Broadcast area | |
---|---|
Frequency | 105.5 FM MHz |
Branding | 105.5 WINC-FM (pronounced "Wink FM") |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format |
Hot adult contemporary Christmas music (November-December) |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
First air date | August 13, 1979 | (as WWOO)
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | Winchester [2] |
Technical information [3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 60363 |
Class | A |
Power | 3,000 watts |
HAAT | 91 meters (299 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°7′3.0″N 77°58′21.0″W / 39.117500°N 77.972500°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | WINC-FM online |
WINC-FM (105.5 FM) is a hot adult contemporary-formatted radio station licensed to Berryville, Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley. [4] WINC-FM is owned by Darrin Jones, through Euclid Avenue Properties, LLC. [5] [6]
In November 2020, the then-WXBN flipped to hot adult contemporary, assuming the hot adult contemporary format and "WINC-FM" (pronounced "Wink FM") branding previously heard on the Winchester-based 92.5 frequency (which was in the process of being sold to the Educational Media Foundation). [7] [8] The station would take over the WINC-FM legacy callsign on December 29, 2020. [1]
On April 30, 2021, Centennial Broadcasting announced it was selling WINC-FM and sister station WZFC to Fairfax, Virginia-based Metro Radio, Inc. for $225,000. [9] [10] Fellow sister station WINC was not included in the sale. [9] [10] Allen B. Shaw, Centennial's president and CEO, said in a May 2021 interview with The Winchester Star that Metro Radio, Inc. had had insured Shaw "they do not intend to" change the format of WINC-FM and WZFC. [11] Shaw further said Metro thought WZFC's format was "probably the best format for the Winchester market" for ad revenue. [11]
On June 30, long-time morning show host Barry Lee signed off after 37 years at the station. [12] Hours later, long-time afternoon host Paula Kidwell would also sign off. [13] The sale of WINC-FM and sister WKDV-FM was completed the same day. [14]
WINC-FM was acquired by funeral home operator Darrin Jones, through his Euclid Avenue Properties, effective December 12, 2022. [5] Following the sale's completion, on December 16, 2022, WINC-FM began stunting with Christmas music, ahead of an announcement to be made on January 5, 2023, at 10:55 a.m. [15] At that time, the station relaunched its hot adult contemporary format from a new Winchester studio; Metro Radio had operated the station from Fairfax, with the intent of serving Leesburg. [16] WINC-FM is operated in conjunction with its former AM sister station, which had been sold in the interim to Todd Bartley's Colonial Radio Group of Williamsport and renamed WZFC; the arrangement saw the AM station reclaim its former WINC call sign. [16]