WXLK-FM

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WXLK-FM
City of license	Roanoke, Virginia
Broadcast area	Roanoke Salem Lynchburg New River Valley
Branding	K92, K92 Radio, K-92, K92 FM, 92.3FM K92
Slogan	Virginia's #1 Hit Music Station
First air date	Dec. 31, 1979, 6pm
Frequency	92.3 MHZ
Format	Top 40
ERP	93,000 watts
Class	C
Owner	Mel Wheeler, Inc.
Website	k92radio.com

WXLK-FM / K92 (aka K92 Radio, K92-FM) is a Top 40 radio station serving the Roanoke - Lynchburg and the New River Valley area of Virginia and West Virginia, in the United States. WXLK has an ERP of 93,000 watts, with a tower located on Poor Mountain. Also WXLK currently ranks 4th in the Arbitron ratings for the Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market (as of the FALL '06 ARBITRON Quarterly Report). The station is owned by Mel Wheeler, Inc., along with "94.9 Star Country", "Q99", "ViBE100" and WFIR-AM located in the same market.

It is interesting to know that WXLK deals with a tremendous amount of interference, especially in the Martinsville, Virginia area, from co-channel WKRR-FM which broadcasts out of Asheboro, North Carolina. The two stations are only 130 miles apart, and WKRR broadcasts with an Effective Radiated Power of 100,000 watts. Also interesting K92 has maintained it's Top 40 format for over 26 years.

K92's main competitor in the market is WJJS. In 1998 WJJS began a serious challenge to take on K92 in a battle that would last for nearly seven years, WJJS shifted from their Rhythmic Top 40 format to Top 40 Mainstream. In 2005 WJJS began a gradual return to their Rhythmic Top 40 format.

Contents 1 History 2 Programming 2.1 Monday-Friday 2.2 Weekends 3 External links

[edit] History

In 1948, WROV-FM signed on at 103.7, simulcasting the programing of WROV-AM 1240. In the early 50's, the 103.7 frequency was reallocated by the FCC and WROV-FM moved down the dial to 92.3. By the summer of 1955, WROV-AM and FM was sold to Burt Levine, who decided to sell off the FM since it wasn't making any money at the time. The station eventually became WLRG, with a Beautiful/Easy Listening music format. In the meantime, WROV-AM went on to become a successful Top 40 station for the next 25 years.

By the late 70's, the radio landscape began to change as the listening audience shifted away from AM to FM. WLRG's owner Aylett Coleman recognized this trend and decided to take his station Top 40. But Coleman,not having any experience in Top 40 consulted successful WRVQ,Richmond manager Phil Goldman for advice, and hired a new program director named Russ Brown as well as a new airstaff ( including some veterans from WROV ). On December 31, 1979 at 6 PM, WLRG began stunting on-air by playing the song "Listen To The Music" by the Doobie Brothers nonstop until 12 midnight. When midnight came on January 1st, 1980, the station became Top 40 as WXLK-FM using the "K92-FM" nickname. Almost overnight, K92-FM became a ratings success, which continued throughout the remainder of the early 1980s.

In 1985, The Arbitron ratings area was expanded to include Lynchburg as well, which diluted K92's rating a bit. This caused the station to dismiss Brown as Program Director, and the station went thru a plethora of Program Directors and jocks in the late eighties and early nineties.Brown ended up returning for two more tenures at Program Director in the 90s.

The early nineties were not a good time for the station.K92 was getting beaten regularly by crosstown country WYYD-FM. The station also got caught up in a local controversy when one of it's DJs was arrested and charged with several violations which resulted from and improper phone conversation with a female listerner.During this time,to expanded their coverage in Lynchburg, K92 purchased a 20 KW FM station there and simulcasted on that station for several years. ( that station is now Urban as The Vibe ). In the mid 90s, the station got a new CHR Competititor in WJJS , "Jamming 'JJS " ( which was programmed for many years by K92 allumni David Lee Micheals )

A few years later longtine owner Aylett Coleman passed away. The station was managed by Coleman's family for a few years after his death until 1997.

• Mel Wheeler, Inc. bought the station in 1997, along with WSLC-FM, WSLQ-FM, and WFIR-AM

Some of more popular personalities at K92 included Larry Dowdy (who was the ONLY holdover from the old WLRG Beautiful Music format, and is now a popular Roanoke TV Personality ), David Lee Micheals, Bart Prater, Vince Miller, Bill Jordan, John Barry, Bill "Slam" Duncan,Carter G.,Su-Anna, Mofo & Sally, Ritchie Cunningham (currently a popular morning jock in Seattle as "Bender"),Jay Slater, Cat Thomas ( later a successful Program Director in WAPE-FM in Jacksonville Florida ) and Gina St. John,( who later was an anchor/reporter for "E News Daily" on E! Entertainment Television and later appeared as an actress in several TV shows including "CSI" , "The Steve Harvey Show" and "Crossing Jordan" and the movie "Bruce Almighty". )

[edit] Programming

[edit] Monday-Friday

• The K92 Mornin' Thang (5:00 AM - 10:00 AM)

• Kevin Scott (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

• Kidd Carter (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM)

• Bob Patrick (3:00 PM - 7:00 PM)

• Tater (7:00 PM - 12:00 AM)

• No DJ on air (12:00 AM - 5:00 AM)

[edit] Weekends

• Nigel (Saturdays 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM)

• Bob Patrick (Various Weekend Shifts)

• Ryan O'Brian (Various Weekend Shifts)

• Blair Peyton (Various Weekend Shifts)

• Tater (Various Weekend Shifts)

• Kidd Carter (Various Weekend Shifts)

• Open House Party (Saturdays 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM)

• Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 (Sundays 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM)

• MTV's TRL Countdown (Sundays 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM)

[edit] External links

• Official K92 Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WXLK
• WXLK-FM on Radio-locator.com
• Wheeler Broadcasting.com
• History of WXLK-FM (RoanokeRadio.com)
• Listen Live to WXLK-FM
• See What's Playing on WXLK-FM