WACL is a

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

-formatted

broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to

Elkton, Virginia Elkton (formerly Conrad's Store) is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia, Harrisonburg Harrisonburg metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistic ...

, serving Harrisonburg, Staunton and Waynesboro in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. WACL is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc.

History

Pre-launch

The history of WACL begins on October 15, 1983, when Robert James Lacey applied for a construction permit to build a radio station licensed to

. The application asked that the station air on 98.3 FM and broadcast with an ERP of 3,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

s. Lacey's application was returned on January 22, 1984, for undetermined reasons. On April 2, 1984, another company, Elkton Broadcasters, Inc. filed their own construction permit, also requesting use of the 98.3 FM frequency and to operate at 3,000 watts. Elkton Broadcasters, Inc. was operated by Pamela Joan Davis, her brother Fred W. Greaves Jr., and their father, Fred W. Greaves Sr. On March 4, 1987,

Administrative law judge An administrative law judge (ALJ) in the United States is a judge and trier of fact who both presides over trials and adjudicates claims or disputes involving administrative law, thus involving administrative units of the executive branch of go ...

Joseph B. Gonzalez held

oral argument Oral arguments are spoken presentations to a judge or appellate court by a lawyer (or parties when representing themselves) of the legal reasons why they should prevail. Oral argument at the appellate level accompanies written briefs, which also ...

an appeal to determine whether the approval of Lacey's application (now operating as Stonewall Broadcasting Company) and the rejection of Elkton's was proper. Stonewall Broadcasting Company retained the license, applying for the WVLC

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

in late-July 1987. On September 22, 1988, the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC) amended the Table of allotments, moving the new station from 98.3 FM to 98.5 FM. The station's call sign was changed on February 22, 1989, to WPKZ.

Post-launch

On March 6, 1989, WPKZ began broadcasting for the first time, carrying an

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

format known as "The Peak". The Radio Futures Committee awarded WPKZ an "Honorable Mention" for Excellence in Creative Commercial Production on January 19, 1990. In late April 1990, M. Belmont VerStandig agreed to "program and advertise" Stonewall Broadcasting Company.-owned WPKZ for 10 years. By 1994, WPKZ had switched from an Adult Contemporary format to a

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

format, as "Z-98". On March 7, 1997, the station's call sign changed from WPKZ to its current WACL. and switched from Country to an

Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

and Classic Hits format, as "Cool 98.5", playing hits from the 1960s and 1970s. In early August 1997, Stonewall Broadcasting Company sold WACL to Mid-Atlantic Network, Inc. for $1.75 million. WACL joined current

sister station In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement. Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...

s WKCY and

WKCY-FM WKCY-FM is a country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Harrisonburg, Virginia, serving the Central Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern pan ...

. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 26, 1997, and the transaction became final on September 2, 1997. In early January 2001, Mid-Atlantic Network, Inc. sold WACL, along with sisters WKCY and WKCY-FM to Clear Channel Communications for $7.2 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 12, 2001, and the transaction closed on March 30, 2001. At midnight on May 2, 2001, WACL debuted its current "98 Rock; The Valley's Rock Station". Originally carrying a

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...

format, WACL has since segued to classic rock, competing with

WWWV WWWV (97.5 FM) is a classic rock formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, and serves Central Virginia and the Central Shenandoah Valley. WWWV is owned and operated by Saga Communications, and operates as part o ...

circa 2015.

References

External links

98 Rock Online
* {{IHeartMedia 1989 establishments in Virginia Classic rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1989 ACL IHeartMedia radio stations Rockingham County, Virginia