WRKA

For the radio station licensed to Lyndon, Kentucky, formerly known as WRKA, see WQNU.

For other uses, see WRKA (disambiguation).

WRKA

City	Louisville, Kentucky
Broadcast area	Louisville, Kentucky
Branding	103.9 The Hawk
Slogan	True Country
Frequency	103.9 MHz
First air date	January 1975 (as WFIA-FM)
Format	Classic Country
ERP	1,350 watts
HAAT	149 meters
Class	A
Facility ID	48290
Transmitter coordinates	38°15′22.00″N 85°45′29.00″W / 38.2561111°N 85.7580556°W / 38.2561111; -85.7580556
Callsign meaning	Robert Knowles & Associates
Former callsigns	WFIA-FM (1975-1980) WXLN (1980-07/02/1990) WZKS (07/02/1990-03/15/1993) WHKW (03/15/1993-1994) WQLL (1994-06/03/1996) WSJW (06/03/1996-05/29/1998) WMHX (05/29/1998-11/24/2000) WPTK (11/24/2000-12/20/2000) WPTI (12/20/2000-7/18/2008)^[1]
Owner	Summit Media LLC (SM-WRKA, LLC)
Sister stations	WSFR, WQNU, WVEZ
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	hawklouisville.com

WRKA (103.9 FM, "The Hawk") is a radio station broadcasting a classic-based country music format. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the greater Louisville area. The station is currently owned by Summit Media LLC.^[2] The station's studios are located at Chestnut Centre in Downtown Louisville and the transmitter site, also located downtown, is atop National City Tower.

History

In January 1975, the station first came on the air as WFIA-FM. It was a sister station to WFIA. The call letters were later changed to WXLN and played Contemporary Christian music.

After dropping Christian music in 1990, 103.9 had a history of short-lived and rapidly changing call letters and formats (usually failed attempts to challenge other more dominant stations in the market), with the station typically changing formats every two to four years between 1990 and 2008.

July 5, 1990 – March 19, 1992: WZKS "Kiss 104" (CHR)
- The station's first post Christian format was intended to challenge WDJX. The format ended on January 27, 1992, after WZKS signed a LMA with WDJX, preventing the two stations from competing with each other.^[3] After nearly a month and a half of simulcasting WDJX, the station began stunting by playing music from Garth Brooks. On March 23, 1992, the station switched to satellite-fed Country as "Hot Country 103.9", but kept the old WZKS call letters.
March 23, 1992—May 24, 1994: WZKS "Hot Country 103.9", WHKW "103.9 The Hawk":
- During this period, 103.9 became the first FM station in the market intended to challenge longtime country leader itself, the legendary WAMZ. Initially, the station was known as "Hot Country 103.9", which, unlike WAMZ, had no local content, instead relying on Dial Global's Hot Country satellite network for programming. On March 30, 1993, the station was revamped as 103.9 The Hawk, and added local programming. It also changed its call letters to WHKW. The format, call letters, and "The Hawk" branding moved to its more powerful sister station on 107.7 (now WSFR) on May 24, 1994, and again to 98.9 (now WNRW) in May 1996.
May 24, 1994 – June 3, 1996: WQLL "Cool 103.9" (Oldies):
- After "The Hawk" moved to 107.7, 103.9 adopted an oldies format,^[4] intended to challenge future sister station WRKA (then on 103.1). The call letters changed to WQLL on June 6. In 1995, the format was changed to all 1970's music, while retaining the station branding.
June 3, 1996-May 29, 1998: WSJW "Smooth Jazz 103.9":
- The station changed its format to Smooth Jazz in June 1996, and changed its call letters to WSJW. This format lasted two years.
August 7, 1998-November 2000: WMHX "Mix 103.9" (AC):
- This format was basically a revival of the AC format dropped by then-WLRS, now WXMA, a year earlier. Like the others, this format lasted two years.
November 2000- October 21, 2004: WPTK/WPTI "103.9 The Point" (All-80s Hits):
- After the station was purchased by Cox Radio in 1999, the station adopted the company's The Point branding and an all-80s hits format in November 2000. The call letters were switched to WPTK on November 24, then a month later, on December 20, to WPTI. The final song on "The Point" was "Goodbye Stranger" by Supertramp.^[5]
October 21, 2004-July 23, 2008: WPTI "New Country 103.9":
- Like its previous attempts at country music as "Hot Country" and "The Hawk", the format was intended to challenge WAMZ. The first song on "New Country" was "Here for the Party" by Gretchen Wilson.^[6]
July 23, 2008–May 23, 2014: WRKA "Country Legends 103.9":
- The call letters were changed to WRKA on July 18, and changed its format to Classic Country on July 23. The old format moved to its more powerful sister station, WQNU (which prior to this used the WRKA call letters).

