WVKY (101.7

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 ...

) is a commercial FM

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

Shelbyville, Kentucky Shelbyville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,282 at the 2020 census. History Early history The town of Shelbyville ...

, and serving eastern portions of the

Louisville metropolitan area The Louisville metropolitan area is the 43rd largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States. It had a population of 1,395,855 in 2020 according to the latest official census, and its principal city is Louisville, Kentucky. T ...

. The station is owned by CapCity Communications under licensee Southern Belle, LLC. It airs a

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 ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

which is

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

on 104.9 WFKY in Frankfort. The station calls itself "Froggy 101.7 and 104.9," using a

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

as its

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

History

The station was assigned the

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 ...

WCKD on April 1, 1989. On July 8, 1989, the station changed its call sign to WCKP; it signed on September 30, 1989. The call letters were changed on August 31, 1992, to WTHQ, on May 17, 2002, to WIBL, on May 29, 2003, to WJZO, on December 13, 2005, to WXTF, on March 21, 2006, to WLPP, and on April 16, 2007, to WKRD-FM. Originally on 101.3 MHz, in 1996 WTHQ swapped frequencies with

WMJM WMJM (101.3 FM broadcasting, FM "Magic 101.3") is an urban adult contemporary radio station, station licensed to Jeffersontown, Kentucky serving the Louisville metropolitan area owned and operated by Alpha Media. It currently carries the ''Stev ...

and moved to 101.7. The station license was transferred to

Aloha Station Trust Aloha Station Trust, LLC was a privately owned trust company that owned radio and television stations previously owned by Clear Channel Communications, forerunner of the modern iHeartMedia. After Clear Channel was acquired by private equity intere ...

LLC at the completion of the privatization of

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

, a forerunner of iHeartMedia, Inc., which owns seven stations in Louisville, including WHAS and

WAMZ WAMZ (97.5 FM) is a commercial radio station in Louisville, Kentucky. It airs a country music format and is owned by iHeartMedia The studios are in the central part of Watterson Park. WAMZ carries two nationally syndicated radio progra ...

. The Aloha Station Trust temporarily operated the stations that Clear Channel was required to divest as a condition of the privatization transaction. As a result of a sale from Aloha Station Trust LLC to Southern Belle LLC, on January 12, 2012, the station again changed its call sign, this time to WVKY. EARLY YEARS OF WVKY WVKY AM 1270, was a radio station that played a significant role in the community of

Louisa, Kentucky Louisa is a home-rule class city located in eastern Kentucky, United States, at the merger of the Levisa Fork River, Levisa and Tug Fork River, Tug Forks into the Big Sandy River (Ohio River tributary), Big Sandy River, which forms part of the s ...

, began broadcasting in 1970. Established with a vision to serve local listeners, it quickly became a cherished source of news, music, and entertainment in the region. For nearly three decades, WVKY provided a platform for local voices and promoted community events, fostering a strong connection with its audience. The station featured a mix of programming, including country music, talk shows, and local news updates, making it a staple in the daily lives of many residents. However, by 1996, the station's operations came to an end. Despite its closure, WVKY AM 1270 left behind a legacy of community engagement and local pride. The station remains fondly remembered by those who grew up listening to its broadcasts, highlighting the vital role local radio can play in shaping a community's identity. WVKY AM was owned by Lawrence County Broadcasting Company in

Lawrence County, Kentucky Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,293. Its county seat is Louisa. The county is named for James Lawrence, and co-founded by Isaac Bolt, who served as a Lawrence ...

, General Manager Jim Bradley.

References

https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=68402

External links

* VKY Radio stations established in 1989 1989 establishments in Kentucky Country radio stations in the United States Seven Mountains Media {{Kentucky-radio-station-stub