WKVP

WKVP
Broadcast areaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Frequency106.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding106.9 K-Love
Programming
FormatChristian adult contemporary
Subchannels
NetworkK-Love
Ownership
OwnerEducational Media Foundation
WYPA
History
First air date
December 31, 1959 (1959-12-31)
Former call signs
  • WKDN-FM (1959–1986)
  • WKDN (1986–2012)
  • WWIQ (2012–2013)
Call sign meaning
"K-Love Philadelphia"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID20842
ClassB
ERP
  • 38,000 watts (analog)
  • 1,500 watts (digital)[2]
HAAT168 meters (551 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°54′33.4″N 75°05′58.6″W / 39.909278°N 75.099611°W / 39.909278; -75.099611 (WKVP)
TranslatorSee § Translators
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.klove.com

WKVP (106.9 FM, "106.9 K-Love") is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Camden, New Jersey, serving the Philadelphia media market. The station is owned and operated by Educational Media Foundation and is an affiliate of K-Love, EMF's Christian adult contemporary music network. Its broadcast tower is located on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Camden.

Station history

MOR music to Family Radio

The station signed on the air on December 31, 1959, as WKDN-FM. In 1966, the station was airing a MOR music format and was co-owned with WKDN (800 AM), which changed calls to WTMR after the two stations were sold to separate owners in 1968.

Family Stations, Inc., the holding company for stations run by Harold Camping's Family Radio religious ministry, acquired WKDN-FM for $500,000 on July 23, 1968. Under Family Stations' ownership, programming on WKDN (the "-FM" suffix was dropped from the call sign in June 1986) consisted mainly of Christian radio and teachings from Family Radio, along with some public affairs programming on weekends.

Sale to Merlin Media, IQ 106.9

On December 6, 2011, Randy Michaels' Merlin Media announced it would acquire WKDN from Family Radio,[3] a sale that was completed on March 6, 2012. After the sale, Family Radio continued to program WKDN through a local marketing agreement while Merlin constructed new facilities.[4] The company hired then-WBT morning host Al Gardner, a radio veteran and Philadelphia native, as program director for the station.[5]

Early speculation suggested that Merlin planned to utilize the FM News format it was employing at sister stations WEMP in New York City and WWWN/WIQI in Chicago,[6] but the stations' poor ratings performances wound lead to a change in plans.[7] In April 2012, Radio Insight reported that Merlin had registered domain names and social media handles for the branding "IQ 106.9", and requested an associated change in call letters to WWIQ. Merlin had also registered a domain name for "Hannity 106.9", lending credence to rumors that the station had pursued the rights to Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh's shows after they had been dropped by the competing WPHT.[8]

Family Radio programming ceased on WKDN at 12:00 a.m. on April 16, 2012. After about a half-hour of dead air, the station returned to air under Merlin Media control, and began stunting for several hours with a loop of "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M., in an apparent reference to Camping's failed prediction that the Rapture would take place on May 21, 2011. At around 12:15 p.m., the stunt shifted to non-stop airings of The Sean Hannity Show as Hannity @ 106.9.[8] Family Radio would move the WKDN call sign to its State College, Pennsylvania station on April 23.

The launch of IQ 106.9 was later confirmed for May 7. The new format would primarily feature syndicated conservative talk shows, such as the Glenn Beck Radio Program and The Sean Hannity Show, while The Rush Limbaugh Show was also anticipated to be moving to the station. WWIQ would launch with the local morning show Philly's Morning News, hosted by Gardner and former KYW-TV anchor Larry Mendte. Gardner explained that he hired Mendte because of his "strong agenda" and belief that he would surprise listeners with some of his political positions.[9][10][11] IQ was positioned by Merlin as a competitor to CBS Radio's KYW and WPHT, which Mendte openly criticized in promotions and interviews regarding the station.[9][12]

Rush Limbaugh premiered on WWIQ on June 25, 2012, and the station would later add The Mark Levin Show and Overnight America with Jon Grayson to round out its daily lineup.[13][9] In July 2012, the station took on former news reporters from WEMP after it dropped its FM News format in favor of modern rock. [14]

Mendte was released by WWIQ on December 31, 2012, with the host claiming in retrospect that his tenure at IQ was "a big experiment".[15][16] He was subsequently replaced on Philly's Morning News by Lionel. Gardner would then leave the station in March 2013, being replaced on the morning show by Michelle Murillo. In July 2013, Philly's Morning News was cancelled and replaced with the syndicated Imus in the Morning, leaving the station without any local programing at all.[17][18]

Sale to EMF, K-Love

On August 7, 2013, Merlin Media announced that it had reached a deal to sell WWIQ to the Educational Media Foundation (EMF). The sale, which would be consummated on November 19, 2013, at a reported price of $20.25 million,[19] would mean a return to religious-themed programming on the 106.9 signal, as EMF intended to move its K-Love Christian adult contemporary music network to the signal.[20][21] K-Love had been heard in Philadelphia on WKVP (89.5 FM) in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, whose 1,900-watt signal provides only a rimshot signal to the city.[22] The sale of WWIQ would leave Merlin with operations in only one radio market, Chicago.[23]

