WLWI-FM

WLWI-FM
City Montgomery, Alabama
Broadcast area Montgomery, Alabama
Branding I-92 Country
Slogan The Legendary WLWI
Frequency 92.3 MHz
First air date July 15, 1969 (as WCOV-FM)[1]
Format Country
ERP 100,000 watts
HAAT 334 meters (1097 feet)
Class C0
Facility ID 12318
Transmitter coordinates 32°24′13″N 86°11′47″W / 32.40361°N 86.19639°W / 32.40361; -86.19639
Former callsigns WCOV-FM (1969-1973)
WKLH (1973-1977)
WLWI (1977-1985)
Owner Cumulus Media
(Cumulus Licensing LLC)
Sister stations WHHY-FM, WLWI, WMSP, WMXS, WXFX
Webcast Via WLWI APP
Website wlwi.com

WLWI-FM (92.3 FM, "I-92") is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing, Inc.[2] The WLWI studios are located on the 3rd floor of The Colonial Financial Center in downtown Montgomery, and the transmitter tower is in Montgomery's northeast side.

Programming

WLWI-FM broadcasts a country music format to the Montgomery metropolitan area.[3] The station has a sister news/talk AM station known as WLWI (AM).

Notable on-air personalities associated with the station include Andi Scott, Bill Dollar, Dr. Sam and Bill Roberts. Syndicated programming includes Nash Nights Live with Sean Parr (nights) and Kickin' It with Kix Brooks (overnights).[4] On July 14, 2010, WLWI-FM added the syndicated Rick and Bubba morning show, formerly on sister station WHHY-FM.

History

This station first began broadcasting on July 15, 1969, as WCOV-FM, the FM partner to AM station WCOV (now WGMP).[5] The station was acquired by Griffin Broadcasting Corporation in April 1973 and the callsign was changed to WKLH.[6] This callsign would also prove short-lived as the station was acquired by the Colonial Broadcasting Company in December 1977 and the call letters were changed to WLWI.[1]

The company changed the call letters of newly acquired AM station WBAM (now WMSP) to "WLWI" on March 11, 1982, so the FM station was assigned the current WLWI-FM call letters by the FCC on the same day.[7]

In September 1994, Colonial Company, Inc., the holding company that owned WLWI-FM licensee Colonial Broadcasting Company, Inc., reached an agreement to sell control of the licensee corporation to Robert E. Lowder. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 8, 1994, and the transaction was consummated on March 8, 1995.[8]

In January 1998, Robert E. Lowder agreed to sell licensee Colonial Broadcasting Company, Inc., to Cumulus Holdings, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 10, 1998.[9] In December 1998, the license for WLWI-FM was transferred to Cumulus Licensing Corp. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 12, 1998, and the transaction was finalized on December 31, 1998.[10]

Awards and honors

In 1984, WLWI-FM was named "Radio Station of the Year (Small Market)" by the Academy of Country Music.[11]

A long-time country music formatted station, WLWI-FM has seen its on-air personalities nominated for Country Music Association Awards as Medium Market or Small Market Broadcast Personality of the Year many times over the years. Sam Faulk was nominated in 1981 and won the award in 1989.[12] Warren "Rhubarb" Jones won in 1983.[13] Darlene Dixon was nominated in 1992 and 1999.[14] John Boy was nominated in 1995.[15]

"Rhubarb" Jones won the award for Disc Jockey of the Year in 1983 from the Academy of Country Music.[11][16]

In 2004, WLWI host Bill Roberts was named Favorite Southern Gospel DJ for a Medium Market at the Singing News Fan Awards.[17][18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Directory of Radio Stations in the United States and Canada". Broadcasting Yearbook 1979. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1979. p. C-6.
  2. ↑ "Cumulus Media Expands Montgomery, Alabama Radio Group; Deal Includes Option to Buy Stations". Business Wire. August 18, 1998. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  4. ↑ "Radio Stations: Alabama". After Midnite with Blair Garner. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Directory of AM and FM Radio Stations in the U.S.". Broadcasting Yearbook 1971. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1971. p. B-7.
  6. ↑ "Directory of AM and FM Radio Stations in the United States and Canada". Broadcasting Yearbook 1975. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1975. p. C-5.
  7. ↑ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  8. ↑ "Application Search Details (BTCH-19940919GL)". FCC Media Bureau. March 8, 1995.
  9. ↑ "Application Search Details (BTC-19980115GI)". FCC Media Bureau. March 10, 1998.
  10. ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-19981210GP)". FCC Media Bureau. December 31, 1998.
  11. 1 2 "Winners". Academy of Country Music. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Broadcast Awards Database: Sam Faulk". Country Music Association. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Broadcast Awards Database: Rhubarb Jones". Country Music Association. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Broadcast Awards Database: Darlene Dixon". Country Music Association. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Broadcast Awards Database: John Boy". Country Music Association. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  16. ↑ "Biography". Rhubarb Jones Homepage. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Singing News Fan Awards, 2004". The Inspirations. September 16, 2004.
  18. ↑ "Bill Roberts". Lucretia Cauthen Realty, LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
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