office of a public relationsPublic relationsPublic relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
company known as Fleishman-HillardFleishman-HillardFleishman-Hillard International Communications, based in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world's largest public relations agencies, with a global network of offices as well as offices in 22 cities in the United States. It is a part of Omnicom Group Inc....
, was a news broadcaster at KWHT in the mid-1980s. Fleishman-Hilliard is a part of the Omnicom GroupOmnicom GroupOmnicom Group is a holding company whose agencies provide marketing and communications services in the disciplines of advertising, customer relationship management , strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and...
.