WHTA (107.9
FM) is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission 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 radio ...
licensed
A license (or licence) 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 party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Hampton, Georgia
Hampton is a city in southwestern Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,987, up from 3,857 at the 2000 census. By 2018 the estimated population was 7,922. "Hampton" mailing addresses outside t ...
, and serving the
Atlanta metropolitan area
Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...
. It is owned by
Urban One
Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One) is a Silver Spring, Maryland-based American media conglomerate. Founded in 1980 by Cathy Hughes, the company primarily operates media properties targeting African Americans. It is the largest African-American-o ...
and it airs an
urban contemporary
Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...
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, ...
, focused on
hip hop music. The studios and offices are located inside the
Centennial Tower building in
downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county, s ...
.
The
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...
is off Swanson Road in
Tyrone, Georgia
Tyrone is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,879 at the 2010 census, up from 3,916 in 2000. The estimated population in 2018 was 7,388. It is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
History
The Georgia Genera ...
, about 30 miles south southwest of Atlanta. At an
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 hav ...
(ERP) of 35,000
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of 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 quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s, the signal covers the city and its southern suburbs, and may not be easily received north of Atlanta. WHTA broadcasts in
IBOC
In-band on-channel (IBOC) is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency. The name refers to the new digital signals being broadcast in the same AM or FM band (in-band) ...
digital radio
Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services.
Types
In digital broadcasting syst ...
, using the
HD Radio
HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. It generally simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD Radio is used ...
system from
iBiquity
iBiquity Digital Corporation is a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio. Based in Columbia, Maryland, with additional offices in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and Auburn Hills, Michigan, iBiquity is a privately ...
.
Programming
The weekday on-air lineup consists of the
syndicated "
Rickey Smiley
Broderick Dornell Smiley (born August 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality, known for his prank phone calls. The calls feature Smiley disguising his voice and carrying on a conversation with t ...
Morning Show", which is based at WHTA. It is followed by Reec in middays, Mz. Shyneka in afternoons, the Durtty Boyz Show with Stuey Rock and DJ Kash each evening and Erin Rae overnight. The station launched several careers, including rapper and actor
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, when he was known as on-air personality "Chris Lova Lova," as well as
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
VJs
La La Anthony
Alani Nicole "La La" Anthony (née Vázquez; born June 25, 1979 ) is an American television personality and actress. In the early 2000s, she worked as an MTV VJ on ''Total Request Live''. She was the host of the VH1 reality television reunion ...
and K.K. Holiday.
History
WCRY-FM Macon
The station began as WCRY-FM in
Macon, Georgia
Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...
, about 85 miles south of Atlanta. It
signed on
Signing may refer to:
* Using sign language
* Signature
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...
the air on October 19, 1973, and was owned by Central Georgia Broadcasting. At first, it mostly
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/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, simultane ...
its AM counterpart, WCRY at 900 kHz (now
WYPZ). By the late 1970s, WCRY-FM was airing a
beautiful music
Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator musi ...
format. In 1981, it switched its
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 assigne ...
to WPEZ, playing
easy listening
Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...
music, powered at 100,000 watts. It later shifted to
soft 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 present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet sto ...
music as "Lite Rock" WPEZ. The station was later known as Z108 in the mid-1980s, which is one out of 2 stations using the "Z" name in the Macon market, with the other being
WQBZ
WQBZ (106.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a mainstream rock format. Licensed to Fort Valley, Georgia, United States, the station serves the Macon area. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. ...
.
The station was acquired in 1996 by U.S. Broadcasting, which had plans to move it into the more lucrative Atlanta
radio market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television station, television and radio broadcasting, ra ...
. To gain
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(FCC) approval, a few stations in Middle Georgia were relocated: WPEZ's Soft AC format was switched from 107.9 to an existing frequency at 93.7 in
Jeffersonville, while the original
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
format on 93.7 was shifted to a new Macon-area station as
WMGB
WMGB (95.1 FM, "B95.1") is a radio station licensed to Montezuma, Georgia and serving the Macon, Georgia area with a Top 40 (CHR) format. This station broadcasts on FM frequency 95.1 MHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media
Cumulus ...
at 95.1 MHz. U.S. Broadcasting petitioned the FCC to
reallocate the
broadcast license
A broadcast license is a type of spectrum license granting the licensee permission to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses generally include restrictions, which vary ...
for 107.9 from Macon to Hampton.
With the FCC giving its OK,
Radio One, a large minority-owned broadcasting company, paid $60 million for the new "move in" Atlanta-area station at 107.9. Radio One already owned a station in the Atlanta market, 97.5 WHTA, in
Fayetteville, airing an Urban Contemporary format. WHTA had signed on as an urban station on July 17, 1995; Radio One had plans to put WHTA's call letters and format on its new acquisition.
