WHHT
 | |
| Broadcast area | Bowling Green, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 103.7 MHz (1991–1998; 2012–present) |
| Branding | 103.7 Nash Icon |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Nash Icon |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WCDS, WPTQ | |
| History | |
First air date | July 5, 1988 |
Former frequencies |
|
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 48704 |
| Class | C3 |
| ERP | 13,500 watts |
| HAAT | 137 meters (449 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°57′34.1″N 86°0′7.9″W / 36.959472°N 86.002194°W |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
WHHT (103.7 FM) is a Country music–formatted radio station licensed to Cave City, Kentucky, United States, and serving the Bowling Green area. The station is owned by Commonwealth Broadcasting through licensee Newberry Broadcasting, Inc.[1]
The station shares office space with sister stations WOVO and WPTQ, which are located on the Public Square in downtown Glasgow. WHHT's transmitter is located near Haywood, Kentucky.
History[edit]
Early years at 106.7 MHz (1988–1991)[edit]
The station signed on the air for the first time on July 5, 1988 at 106.7 MHz, as a Top-40 contemporary music station, with the on-air identity as "Hottest Hits".[2] The station's studios were located on Happy Valley Road in Glasgow, Kentucky. Steve Newberry was General Manager and part owner of the station, whose first air staff included Duke Ryan, Scott Jackson, Bobby Rambo, Jonathan "Tunes" Taylor, and Jim "The Captain" Kirk, the latter of which was later known as Scotty Matthews on sister station WKNK-FM (99.1 MHz licensed to Edmonton, now WHSX). WHHT was an immediate ratings success, allowing Newberry to expand his radio ownership holdings. He is now among the premier small-market radio station owners in the U.S.,[citation needed] and is an active member of the board of the National Association of Broadcasters, having testified before the U.S. Congress on the issue of royalties and performance rights.
First stint at 103.7 MHz (1991–1998)[edit]
In August of 1991, a few years after its inception, WHHT's frequency was changed to 103.7[2] under the FCC’s orders, to facilitate a signal power increase by Smiths Grove–licensed WBLG-FM (107.1 MHz, now WUHU), based in nearby Bowling Green.[3] The frequency switch was reversed on October 23, 1998, when the station returned to its previous frequency at 106.7 MHz[4]as part of a frequency swap with sister station WXPC (now WPTQ). In 1997, WHHT, along with WOVO, WXPC, WCDS, and four other stations in Kentucky, were acquired by a new business venture named Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation, formed by Steve Newberry and former Kentucky governor Brereton C. Jones.[5]
Brief return to 106.7 MHz and switch to a third frequency[edit]
From 1998 to 2005, WHHT broadcast a variety hits format as Sam FM, airing the syndicated network S.A.M.: Simply About Music from Westwood One. In November 2005, the Sam FM format moved to Brownsville-licensed WKLX (100.7 FM), where it remains to this day.[6] For the next six years, WHHT broadcast a hot adult contemporary format under the branding Star FM. In 2008, upgrades at Cumulus Media–owned WNFN (106.7 FM, licensed to Millersville, Tennessee) in the Nashville metropolitan area resulted in WHHT shifting to 106.5 MHz. [7] The format switch to country music occurred sometime in 2010, with another frequency change to 106.3 MHz occurring soon after.
Three-way frequency swap[edit]
On October 22, 2012, WHHT and sister stations WPTQ and WOVO were involved in a three-station format shift that included a trade of frequencies and FCC licenses. WHHT moved back to its former 103.7 MHz frequency it broadcast on from 1991 until 1998. WPTQ, which was previously occupying the 103.7 FM frequency, moved to 105.3 FM, with the Horse Cave-licensed 106.3 FM frequency, complete with a signal upgrade after shifting from 106.5 FM, became the new allocation for WOVO and its adult contemporary format.[8]
Recent history[edit]
On February 20, 2015, the station made the transition to becoming another Nash Icon station, that is not owned and operated by Cumulus Media. For a time, the station also kept its "Howdy" branding, and was branded as "103.7 Nash Icon Howdy FM".[9] In 2022, the station would soon drop the Nash Icon branding, and become known simply as 103.7 WHHT.
References[edit]
- ^ "WHHT Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ a b Nash, Francis M. (1995). Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and TV in the Bluegrass State (PDF). HOST Communications. p. 148. ISBN 9781879688933 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "FM radio stations making changes". Park City Daily News. August 4, 1991. p. 3A – via Google Books.
- ^ "WHHT Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ "Former governor buys radio stations". Park City Daily News. January 19, 1997. p. 11A. Retrieved June 9, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Sam Moves in Bowling Green, KY". All Access. November 14, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ "Nashville's Fan Upgrades Signal". All Access. May 8, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ "Stations On The Move In Glasgow, KY". RadioInsight. October 22, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Nash Icon Brand Spreads Through Kentucky". RadioInsight. February 20, 2015.
External links[edit]
- WHHT in the FCC FM station database
- WHHT in Nielsen Audio's FM station database