WKPQ (105.3
FM) is a
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 ...
broadcasting a
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
format. Licensed to
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 8,259 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers.
The City of Hornell is surrounded by Town of Hornellsville. Hornell is about ...
, United States, the station serves the Elmira-Corning area including the Canisteo valley and northern Pennsylvania. The station is currently owned by
Sound Communications, LLC. of Corning, NY.
History
The station signed on in 1946 as
WWHG-FM, owned by the W.H. Greenhow Co who also owned the Hornell Tribune newspaper. In the era of AM radio it did not do well financially, so the mission became to procure an AM signal. In 1949 WWHG began operation on 1590 with 500 Watts. Very shortly thereafter, WLEA 1320 kHz went into bankruptcy and discontinued operations. A Pennsylvania radio station operator, Cary Simpson, purchased the equipment, most of which was used to sign on WFRM-AM Coudersport, PA. The license was purchased by WWHG, moving WWHG to 1320 and turning in the 1590 License. WLEA returned a year later under different ownership on 1480 kHz, where it is today. WWHG AM-FM later became WHHO AM-FM, eventually bought by Bilbat Radio in 1983. Renamed WKPQ, 105.3 began an Adult contemporary format;
WHHO
WHHO (1320 AM) was a radio station broadcasting a sports talk format. Licensed to Hornell, New York, United States, the station served the Elmira- Corning area. The station was owned by Bilbat Radio, Inc. (at the time of closure, wholly owned ...
an MOR/variety format as before.
In the 1990s, the ownership became in flux as Bilbat sold the stations to two different entities, the Pfuntner group (
Pembrook Pines Media Group
Waypoint Media is a confederation of holding companies that own and operate radio and television stations mostly in small cities in the United States. Primary owners of the various companies include Mike Reed, William Christian and Paige Christia ...
) and
Backyard Broadcasting
Backyard Broadcasting was a radio broadcasting company that primarily owned radio stations in medium-sized, small and rural markets in the United States. The company was owned by the private equity firms Boston Ventures Management and Pacific Cor ...
. Backyard soon retreated but Bilbat's legal battle continued with Pembrook continued. Bilbat partner Richard C. Lyons (Bat) died in 2005 and eventually remaining partner Bill Berry was required to settle with Pembrook. In the meantime Pembrook had their own problems. The poor economy coupled with some poor decisions put Pembrook into a financial position unable to complete the Bilbat Sale, so Berry shut down WHHO and sold WKPQ to
Sound Communications in 2011 (Vision would buy much of the rest of Pembrook in 2014). Sound, in turn, sold all its broadcast assets to
Standard Media in late 2019.
On October 10, 2011, WKPQ changed its format to country, branded as "Kickin' Country 105.3". Current programming schedule: Morning show, "Wakin' Up Kickin'" hosted by TJ Sharp (who moved to WBEE-FM Rochester in 2015), followed by mid-day personality Aaron Jackson. Lee Richey, (PD/MD), hosts a noon hour request show, and then back on for the afternoon drive show.
In July 2021 WKPQ rebranded as "Bigfoot Country", simulcasting
WCBF 96.1 FM Elmira.
WKPQ Meets Bigfoot As Seven Mountains Completes Elmira Consolidation
Radioinsight - July 4, 2021
References
External links
*
KPQ
Radio stations established in 1981
Hornell, New York
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