WCAT-FM

WCAT-FM
City of license Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Broadcast area Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Branding Red 102.3
Slogan "#1 for New Country and the Legends"
Frequency 102.3 (MHz)
Format Country
ERP 3,000 watts horiz
2,750 watts vert
HAAT 100 meters
Class A
Facility ID 74557
Former callsigns WHYL-FM (?-1979)
WZUE (1979-1981)
WHYL-FM (1981-2002)
WRKZ-FM (2002-2004)
Owner Harold Z. Swidler
(Radio Carlisle, Inc.)
Sister stations WIOO, WHYL
Webcast LISTEN LIVE
Listen Live streaming URL
Website red1023.com

WCAT-FM is Red 102.3, a 3,000 watt country music radio station in Carlisle, Pennsylvania serving Carlisle and the surrounding communities. Red 102.3 is currently programmed by Rick Sten.

Personalities

Current air personalities include:

Additional Programming

Weekend programming includes:

History of the 102.3 frequency in Carlisle

The frequency began as WHYL-FM airing a simulcast of WHYL, an AM station housed in the same building.

On December 31, 1979, the call sign changed to WZUE and was branded as "Zoo 102". The WZUE calls were short-lived as the call sign reverted to WHYL-FM on October 14, 1981, branded as "Country 102."

On April 26, 2002, the call sign was changed to WRKZ-FM (which is now a station in Columbus, Ohio). It began as a simulcast of WCAT-FM, which belonged to a different frequency in the same market, and branded itself as "Cat Country 106.7". After a brief period, WRKZ-FM flipped formats to all-80s rock and re-branded itself as "Z102.3."

Another format change came shortly thereafter when "Cat Country 106.7" WCAT-FM, on 106.7, changed its call sign to WCPP (known as "Cool Pop") and changed its format to Hot AC. On February 17th 2004 the WCAT-FM call sign was then moved to 102.3, the format was again changed to country, and it became the currently branded Red 102.3.

Citadel Broadcasting, the station's former owner, merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[1] To comply with Department of Justice regulations, WCAT-FM, the license for WWKL, and the intellectual property of WTPA, along with WRSR in Flint, Michigan, were transferred to Potential Broadcasting LLC. In August 2012, Potential Broadcasting sold WCAT to Harold Z. Swidler, owner of WIOO in Carlisle, PA.[2] The sale was consummated on November 7, 2012.

Upon sale consummation in 2012 the studio facilities were relocated from Camp Hill, PA (at the former home of Citadel Harrisburg) to Carlisle, PA, where it continues to provide the primarily music-driven, "New Country & The Legends" format today, with a large emphasis on the local community (as reflected on the official website, boasting "Community-Minded Local Radio. Local Personalities. Local Owners.").

Historic photographs

Photo of WZUE logo on a billboard, branded as "Zoo 102"
WHYL-FM Logo, branded as "Country 102"

References

  1. "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  2. "102.3 WCAT-FM Carlisle PA Spun-Off". August 15, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2012.

External links

Coordinates: 40°17′24″N 77°08′10″W / 40.290°N 77.136°W