WQLS
Encyclopedia
WTXK is a radio station
licensed
to serve Pike Road, Alabama
, USA. The station, established in 1968, is currently owned and operated by Frontdoor Broadcasting, LLC.
WTXK broadcasts a sports
format to the Montgomery, Alabama
, area. Programming includes several shows simulcast from WZNN (FM) in Birmingham, Alabama
, and syndicated programming from Yahoo! Sports Radio.
In addition to the 1210 AM frequency, WTXK also broadcasts its programming on translator W298BC (107.5 FM
) in Montgomery.
, as a 1,000 watt
daytime-only AM station at 1190 kHz known as WAYD under the ownership of Wade B. Sullivan. WAYD aired a country & western music format through the entire 1970s.
In October 1981, Wade B. Sullivan reached an agreement to sell WAYD to RJG Communications, owned by Raymond F. Akin, Gordon L. Bostic, and J.A. Baxter Jr. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 3, 1981. RJG Communications in turn agreed in February 1983 to sell this station to MSB Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 8, 1983.
Just over two years later, in August 1985, MSB Communications, Inc., contracted to sell this station to HS Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 18, 1985, and the transaction was consummated on February 10, 1986.
on June 16, 1986, that authorized a move from 1190 kHz to 1200 kHz and a power increase to 10,000 watt
s during the day and to 2,500 watts during critical hours operation. The station received its license to cover
this move and upgrade on April 20, 1987.
In October 1988, HS Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Wesley R. Morgan. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 10, 1988, and the transaction was consummated on December 29, 1988. On December 9, 1988, the new owners had the FCC change the station's call letters to WFSF.
In March 1989, Wesley R. Morgan agreed to transfer the broadcast license for WFSF to the Morgan Broadcasting Limited Partnership. The transfer was approved by the FCC on April 21, 1989, and the transaction was consummated on May 2, 1989. This ownership change would prove short-lived as in April 1990 Morgan Broadcasting Limited Partnership agreed to sell this station to Sunrise Broadcasting Corp. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 21, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on June 29, 1990. Internal corporate shifts saw the license transferred to Sunrise Broadcasting of Alabama, Inc., in August 1991.
On July 9, 1993, the station was assigned the WQLS callsign.
In September 1995, Sunrise Broadcasting of Alabama, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Woods Communications Group, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 21, 1995, and the transaction was consummated on January 20, 1996.
In March 2000, Jimmy Jarrell of Auburn, Alabama
, reached an agreement to purchase news
/talk
formatted WQLS from Woods Communication Group Inc. of Dothan, Alabama
(Carl Blackmon, secretary/treasurer) for a reported sale price of $12,000. The deal gained FCC approval on 2000-05-02 and the transfer was consummated on 2000-06-20.
In May 2002, Styles Broadcasting Inc. (Kim Styles, CEO) reached an agreement to purchase country music
formatted WJRL-FM
and gospel music
formatted WQLS from Jimmy Jarrell for a reported sale price of $750,000. The deal gained FCC approval on June 24, 2002, and the transfer was consummated on 2002-08-01.
In December 2006, Horizon Broadcasting Company reached an agreement to purchase WQLS from Magic Broadcasting, LLC., for a reported $125,000. The deal gained FCC approval on January 16, 2007, and the transfer was consummated on April 24, 2007. Horizon operated WQLS as a "full Gospel radio station" with a Gospel music
format until it went off-the-air
in late January 2008 due to a fire.
from Wayne North's Horizon Broadcasting Company for a reported sale price of $50,000 in cash. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 19, 2008, and the transaction was consummated on January 26, 2009.
On December 30, 2008, WQLS applied to the FCC for special temporary authority to broadcast with reduced power (1,000 watt
s daytime and critical hours, 3 watts at night) from temporary facilities at the existing tower site. The station had been destroyed by a fire and was off the air for almost all of 2008. If the station had not returned to the air by January 28, 2009, they risked the automatic forfeiture of their broadcast license for remaining silent for more than 12 months. The FCC granted this temporary authority on January 6, 2009, with a scheduled expiration of July 6, 2009. The station filed for an extension of this authority in March 2009 which the FCC finally granted on December 17, 2009, with a scheduled expiration of January 29, 2010.
, near Dothan
to Pike Road, Alabama
, near Montgomery
. The FCC granted a construction permit
for this relocation on November 20, 2009, with a scheduled expiration of November 20, 2012. With construction and testing complete, the station was granted an updated broadcast license
for the Pike Road location on February 22, 2010.
License holders Hughey Communications, Inc., reached an agreement to sell WQLS to Frontdoor Broadcasting, LLC, in December 2009. The FCC approved the deal on January 19, 2010, and the transaction was consummated on January 28, 2010. The new owners had the FCC change the station's call sign
to WTXK on March 12, 2010. The call sign was changed to match the station's new branding as "The Ticket", a sports talk format that took effect in late March 2010. The move also resulted in WTXK simulcasting its new programming on FM translator W298BC (107.5 FM) in Montgomery.
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 Pike Road, Alabama
Pike Road, Alabama
Pike Road is a city in Montgomery County, Alabama, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 310. The 2010 census indicated a population of 5406. It is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, USA. The station, established in 1968, is currently owned and operated by Frontdoor Broadcasting, LLC.
WTXK broadcasts a sports
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format to the Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, area. Programming includes several shows simulcast from WZNN (FM) in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and syndicated programming from Yahoo! Sports Radio.
In addition to the 1210 AM frequency, WTXK also broadcasts its programming on translator W298BC (107.5 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
) in Montgomery.
