WKEA-FM

WKEA-FM
City Scottsboro, Alabama
Branding K-98
Slogan "Tri-State's New Hit Country"
Frequency 98.3 MHz
First air date November 3, 1965
Format Country
ERP 11,000 watts
HAAT 150 meters (492 feet)
Class C3
Facility ID 33781
Transmitter coordinates 34°32′0.00″N 85°55′20.00″W / 34.5333333°N 85.9222222°W / 34.5333333; -85.9222222
Former callsigns WCNA (1965-1981)
Affiliations Jones Radio Network, Fox News Radio
Owner KEA Radio, Inc.
Sister stations WMXN-FM
Webcast Listen Live
Website http://www.wkeafm.com

WKEA-FM (98.3 FM, "K98") is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Scottsboro, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by KEA Radio, Inc.

WKEA-FM broadcasts a country music format including programming from Jones Radio Network and Fox News Radio.[1]

History

Radio station WCNA-FM was founded in 1965 by Dr. Ralph Sheppard, a local dentist and owner of the Jackson County Advertiser, a weekly newspaper.[2] The first FM radio station in Jackson County, Alabama, WCNA-FM began broadcasting a country music format on November 3, 1965. In 1971, Sheppard transferred the license to a company named Mellow Sound Broadcasting.[3] The city of Scottsboro later honored Sheppard by declaring April 30, 2008, as "Dr. Ralph Sheppard Day" in honor of his many contributions to the community.[2]

In July 1981, Mellow Sound Broadcasting, Inc., made a deal to sell this station to KEA Radio, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 28, 1981.[4] The new owners had the FCC assign new call letters WKEA-FM on October 1, 1981.[5]

References

  1. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Brown, Chasity (April 28, 2008). "City to honor Dr. Sheppard". The Daily Sentinel. Sheppard went on later to start Jackson County's first FM radio station, WCNA FM, which ran on a country music format.
  3. "The Facilities of Radio". 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1972. p. B-8.
  4. "Application Search Details (BALH-19810724FG)". FCC Media Bureau.
  5. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.

The station was originally planned as an easy listening music station and the call letters WCNA-FM stood for, "We Cover North Alabama with Fine Music. One of the stations early DJ's, Doug Hodges, convinced the owner to change to a country format.

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