WPIA

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WPIA
City of license	Eureka, Illinois
Broadcast area	Peoria, Illinois
Branding	98.5 Kiss-FM
Slogan	Peoria's Hit Music
Frequency	98.5 MHz
First air date	August 22, 1988
Format	Top 40/CHR
ERP	6000 watts
HAAT	100 meters
Class	A
Facility ID	28317
Transmitter Coordinates	40°42′57.1″N 89°27′50.3″W / 40.715861, -89.463972 (WPIA tower)Coordinates: 40°42′57.1″N 89°27′50.3″W / 40.715861, -89.463972 (WPIA tower)
Callsign meaning	Peoria (also Peoria airport code)
Former callsigns	WRVP (2000–2004) WPPY (August 1999 – July 2000) WEEK-FM (1997–1999) WIVR (1994–1997) WCRI (1988–1994)^[1]
Owner	Independence Media Holdings (IM IL Licenses LLC)
Sister stations	WZPN, WWCT, WHPI
Website	www.kissfmpeoria.com

WPIA (98.5 FM, "98.5 KISS-FM") is a radio station licensed for Eureka, Illinois, between Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois. It uses the KISS-FM Top 40/CHR format from Clear Channel Communications, but the station is not owned by Clear Channel.

[edit] History

The station originally went on the air as WCRI in 1988. After a stint as "98.5 The River" in the mid-1990s, the station was bought by the owners of WEEK-TV, who turned it into Oldies 98.5 with the callsign WEEK-FM, the only radio station owned by Granite Broadcasting. After 93.3 became WPBG ("Big Oldies 93.3"), putting it in direct competition with WEEK-FM, 98.5's ratings slid and Granite sold the radio station.

From around 1999 to 2004, the station was called "98.5 The Party", first with the callsign WPPY, then adding a simulcast on 101.1 WRVP (now WHPI), then swapping callsigns with 101.1 to become WRVP itself.

Around 2004, the station's callsign was changed to WPIA and it became Christian rock station Hope 98.5. Then-owners Regent Communications sold the station and 101.1 (now WHPI) to Independence Media Holdings, who also bought 96.5 (now WZPN) from another company and combined it with 98.5 to form 96.5 & 98.5 Kiss-FM starting in September 2006. On July 2, 2007, 96.5 stopped simulcasting 98.5.^[2]

As of 2008-01-08, the full-time weekday personalities were Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, O'Ryan on mid-days, The Big Show with Big D and Govia on afternoons, and Govia on nights.

[edit] References

^ WPIA(FM). FCCInfo.com. Cavell Mertz & Associates, Inc. (2007-09-04). Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
^ http://www.pjstar.com/stories/070107/STE_BDL3RTSG.004.php (dead link)

[edit] External links

v • d • e Radio stations in the Peoria, Illinois market (Arbitron #150) (R&R info)

By FM frequency	88.5 • 89.9 • 91.5 • 92.3 • 93.3 • 94.3 • 95.5 • 96.5 • 97.3 • 98.5 • 99.9 • 101.1 • 102.3 • 103.5 • 104.9 • 105.7 • 106.9 • 107.9

By AM frequency	1020 • 1140 • 1290 • 1350 • 1470 • 1560

By callsign	WBNH • WBYS • WCBU • WCDD • WCIC • WDQX • WFYR • WGLO • WHPI • WIRL • WIXO • WMBD (AM) • WOAM • WPBG • WPEO • WPIA • WPMJ • WSWT • WVEL • WWCT • WXCL • WZPN • WZPW • W278AE

Illinois Radio Markets: Bloomington • Champaign • Chicago • Decatur • LaSalle-Peru • Marion-Carbondale • Peoria • Quad Cities (Rock Island-Moline) • Rockford Other Illinois Radio Regions: Quincy/Hannibal • Springfield See also: List of radio stations in Illinois

v • d • e CHR / Top 40 Radio Stations in the state of Illinois

By Frequency:	92.7 · 93.1 · 96.1 · 96.3 · 96.5 · 97.5 · 98.5 · 99.7 · 101.5 · 101.5 · 102.3 · 102.9 · 103.5 · 103.7 · 105.5 · 105.9

By Callsign:	WBBM · WBNQ · WCIL · WDBR · WKIB · WKSC · WMMC · WPIA · WQQB · WREZ · WSOY · WVZA · WXAJ · WXLC · WYDS · WZOK

By City:	Anna · Bloomington · Carbondale · Chicago · Chicago · Colfax · Decatur · Decatur · Eureka · Hillsboro · Marion · Marshall · Metropolis · Rantoul · Rockford · Springfield · Waukegan