WACL
Encyclopedia
WACL is a commercial mainstream rock
radio station
licensed
to serve Elkton, Virginia
, USA. The station is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications
with the broadcast license
held by the Capstar TX Limited Partnership. WACL broadcasts to the Harrisonburg
-Staunton
-Virginia
, area.
from the Federal Communications Commission
on January 31, 1989
. The new station was assigned the WPKZ call sign
by the FCC on February 22, 1989. WPKZ received its license to cover
from the FCC on August 10, 1989. During that time, the station would carry a country music
format, branded as "Z-98" and later, "The Peak".
On March 7, 1997, the format was changed to Oldies
/Classic rock
, branded as "Cool 98.5". To accommodate this, the callsign was changed to WACL. In May 1997, Stonewall Broadcasting Company reached an agreement to sell WACL to Mid-Atlantic Network, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 26, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on September 2, 1997.
In December 2000, Mid-Atlantic Network, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Clear Channel Communications
through their Capstar TX Limited Partnership subsidiary as part of a three-station deal valued at $7.2 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 12, 2001, and the transaction was consummated on March 30, 2001. On May 2, 2001, at midnight, WACL segued from oldies
to rock
, as "98 Rock".
On April 1, 2008, WACL began carrying the syndicated radio program Nights with Alice Cooper
, when it moved from WBHB-FM at 105.1 FM (now WTGD) to WACL-FM at 98.5 FM when the former's format had been switched to classic country
.
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
radio station
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 Elkton, Virginia
Elkton, Virginia
Elkton is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census. Elkton was named for the Elk Run stream.It is located along the south fork of the Shenandoah River...
, USA. The station is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
with 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...
held by the Capstar TX Limited Partnership. WACL broadcasts to the Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
-Staunton
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
-Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, area.
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...
on January 31, 1989
1989 in radio
The year 1989 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*KMEZ breaks away from its FM sister station to adopt a business-oriented news/talk format as KDBN.*ABC Radio has acquired Satellite Music Network...
. The new station was assigned the WPKZ call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
by the FCC on February 22, 1989. WPKZ 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 August 10, 1989. During that time, the station would carry a country music
Country 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, branded as "Z-98" and later, "The Peak".
On March 7, 1997, the format was changed to Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
/Classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, branded as "Cool 98.5". To accommodate this, the callsign was changed to WACL. In May 1997, Stonewall Broadcasting Company reached an agreement to sell WACL to Mid-Atlantic Network, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 26, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on September 2, 1997.
In December 2000, Mid-Atlantic Network, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
through their Capstar TX Limited Partnership subsidiary as part of a three-station deal valued at $7.2 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 12, 2001, and the transaction was consummated on March 30, 2001. On May 2, 2001, at midnight, WACL segued from oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
to rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, as "98 Rock".
On April 1, 2008, WACL began carrying the syndicated radio program Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper is a radio show hosted by rock and roll artist and shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper. It is syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks and broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the US, seven in Canada, and is also available in the UK , Germany , Ireland, Australia ,...
, when it moved from WBHB-FM at 105.1 FM (now WTGD) to WACL-FM at 98.5 FM when the former's format had been switched to classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
.