WXRK-LP
 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
|
| Frequency | 92.3 FM MHz |
| Branding | Rock Hits 92-3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Blue Ridge Free Media[2] |
| History | |
First air date | September 7, 2015[3][2][4] |
Call sign meaning | previously held by WXRK in New York[5] |
| Technical information[6] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 192547 |
| Class | L1 |
| ERP | 21 watts |
| HAAT | 63 meters (207 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°4′39.5″N 78°28′20″W / 38.077639°N 78.47222°W[7] |
| Links | |
Public license information | LMS |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WXRK-LP is an active rock and alternative rock formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County in Virginia.[1] WXRK-LP is owned and operated by Blue Ridge Free Media.[7][2]
History
[edit]WXRK-LP signed on the air on September 7, 2015.[3] The call sign for the station was previously held by WXRK-FM in New York City.[5] From its outset, the station has aired a combination of active rock and alternative rock.[3]
In September 2019, Saga Communications, which operates six commercial radio stations in Charlottesville, filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) objecting to WXRK-LP's license renewal.[8][9] WXRK-LP, along with several other Charlottesville low-power FMs (WPVC-LP, WKMZ-LP, WREN-LP, and WVAI-LP), had formed the Virginia Radio Coop to split the costs of studio space and transmitting equipment. Saga claimed the stations were operating as "a de facto cluster" because of this; FCC rules prohibit low-power FMs from entering any operating or management agreements with any other broadcast station. They also jointly sold underwriting spots, some of which Saga claimed violated FCC rules prohibiting promotional language or calls to action.[9]
Station founder Mike Friend called the petition to deny "'legal junk' and a deliberate 'misinterpretation' of FCC rules".[10] Friend pointed to other attempts by Saga to shutter low-power FM stations within Saga markets.[10]
As of December 2024, the FCC has not acted on the petition from Saga and WXRK-LP continues to broadcast.[2] A similar complaint from Saga against WREN-LP was decided in September 2024, and was largely denied but resulted in a short-term license renewal for that station and a consent decree regarding the impermissible underwriting spots. In particular, the FCC found the Virginia Radio Coop to be "highly unusual", but decided that since it was an agreement with a non-broadcast entity (Experience Media, which provides the physical space and handles underwriting sales) that did not exercise any control over the member stations' operations, it did not violate any rules.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "WXRK-LP - FCCdata.org - powered by REC". REC Networks. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Rock Hits 92.3 - Testing...testing...1, 2, 3..." Blue Ridge Free Media/Facebook. September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (March 10, 2009). "New York Loses Biggest Rock Radio Station (Again): K-Rock Shifts to Top 40". Rolling Stone. New York, New York: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WXRK-LP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b "WXRK-LP Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Charlottesville Radio Group". Saga Communications. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Saga Hits Charlottesville LPFMs For Operating As A Radio Cluster". InsideRadio. September 11, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Provence, Lisa (October 16, 2019). "License to bully?: Local nonprofit stations say Saga is out to bankrupt them". C-VILLE Weekly. Charlottesville, Virginia: C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Genesis Communications, Inc., WREN-LP, Charlottesville, Virginia, Application for Renewal of License" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission, audio division; Media Bureau. September 30, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Rock Hits 92-3 Online
- Facility details for Facility ID 192547 (WXRK) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WXRK-LP at FCCdata.org
- WXRK in Nielsen Audio's FM station database