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WHLQ
Broadcast area Lawrenceville, Virginia
Brunswick County, Virginia
Frequency105.5 MHz
BrandingHot Joy Radio
Programming
Format Black Gospel
Urban Contemporary [1]
Ownership
Owner
  • Ilmar and Gerardo Ruiz [2] [3]
  • (Hosanna Christian Media, Inc.)
History
First air date
September 1, 1991 [4]
Former call signs
WLES-FM (1989) [5]
WHFD (1989-2011)
WHLQ (2011-2014)
WVNC (2014-2015) [6]
Technical information
Facility ID72503
ClassA
Power6,000 Watts
HAAT47 meters (154 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
36°45′10.0″N 77°51′49.0″W / 36.752778°N 77.863611°W / 36.752778; -77.863611

WHLQ (105.5 FM) is a Black Gospel and Urban Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Lawrenceville, Virginia, serving Lawrenceville and Brunswick County, Virginia. [1] WHLQ is owned and operated by Ilmar and Gerardo Ruiz, through licensee Hosanna Christian Media, Inc. [2]

History

Pre-broadcast and launch

William Carlton Link and Thurman Louis Hardgrove, Sr. both applied for a new FM station for Lawrenceville, Virginia, in early 1988. [7] Link already owned an AM station, WLES, in Lawrenceville. [8] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held a hearing regarding the matter on January 14, 1988. [7] More than two months later, on March 31, Link's application was approved, with the station to broadcast at 98.9 MHz. [9] During the week of April 20, 1989, the FCC assigned the new station the WLES-FM call sign. [5] The station launched on September 1, 1991, airing country and bluegrass music. [10] During the week of November 30, the station call sign changed to WHFD. [11]

History since launch

On November 12, 1992, the FCC announced that WHFD would move from 98.9 to 105.5, where it remains. [12] The move took place on January 15, 1993. [12] The station added gospel music to its format in 1995. [13]

Norfolk, Virginia-based Willis Broadcasting Corporation bought WHFD and sister station WLES from Link on March 22, 1999, for $350,000. [14] Almost a year later, on January 10, 2000, sister-station WLES was sold to Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation for $150,000. [15] In 2001, WHFD switched from a hybrid country/bluegrass/gospel music format to solely gospel. [16]

WHFD and South Boston-based WHLF were to be sold to J&J Broadcasting Inc. for $250,000 on November 11, 2002, [17] but for unknown reasons the sale did not take place. [18] Station general manager Katrina Chase purchased WHFD, under the company name Lawrenceville Christian, for $100,000 on April 10, 2005. [19]

On February 9, 2011, WHFD was placed into receivership due to a $200,000 debt owned to a Woodstock, Virginia-based law firm. [20] [21] The station fell silent on March 9, 2011, [22] returning to the air in early 2012. [23] Todd Fowler of Fowler Media Consulting, LLC took over operations of the station on March 30, 2011. [20] On July 18, 2011, the station's call sign was changed from WHFD to WHLQ. [6] WHLQ was sold by Fowler to Jimmy Johnson of North Carolina on May 16, 2012, for $75,000. [24] [25] The sale closed on November 7, 2012. [26]

Once again, on April 14, 2014, the station was up for sale, this time to Lawrenceville resident Jeff Davis, [27] who, under the company name Imperial Broadcasting Company, LLC, purchased WHLQ from Johnson for $199,000. [28]

Johnson, while still owner of WHLQ, filed to raise the station's transmitting tower height from 47 meters to 100 meters on May 9, 2014. [29] The station's tower will remain in the same location and the wattage will remain the same as well. [29] On July 7, 2014, the station's call sign was again changed, from WHLQ to WVNC. [6]

The sale from Johnson to Davis closed on July 14, 2014. [30] Four days later, WVNC fell silent to make "changes [with] equipment and programming". [31] A month previously, on May 20, a post on the station's new Facebook page alerted listeners that the station would take a new format of Conservative News/ Talk programs. [32]

Davis said, in an interview on August 5 with the Brunswick Times-Gazette, that he hoped to have the station on the air "by the second week of August". [33] He also said "a morning show featuring local guests" will be featured. [33]

WVNC returned to the air on August 19, 2014. [34] The station, however, returned with a music format due to technical problems with the station's satellite dish. [35] The news/talk format was delayed until the satellite dish was repaired. [35] On September 22, 2014, the station debuted its Conservative News/Talk format. The station began streaming its programming online at December 16, 2014, but stopped four days later. [36]