The 1190 years
This station began regular broadcast operations on October 5, 19681968 in radio
The year 1968 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* 1 February: WABX Detroit drops classical music to air progressive rock/freeform full-time....
, as a 1,000 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:...
daytime-only AM station at 1190 kHz known as WAYD under the ownership of Wade B. Sullivan. WAYD aired a country & western music format through the entire 1970s.
In October 1981, Wade B. Sullivan reached an agreement to sell WAYD to RJG Communications, owned by Raymond F. Akin, Gordon L. Bostic, and J.A. Baxter Jr. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 3, 1981. RJG Communications in turn agreed in February 1983 to sell this station to MSB Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 8, 1983.
Just over two years later, in August 1985, MSB Communications, Inc., contracted to sell this station to HS Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 18, 1985, and the transaction was consummated on February 10, 1986.
The 1200 years
WAYD received a 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...
on June 16, 1986, that authorized a move from 1190 kHz to 1200 kHz and a power increase to 10,000 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 during the day and to 2,500 watts during critical hours operation. The station 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...
this move and upgrade on April 20, 1987.
In October 1988, HS Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Wesley R. Morgan. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 10, 1988, and the transaction was consummated on December 29, 1988. On December 9, 1988, the new owners had the FCC change the station's call letters to WFSF.
In March 1989, Wesley R. Morgan agreed to transfer the broadcast license for WFSF to the Morgan Broadcasting Limited Partnership. The transfer was approved by the FCC on April 21, 1989, and the transaction was consummated on May 2, 1989. This ownership change would prove short-lived as in April 1990 Morgan Broadcasting Limited Partnership agreed to sell this station to Sunrise Broadcasting Corp. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 21, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on June 29, 1990. Internal corporate shifts saw the license transferred to Sunrise Broadcasting of Alabama, Inc., in August 1991.
On July 9, 1993, the station was assigned the WQLS callsign.
The 1210 years
WQLS was granted a new construction permit in July 1995 that authorized an increased in critical hours signal power to 5,000 watts and the addition of nighttime broadcasting at 35 watts but necessitating another frequency shift, this time to the current 1210 kHz. The station began broadcasting at the new frequency in March 1997 but did not receive the license to cover the change from the FCC until July 12, 2002.In September 1995, Sunrise Broadcasting of Alabama, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Woods Communications Group, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 21, 1995, and the transaction was consummated on January 20, 1996.
In March 2000, Jimmy Jarrell of Auburn, Alabama
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
, reached an agreement to purchase news
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/talk
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...
formatted WQLS from Woods Communication Group Inc. of Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
(Carl Blackmon, secretary/treasurer) for a reported sale price of $12,000. The deal gained FCC approval on 2000-05-02 and the transfer was consummated on 2000-06-20.
In May 2002, Styles Broadcasting Inc. (Kim Styles, CEO) reached an agreement to purchase 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...
formatted WJRL-FM
WJRL-FM
WJRL-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Fort Rucker, Alabama, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1974, is currently owned by Magic Broadcasting and licensed to Magic Broadcasting Alabama Licensing LLC....
and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
formatted WQLS from Jimmy Jarrell for a reported sale price of $750,000. The deal gained FCC approval on June 24, 2002, and the transfer was consummated on 2002-08-01.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
format until it went off-the-air
Off-the-air
In telecommunication, the term off-air or off-the-air has the following meanings:# In radio communications systems, pertaining to a radio station or television station that is completely shut down, i.e. that is not transmitting any signal, not even an un-modulated carrier wave...
in late January 2008 due to a fire.
Dark times
In August 2008, Hughey Communications, Inc. (owned by Randall and Debra Hughey) agreed to purchase this dark stationDark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
from Wayne North's Horizon Broadcasting Company for a reported sale price of $50,000 in cash. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 19, 2008, and the transaction was consummated on January 26, 2009.
On December 30, 2008, WQLS applied to the FCC for special temporary authority to broadcast with reduced power (1,000 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 critical hours, 3 watts at night) from temporary facilities at the existing tower site. The station had been destroyed by a fire and was off the air for almost all of 2008. If the station had not returned to the air by January 28, 2009, they risked the automatic forfeiture of their broadcast license for remaining silent for more than 12 months. The FCC granted this temporary authority on January 6, 2009, with a scheduled expiration of July 6, 2009. The station filed for an extension of this authority in March 2009 which the FCC finally granted on December 17, 2009, with a scheduled expiration of January 29, 2010.
New city, new owner, new format
On May 13, 2009, the station applied to change its community of license from Ozark, AlabamaOzark, Alabama
Ozark is a city in and the county seat of Dale County, Alabama, United States. In 1990 the city population was 12,922. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 15,119....
, near Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
to Pike Road, Alabama
Pike Road, Alabama
Pike Road is a city in Montgomery County, Alabama, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 310. The 2010 census indicated a population of 5406. It is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, near Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. The FCC granted a construction permit
Construction 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...
for this relocation on November 20, 2009, with a scheduled expiration of November 20, 2012. With construction and testing complete, the station was granted an updated 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...
for the Pike Road location on February 22, 2010.
License holders Hughey Communications, Inc., reached an agreement to sell WQLS to Frontdoor Broadcasting, LLC, in December 2009. The FCC approved the deal on January 19, 2010, and the transaction was consummated on January 28, 2010. The new owners had the FCC change the station's 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...
to WTXK on March 12, 2010. The call sign was changed to match the station's new branding as "The Ticket", a sports talk format that took effect in late March 2010. The move also resulted in WTXK simulcasting its new programming on FM translator W298BC (107.5 FM) in Montgomery.