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WHAL (AM)
Encyclopedia
WHAL is a radio station
licensed
to serve Phenix City, Alabama
, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
and licensed to CC Licenses, LLC.
It airs a sports talk format to the Columbus, Georgia
, area featuring programming from the Fox Sports Radio Network.
music. In the 1980s, WPNX tried a variety of formats as new FM stations gained popularity in the region.
In October 1984, Bi-State Broadcasting Company, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to JRM Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 7, 1984, and the transaction was consummated on March 6, 1985.
In September 1987, J.T. Milligan acquired positive control of JRM Broadcasting from James R. Martin through the purchase of stock. The transfer of control was approved by the FCC on September 21, 1987, and the transfer was consummated on September 30, 1987.
On February 1, 1989, the station changed callsigns to WIQN to match a shift to talk radio
programing. On March 4, 1991, the station returned to its heritage WPNX call letters and a country music
format.
JRM Broadcasting was forced to relocate the WPNX studios and radio tower after the Phenix City city council terminated its ground lease in August 1994 as part of renovation plans for Idle Hour Park. Before the move, WPNX was located in the former terminal building of the defunct Phenix City Airport. That building at 1002 Airport Road in Phenix City now houses the Phenix City Art Center. The transmitter site was moved to its current location at the intersection of North Lumpkin Road and US Highway 27 in Columbus, Georgia. Along with the move, the station reduced signal power to 4,000 watt
s daytime and 140 watts at night but switched to a non-directional signal pattern.
Jim Martin and Tommy Milligan reached an agreement in January 1996 to sell JRM Broadcasting to a new company, M&M Partners, Inc., which they would continue to own jointly. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 21, 1996, and the transaction was consummated on February 29, 1996. In 1997, station owner M&M Partners Inc. added three more radio stations to its existing WPNX/WVRK
cluster.
Cumulus Broadcasting entered the Columbus market in August 1997 by buying these five stations for $15 million from M&M Partners. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 28, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on January 7, 1998. The new owners flipped the station to a sports talk format including Atlanta Falcons
football games and regular programming from ESPN Radio
.
In July 2000, Cumulus Media Inc. (Lewis W. Dickey Jr., president) reached an agreement to sell this station to Clear Channel Communications Inc. (L. Lowry Mays, chairman) as part of an 80-station deal for a reported $166 million. After multiple formal objections to this deal, it was ultimately approved by the FCC on February 21, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on April 23, 2002. At the time of the sale, the station aired a Southern Gospel
music format.
The station was assigned the current WHAL call letters by the FCC on May 2, 2003. From Spring 2003 until Spring 2006, this station aired a black gospel music format branded as "Hallelujah 1460". In early Summer 2006, WHAL switched to Spanish-language programming as "Viva 1460".
On May 15, 2009, the station flipped to sports talk as "Fox Sports 1460".
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 Phenix City, Alabama
Phenix City, Alabama
Phenix City is a city and the county seat in Russell County in the U.S. state of Alabama. Portions of Lee County are addressed as Phenix City, 36870 ZIP code, for the sole purpose that Smiths Station does not have full incorporation to annex the area...
, USA. The station is owned 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...
and licensed to CC Licenses, LLC.
It airs a sports talk format to the Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, area featuring programming from the Fox Sports Radio Network.
History
Originally licensed as WPNX (for Phenix City), this station signed on the air in May 1952. WPNX aired a country & western music format throughout the 1960s and 1970s as "1460 Kickin' Country." In the late 1970s, the station flipped to Southern GospelSouthern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
music. In the 1980s, WPNX tried a variety of formats as new FM stations gained popularity in the region.
In October 1984, Bi-State Broadcasting Company, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to JRM Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 7, 1984, and the transaction was consummated on March 6, 1985.
In September 1987, J.T. Milligan acquired positive control of JRM Broadcasting from James R. Martin through the purchase of stock. The transfer of control was approved by the FCC on September 21, 1987, and the transfer was consummated on September 30, 1987.
On February 1, 1989, the station changed callsigns to WIQN to match a shift to talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
programing. On March 4, 1991, the station returned to its heritage WPNX call letters and 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.
JRM Broadcasting was forced to relocate the WPNX studios and radio tower after the Phenix City city council terminated its ground lease in August 1994 as part of renovation plans for Idle Hour Park. Before the move, WPNX was located in the former terminal building of the defunct Phenix City Airport. That building at 1002 Airport Road in Phenix City now houses the Phenix City Art Center. The transmitter site was moved to its current location at the intersection of North Lumpkin Road and US Highway 27 in Columbus, Georgia. Along with the move, the station reduced signal power to 4,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s daytime and 140 watts at night but switched to a non-directional signal pattern.
Jim Martin and Tommy Milligan reached an agreement in January 1996 to sell JRM Broadcasting to a new company, M&M Partners, Inc., which they would continue to own jointly. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 21, 1996, and the transaction was consummated on February 29, 1996. In 1997, station owner M&M Partners Inc. added three more radio stations to its existing WPNX/WVRK
WVRK
WVRK is a radio station broadcasting a album-oriented rock format. Licensed to Columbus, Georgia, USA, the station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station had previously been owned by M&M Partners Inc...
cluster.
Cumulus Broadcasting entered the Columbus market in August 1997 by buying these five stations for $15 million from M&M Partners. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 28, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on January 7, 1998. The new owners flipped the station to a sports talk format including Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football games and regular programming from ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
.
In July 2000, Cumulus Media Inc. (Lewis W. Dickey Jr., president) reached an agreement to sell this station to Clear Channel Communications Inc. (L. Lowry Mays, chairman) as part of an 80-station deal for a reported $166 million. After multiple formal objections to this deal, it was ultimately approved by the FCC on February 21, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on April 23, 2002. At the time of the sale, the station aired a Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
music format.
On May 15, 2009, the station flipped to sports talk as "Fox Sports 1460".