On July 20, 2012, Cox Radio, Inc. announced the sale of WRKA and 22 other stations to Summit Media LLC for $66.25 million. The sale was consummated on May 3, 2013.^[7]^[8]

On May 23, 2014, WRKA began stunting by only playing music by Garth Brooks as "103.9 Garth-FM" before announcing they were not able to use Garth's name due to legal issues, rebranding as "XXXXX-FM" and promising a new format to come on the following Monday, June 2, at 7 am. At that time, WRKA relaunched with a 1990s-heavy country format once again branded as "103.9 The Hawk".^[9] The first song on "The Hawk" was Gone Country by Alan Jackson.^[10]

logo through July 23, 2008
previous "Country Legends" logo, 2008-2013

References

External links

103.9 The Hawk

Query the FCC's FM station database for WRKA

Radio-Locator information on WRKA

Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WRKA

Radio stations in the Louisville, Kentucky market

By AM frequency	620 680 790 840 900 940 970 1040 1080 1220 1240 1270 1350 1450 1550 1570 1600

By FM frequency	88.1 88.5 89.3 90.5 91.9 92.7 93.1 93.9 94.7 95.3 95.7 96.5 97.5 98.9 99.7 100.5 101.3 101.7 102.3 103.1 103.5 103.9 104.3 105.1 105.3 105.7 105.9 106.9 107.7

NOAA Weather Radio frequencies	162.450 162.475 162.5 162.550

By callsign	KIH43 KIH43A KZZ64 WAKY WAKY-FM WAMZ WAYI WAYK WCND WDJX WFBR-LP WFHS-LP WFIA WFIA-FM WFPK WFPL WGHL WGTK WGZB-FM WHAS WHBE WHBE-FM WJIE-FM WKJK WKRD WLCL WLCR WLGX WLLV WLOU WLRS WLUE WMJM WMPI WNAS WNRW WOCC WQMF WQNU WRKA WSFR WSLM WTFX-FM WUOL-FM WVEZ WVKY WXGO WXMA WXVW WZ2523

Defunct	WXBH-LP/92.7

Nearby radio markets Bloomington-Columbus Bowling Green Cincinnati Evansville Indianapolis Lexington–Fayette Owensboro See also List of radio stations in Kentucky List of radio stations in Indiana

Country radio stations in the state of Kentucky

Stations	WAIN-FM – Columbia WAMZ – Louisville WANY – Albany WANY-FM – Albany WBIO – Philpot WBKR – Owensboro WBRT – Bardstown WBUL – Lexington WBVR – Auburn WCBL – Benton WCCK – Calvert City WCPM – Cumberland WCYN-FM – Cynthiana WCYO – Irvine WDGG – Ashland WDHR – Pikeville WEKG – Jackson WEZJ-FM – Williamsburg WFKN – Franklin WFKY – Frankfort WFLE – Flemingsburg WFLE-FM – Flemingsburg WFMW – Madisonville WFTG – London WGGC – Bowling Green WGKY – Wickliffe WGOH – Grayson WGRK-FM – Greensburg WHBN – Harrodsburg WHHT - Cave City WHSX – Edmonton WIKI – Carrollton WJKY – Jamestown WJRS – Jamestown WKCA – Salt Lick WKDO – Liberty WKDO-FM – Liberty WKDP-FM – Corbin WKDQ – Henderson WKDZ – Cadiz WKKS – Vanceburg WKLB – Manchester WKMO – Lebanon Junction WKVN – Morganfield WKWY – Tompkinsville WKYA – Greenville WKYQ – Paducah WKYR – Burkesville WLKS-FM – West Liberty WLLE – Mayfield WLOC – Munfordville WLSI – Pikeville WLSK – Lebanon WLVK – Fort Knox WLXO – Stamping Ground WLXX – Lexington WLYE – Glasgow WMDJ – Allen WMJL – Marion WMKZ – Monticello WMMG – Brandenburg WMMG-FM – Brandenburg WMSK-FM – Sturgis WNES – Central City WNKR – Williamstown WQNU – Lyndon WRKA – Louisville WRLV-FM – Salyersville WRUS – Russellville WRVK – Mount Vernon WSEK – Burnside WSEK-FM - Burnside WSGS – Hazard WSIP – Paintsville WSKV – Stanton WTKY – Tompkinsville WTKY-FM – Tompkinsville WUCO – Morganfield WULF – Hardinsburg WVKY – Shelbyville WVLC – Mannsville WVLE – Scottsville WVVR – Hopkinsville WWAG – Mckee WWEL – London WWKY – Providence WXAM – Buffalo WXBC – Hardinsburg WYGY – Fort Thomas WXMZ – Hartford WZAQ – Louisa

Defunct:	WFUL – Fulton

See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Kentucky

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