Merlin would continue to program IQ as a talk station until November 3, 2013. During its last week, part of its daily schedule was turned over to Glenn Beck's online network TheBlaze, in part to promote that network's Philadelphia-focused content as well as to fill air time caused by the early departures of The Rush Limbaugh Show and Sean Hannity Show, which both returned to WPHT on October 28.[24][25] IQ and its talk format ended just before midnight on November 3, 2013, after which time the station relaunched as a K-Love affiliate. (EMF gained authorization from the Federal Communications Commission on October 23 to convert WWIQ to non-commercial educational status.)[26] EMF would move the WKVP call sign to 106.9 on November 5; the call sign's former home, at 89.5 FM in Cherry Hill, is now WYPA, an Air 1 affiliate.[20]

Signal and facilities

From the first sign-on until April 16, 2012, WKDN transmitted from a broadcast tower located in Camden, New Jersey, approximately 12 miles southeast of most other Philadelphia FM signals; as a result, the station enjoyed a better than average signal in southern New Jersey, especially in the Jersey Shore counties of Atlantic, Monmouth, Ocean, and Cape May. Under Family Radio, WKDN also operated three FM translator stations: W207AB (89.3 FM) in Atlantic City, New Jersey; W207AE (89.3 FM) in Reading, Pennsylvania; and W249AA (97.7 FM) in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. These translators were not part of the station's sale to Merlin. W207AB and W207AE continue to broadcast Family Radio programming through a satellite feed of its Sacramento station, KEBR. (W249AA currently simulcasts WLEB-LP.) WKDN's studios under Family Radio ownership were located at 2906 Mt. Ephraim Avenue in Haddon Township, New Jersey.

At the "IQ 106.9" debut on April 16, 2012, the station transmitted from a broadcast tower located on the spire of One Liberty Place in Center City with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 9,000 watts at a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 244 meters. This site is licensed as an auxiliary transmitting facility,[27] but it was expected to eventually be licensed as the station's primary transmitting facility, subject to whether EMF carries through on Merlin's previous applications.

Translators

The following translator simulcasts the programming of WKVP:

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W277AH 103.3 FM Dover, Delaware 21076 80 45 m (148 ft) D 39°09′48″N 75°32′7″W / 39.16333°N 75.53528°W / 39.16333; -75.53528 (W277AH) LMS

See also

Other K-Love stations in Pennsylvania include:

  • WKHL (FM), Palmyra, PA
  • WKHW (FM), Halifax, PA
  • WKPA, State College, PA
  • WLKA, Scranton, PA
  • WLKJ, Johnstown, PA
  • WLVX, Greenville, PA
  • WPKV, Pittsburgh, PA

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WKVP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "FCC 335-FM Digital Notification [WKVP-FM]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. December 5, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  3. ^ WKDN Philadelphia Sold from Radio Insight (December 6, 2011)
  4. ^ "Merlin closes on Philly station". Radio Ink. March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ "Merlin Media hires Al Gardner to program its new FM in Philadelphia," Archived April 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine from Radio-Info.com, December 9, 2011
  6. ^ TAKIFF, REGINA MEDINA & JONATHAN (December 9, 2011). "Radio station could be new fix for news junkies". Inquirer.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  7. ^ Mendte, Larry (January 3, 2013). "Larry Mendte Out at IQ 106.9, Has "No Regrets" | The Philly Post". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  8. ^ a b "106.9 Philadelphia Truth & Rumors". RadioInsight. April 12, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c Darrow, Chuck (June 12, 2012). "IQ 106.9 wants to be the next big talker on local news radio". Inquirer.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  10. ^ "WKDN Gives Way To Hannity 106.9; IQ Coming". RadioInsight. May 1, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  11. ^ Fiorillo, Victor (April 30, 2012). "Tea Party-Friendly Radio Arrives in Philly with WWIQ". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  12. ^ "IQ 106.9 Philadelphia To Debut Monday". RadioInsight. May 6, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  13. ^ "WPHT & WWIQ Philadelphia Fill Lineups". RadioInsight. June 11, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  14. ^ "Merlin Media Looks to Regain its Prior Identity at 101.9". FishbowlNY. July 19, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  15. ^ "Dan Gross: Larry Mendte gets his talking papers from IQ 106.9". Philly.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  16. ^ Mendte, Larry (January 3, 2013). "Larry Mendte Out at IQ 106.9, Has "No Regrets" | The Philly Post". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  17. ^ Eichel, Molly (July 15, 2013). "Zimmerman attorney a former WMMR DJ". Inquirer.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  18. ^ "Imus Replaces Local Hosts At WWIQ Philadelphia". RadioInsight. July 12, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  19. ^ "Merlin Gets $20.25 Million For Philly Station," from Radio Ink, August 13, 2013 Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ a b "K-Love Debuts On 106.9 Philadelphia," from Radio Insight, originally reported August 7, 2013, and updated November 4, 2013
  21. ^ "Confirmed: Merlin Sells IQ 106.9/Philadelphia To EMF". All Access. August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  22. ^ FCC Database: WKVP
  23. ^ "Michaels' Merlin sells WWIQ/Philly," from Radio Ink, August 7, 2013 Archived September 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Beck's Blaze Goes Live In Philly For One Week," from Radio Ink, October 25, 2013 Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ "Limbaugh & Hannity To Return To WPHT," from Radio Insight, October 15, 2013
  26. ^ File# BALH-20130812ACR granted by FCC October 23, 2013
  27. ^ "APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST STATION, Comprehensive Technical Exhibit". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. January 31, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
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