WHTA Hot 107.9
At first, Radio One didn't want its competitors in Atlanta to figure out its game plan, so in September 2001, the new Atlanta-area 107.9 transmitter signed on as WEGF "107.9 the End" with a
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
format.
Stunting on its first day, it played "
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, '' Bad'' (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics add ...
" by
Alien Ant Farm
Alien Ant Farm is an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Riverside, California in 1996. They have released five studio albums and sold over 5 million units worldwide. The band's cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth_Criminal#Alien Ant Farm ...
and "
Rollin'" by
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...
continuously.
After several weeks with the rock format on 107.9 FM, "Hot 97.5" morning host Ryan Cameron made an announcement that "Hot" was moving to 107.9, revealing that the rock format was a
publicity stunt
In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...
. WHTA officially switched frequencies on November 1, 2001. 107.9 became "Hot 107.9" WHTA, while 97.5 became WPZE, playing
urban gospel
Urban/contemporary gospel is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genre was well established by the end of the 1980s. The radio format is pitched prima ...
music. (
WPZE
WPZE (102.5 FM) is a commercial Christian radio station licensed to Mableton, Georgia, and serving Metro Georgia. It is owned by Urban One and airs an urban gospel radio format. Studios and offices are at Centennial Tower in Downtown Atlant ...
later moved to 102.5 MHz in
Mableton.)
WHTA's move to 107.9 gave it a stronger signal over
Intown Atlanta
Intown Atlanta (or as an adjective, "intown") is a loosely-defined term used by the residents of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. It is most frequently used in metro Atlanta to designate an area containing parts of the City of Atlanta and ...
and surrounding suburbs, despite being considered a "move-in" station.
Residents in
Tyrone, Georgia
Tyrone is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,879 at the 2010 census, up from 3,916 in 2000. The estimated population in 2018 was 7,388. It is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
History
The Georgia Genera ...
have complained to the FCC that WHTA's transmitter interferes with their electrical items, from phones to computer speakers. WHTA got a
construction permit
Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...
from the FCC to increase the height of the
antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
on the tower, but this only reduced the problem rather than eliminating it.
Digital Hip Hop
On July 31, 2007, WHTA began using a new slogan, "Hot 107.9, Your Digital Hip Hop Station."
In October 2008, WHTA became the Atlanta
network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or a ...
of the ''
Rickey Smiley
Broderick Dornell Smiley (born August 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality, known for his prank phone calls. The calls feature Smiley disguising his voice and carrying on a conversation with t ...
Morning Show''. It was originally based at co-owned
KBFB
KBFB (97.9 FM) is a commercial radio station with an urban contemporary radio format, known as "97.9 The Beat." It is licensed to Dallas, Texas and serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. KBFB is owned by Urban One. The studios and offices, al ...
in the
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In 2011, WHTA became the
flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship (also known as a flagship station or key station) is the broadcast station which originates a television network, or a particular radio or television program that plays a key role in the branding of and consumer loyalt ...
for the show.
In 2011, Radio One changed several of its Atlanta-area stations' formats and call signs;
WAMJ
WAMJ (107.5 FM, "Majic 107.5/97.5") is a commercial radio station licensed to Roswell, Georgia, and serving Metro Atlanta. It airs an urban adult contemporary radio format, simulcasting with sister station 97.5 WUMJ in Fayetteville. The sta ...
moved from 102.5 to 107.5, and began simulcasting its Urban AC format on 97.5 as
WUMJ
WUMJ (97.5 FM, "Majic 107.5/97.5") is a radio station simulcasting an urban adult contemporary format with sister station WAMJ 107.5 FM. Licensed to the suburb of Fayetteville, Georgia, it serves the Atlanta metropolitan area. It first began bro ...
, while WPZE's urban gospel format moved from 97.5 to 102.5. That left WHTA as the only station in Radio One's Atlanta
cluster
may refer to:
Science and technology Astronomy
* Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft
* Asteroid cluster, a small asteroid family
* Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study t ...
that was unaffected by the change.
Radio One was renamed
Urban One
Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One) is a Silver Spring, Maryland-based American media conglomerate. Founded in 1980 by Cathy Hughes, the company primarily operates media properties targeting African Americans. It is the largest African-American-o ...
on May 8, 2018.
References
External links
Hot 107.9 official website*
{{Radio One
Urban One stations
HTA
Radio stations established in 1980
Urban contemporary radio stations in the United States