On December 20, 2014, the station began airing Christmas music. [37] Owner Jeff Davis began the process of selling the station back to previous owner Jimmy Johnson, on January 6, 2014. [38] Johnson will operate the station, under the Brunswick County Broadcasting, Inc., with two other persons, John Trent and Terry Suggs. [38] Trent's law firm filed suit against the station's previous owners in 2011. [20] [21]

The sale represents a cancellation of debt, in the amount of $179,100, still owned by Davis to Johnson. [39] As part of the agreement, the station's callsign will change back to WHLQ. [39] The two companies also entered into a time brokerage agreement, allowing Brunswick to begin operating the station. [40] The agreement went into effect on January 1, 2015. [40] On January 13, 2015, the station's callsign changed to WHLQ. [6] The sale of WHLQ was closed on April 9, 2015. [41]

A little under seven months later, on October 27, 2015, Brunswick County Broadcasting, Inc. began the process to sell WHLQ. [3] The buyer, this time around, was Chesapeake-based Ronnie D. Joyner Ministries, Inc. [3] The station was sold for $149,000, and the translation was consummated on January 6, 2016. [42] At this time, translator station W236AD is not included in the sale. [3] [42]

Effective November 7, 2019, Ronnie D. Joyner Ministries sold WHLQ to Ilmar & Gerardo Ruiz's Hosanna Christian Media, Inc. for $57,500.

References

  1. ^ a b "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/ Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "WHLQ Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. October 26, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  4. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-566. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Broadcasting (PDF). Broadcasting Publications. May 1, 1989. p. 144. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Broadcasting (PDF). Broadcasting Publications. February 8, 1988. p. 120. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  8. ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1988 (PDF). Broadcasting Publications. 1988. p. B-293. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  9. ^ Broadcasting (PDF). Broadcasting Publications. April 11, 1988. p. 123. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  10. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1993 (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. 1993. p. B-374. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  11. ^ Broadcasting (PDF). Broadcasting Publications. December 11, 1989. p. 88. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Broadcasting (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. November 12, 1992. p. 78. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  13. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1995 (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. 1995. p. B-430. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  14. ^ Broadcasting (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. March 22, 1999. p. 46. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  15. ^ Broadcasting & Cable (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. January 10, 2000. p. 64. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  16. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. 2001. p. D-472. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  17. ^ Broadcasting & Cable (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. November 11, 2002. p. 21. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  18. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2005 (PDF). Reed Reference Publishing Company. 2005. p. D-537. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  19. ^ "Deals - Broadcasting & Cable". BIA Financial Networks/NewBay Media, LLC. April 10, 2005. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  20. ^ a b c "Application for Consent to Assign Broadcasting Station Construction Permit or License or to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcasting Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. March 30, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  21. ^ a b Putbrese, Hunsaker & Trent, P.C. v. Katrina Chase and Faith Broadcasting Corp. (Circuit Court for the City of Norfolk, Virginia February 9, 2011), Text.
  22. ^ "Notification of Suspension of Operations/Request for Silent STA". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 10, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  23. ^ "Quiet Day For FCC Filings: Silent STAs, Closings". All Access Music Group. July 13, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  24. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcasting Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 16, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  25. ^ "Asset Purchase Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 16, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  26. ^ "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. November 7, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  27. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcasting Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. April 14, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  28. ^ "Asset Purchase Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. April 1, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  29. ^ a b "Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 9, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  30. ^ "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. July 14, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  31. ^ "Notification of Suspension of Operations/Request for Silent STA". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. July 18, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  32. ^ "WVNC - Imperial Broadcasting Company (parent company of WVNC) is..." Imperial Broadcasting Company/Facebook. May 20, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  33. ^ a b Allen, Sylvia (August 5, 2014). "New radio station coming to Lawrenceville". Brunswick Times-Gazette. Lawrenceville, Virginia. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  34. ^ "Resumption of Operations". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  35. ^ a b "WVNC - WVNC is now on the air, but due to technical issues with..." Imperial Broadcasting Company/Facebook. August 19, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  36. ^ "WVNC - WVNC shared a link". Imperial Broadcasting Company/Facebook. December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  37. ^ "WVNC - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and starting..." Imperial Broadcasting Company/Facebook. December 20, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  38. ^ a b "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  39. ^ a b "Assignment Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  40. ^ a b "Time Brokerage Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  41. ^ "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  42. ^ a b "Asset Purchase Agreement with Schedules". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. October 22, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.

External links