WFMA (102.9 FM) is a

non-commercial A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that is not carried out in the interest of Profit (economics), profit. The opposite is Commerce, commercial, something that primarily serves profit interests and is focused on bu ...

, listener-supported

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 A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Marion, Alabama Marion is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 3,686, up 4.8% over 2000. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolut ...

, and serving the Tuscaloosa metropolitan area. It is owned by the

Educational Media Foundation Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville. EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest contempor ...

and it airs a

contemporary worship music Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a distinct genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has evolved over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are of ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

as part of EMF's

Air1 Air1 is an American Christian radio network owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry. It primarily broadcasts contemporary worship music, and is a sister to the EMF's K-Love network. History On July 15, ...

radio network.

History

This station received its original

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

from 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 ...

on March 2,

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

. The new 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 ...

station, broadcasting at 102.9

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

Linden, Alabama Linden is a city in and the county seat of Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 1,930 at the 2020 census, down from 2,123 at the 2010 census. History Settled prior to 1818, the community was first known as "Screamersvi ...

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

the air in . While it was still a construction permit, it was assigned the

call letters 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 Identifier, unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be fo ...

WBAN by the FCC on September 18, 1989. The call sign was changed to WNPT-FM on November 28, 1989, and remained when the station debuted. WNPT-FM received its license to cover from the FCC on February 23, 1993. In March 1997, original owners Linden Radio Joint Venture reached an agreement to sell this station to Willis Broadcasting Corporation. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 30, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on May 10, 1997. In February 2001, Willis Broadcasting Corporation faced significant financial difficulties and foreclosure proceedings in the Circuit Court for

Marengo County, Alabama Marengo County is a County (United States), county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,323. The largest city is Demopolis, Alabama, Demopolis, ...

, forced the company into receivership. On March 5, 2001, an application was filed with the FCC to name Beckham Palmer III as receiver "for the purpose of protecting the FCC license". The transfer was approved by the FCC on March 14, 2001, and the completed on March 15, 2001. In June 2001, receiver Beckham Palmer III reached an agreement to sell this station to Jason Schmitt for $450,000 and certain considerations. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 13, 2001, but Schmitt was unable to complete the transaction and the license remained with Palmer. In late July 2001, the station first applied to the FCC for permission to go off the air temporarily and remain silent, citing financial issues. The station was off the air for several long stretches until resuming normal operations in early March 2003. In October 2003, receiver Beckham Palmer III reached a new agreement to sell this station, this time to John Sisty Enterprises, Inc., for a reported sale price of $450,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 18, 2003, and the transaction was consummated on November 28, 2003. In October 2004, the station received FCC authorization to change its community of license from Linden to

. On December 16, 2008, WNPT-FM was granted a

to relocate the transmitter to 32°49'46"N, 87°25'46"W, along with a raise in antenna

height above average terrain Height above average terrain (HAAT), or (less popularly) effective height above average terrain (EHAAT), is the vertical position of an antenna site above the surrounding landscape. HAAT is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is ...

to 202 meters (663 feet), and a drop in

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

to 24,000

s. The move was designed to increase signal coverage in

Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal and Piedmont (United States), Piedm ...

as well as the southern and western areas around

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. This permit is scheduled to expire on December 16, 2011. On October 3, 2011, WNPT-FM changed its format to

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

, known as "Catfish Country 102.9". The branding was a tribute to the pond catfish industry in the Black Belt region the station serves. WNPT Tide102

In May 2016, Townsquare Media announced it would be buying WNPT-FM and its

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 ...

WTBC for $550,000. According to published reports, WNPT-FM would flip to

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

and WTBC would retain the Catfish Country format, once the new owners took over. The sale to Townsquare Media was consummated on July 15, 2016. On June 30, 2016 at 3PM, the station flipped to Sports as "Tide 102.9".

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

sports teams are nicknamed The Crimson Tide. On March 14, 2018, WNPT-FM changed call signs to WTID, to go with the "Tide 102.9" branding. On June 5, 2019, Townsquare sold WTID to the Educational Media Foundation for $110,000. Upon the sale's expected closure on August 1, the Tide format would move to simulcastor W265CG/WTUG-HD2 as "Tide 100.9", and WTID 102.9 would flip to EMF's

Air 1 Air1 is an American Christian radio network owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry. It primarily broadcasts contemporary worship music, and is a sister to the EMF's K-Love network. History On July 15, ...

network (as K-Love is already heard in the area on

WLXQ WLXQ (K-Love 99.1 FM) is a radio station city of license, licensed to serve Greensboro, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation. The station's former broadcast schedule was initiated when the station was owne ...

– by coincidence, the station WTID inherited the Tide format from after ''its'' sale to EMF). With the sale, WTID would adopt the new call sign WFMA.Townsquare Buys And Sells In Tuscaloosa
/ref> The sale was consummated on July 31, 2019, at which point the call sign change occurred.

References

External links

* {{Air 1 Radio stations established in 1991 Marion, Alabama 1991 establishments in Alabama Educational Media Foundation radio stations Air1 radio stations FMA (FM)

History

See also

References

External links