WICU-FM (92.7

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

-formatted

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 ...

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

, licensed to Lawrence Park, Pennsylvania, under the ownership of SJL Broadcasting (a sister company to

Lilly Broadcasting Lilly Broadcasting, LLC is a privately owned American broadcasting company owned and operated by the Lilly Brothers’ Brian Lilly and Kevin Lilly. The company was founded in September 1999 with the purchase of WENY-TV (ABC) and WENY-FM & AM ra ...

). It uses the moniker "Happi 927". WICU-FM is simulcast in

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

on Lilly-owned WICU (1310 AM and 96.7 FM).

History

The station, using the call sign WEHP, signed on the air November 9, 2012, stunting with songs including the word " Happy"; at 12p.m. on November 16, 2012, it formally launched its contemporary hit radio format under the branding of "Happi 92.7". The station was originally owned by Rick Rambaldo'a Erie Radio Company; the

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 ...

had been acquired, under the name First Channel Communications, for $2,068,000 in a May 2011

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) auction, outbidding an entity affiliated with

Connoisseur Media Connoisseur Media LLC is an American media company. It is based in Westport, Connecticut and led by Jeff Warshaw. Connoisseur operates radio stations and digital assets in markets across the U.S. cities of Billings, Fredrick, Maryland; Bay Shore, H ...

. Rambaldo had previously a group of Erie radio stations that was sold to

NextMedia nextmedia Pty Limited (styled as nextmedia) is an Australian media company which publishes special interest magazines in the sport, humor, and hobby (among others). The company is headquartered in Sydney and owned by The Forum Media Group, a ...

in 1999, and subsequently acquired by Connoisseur Media and then

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly 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 fou ...

. The WEHP call sign was assigned on May 16, 2012. In September 2019, Erie Radio Company announced the sale of the station to SJL of Pennsylvania, owner of

WICU-TV WICU-TV (channel 12) is a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by SJL Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Lilly Broadcasting, owner of CBS/The CW Plus, CW+ aff ...

, for $1.33 million; SJL is a sister company to

, whose holdings in the area include

WSEE-TV WSEE-TV (channel 35) is a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. It is the flagship television property of locally based Lilly Broadcasting, and is a sister station to NBC affiliate WICU-TV ...

and three

radio stations. Under the terms of the agreement, Erie Radio Company retained the rights to the "Happi" brand, but granted SJL/Lilly a perpetual royalty-free license to use the name. The sale was completed on December 31, 2019, at which point the call sign was changed to WICU (the "-FM" suffix was added on February 13, 2020). On April 1, 2020, WICU-FM began simulcasting in Warren on WICU (1310 AM and 96.7 FM). In September 2021, WICU-FM relocated their studios from its original location at 1229 State Street (13th & State) to 3514 State Street (35th & State) the same building that is the studios for WICU-TV.

References

External links

* ICU-FM Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2012 2012 establishments in Pennsylvania {{Pennsylvania-radio-station-stub