WVRX
Radio station in Strasburg, Virginia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WVRX (104.9 FM) is a southern gospel formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Strasburg, Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley.[1] WVRX is owned by Point FM Ministries.[5][2][6] WVRX simulcasts sister station WVRS.
| Simulcast of WVRS, Gore, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Broadcast area | Northern Shenandoah Valley |
| Frequency | 104.9 MHz |
| Branding | Classic Southern Gospel Music |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Southern gospel[1] |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WVRS | |
| History | |
First air date | November 4, 1986 |
Former call signs |
|
| Technical information[4] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 60362 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 4,100 watts |
| HAAT | 65.7 meters (216 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°1′6.4″N 78°25′34″W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | southernlight |
History
On January 31, 2018, the then-WZFC changed their format from classic country to a simulcast of sister news/talk station WINC (1400 AM) in nearby Winchester.[7]
On November 17, 2020, both WZFC and sister station WXBN (105.5 FM) became a simulcast of WINC-FM 92.5 and its hot adult contemporary format. WINC-FM's programming was migrated to the two stations in anticipation of the sale of the 92.5 FM signal to the Educational Media Foundation.[8][9] Upon the sale of the 92.5 FM signal to EMF, Centennial transferred the WINC-FM call letters to 105.5 FM.
On April 30, 2021, Centennial Broadcasting announced it was selling WINC-FM and WZFC to Fairfax, Virginia-based Metro Radio, Inc. for $225,000.[5][10] WINC AM was not included in the sale.[5][10] Allen B. Shaw, Centennial's President and CEO, said in a May 2021 interview with The Winchester Star that Metro Radio, Inc. had assured Shaw "they do not intend to" change the format of WINC-FM and WZFC.[11] Shaw further said Metro thought WINC-FM's format was "probably the best format for the Winchester market" for ad revenue.[11]
On June 30, coincident with the consummation of the sale to Metro Radio,[12] long-time morning show host Barry Lee signed off after 37 years at the station.[13] Hours later, long-time afternoon host Paula Kidwell would also sign off.[14] The same day, the callsign was changed from WZFC to WKDV-FM to match new sister station WKDV, licensed to Manassas.[3]
On September 30, just three months after Metro Radio purchased the station, Metro entered into an agreement to sell WKDV-FM to Point FM Ministries for $125,000.[2][12][15][16] Point FM Ministries owns locally based, southern gospel-formatted WVRS.[2][15][16][17] Metro Radio retained WINC-FM.[2] The sale was consummated on December 17, 2021. On January 13, 2022, the station changed its call sign to WVRX, and the station changed its programming to a simulcast of WVRS.