WSOX

WSOX (96.1 FM, "96-1 SOX") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Cumulus Media through licensee Radio License Holding SRC, LLC and broadcasts a classic hits format. The station's service contour includes the metro areas of York, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Gettysburg and Lancaster, Pennsylvania as well as the northern suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland.[2] Its broadcast tower is located near Red Lion at (39°54′16.7″N 76°34′46.6″W).[3]

WSOX
CityRed Lion, Pennsylvania
Broadcast areaYork–Lancaster–Hanover–Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Frequency96.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding96.1 SOX
SloganSusquehanna Valley's Greatest Hits
Programming
FormatClassic Hits
Subchannels
Ownership
OwnerCumulus Media Inc.
(Radio License Holding SRC, LLC)
WARM-FM, WSBA, WGLD
History
First air date
1959 (as WGCB-FM)
Former call signs
WGCB-FM (1959-1997)
WTHM-FM (1997-1998)
Technical information
Facility ID55351
ClassB
ERP13,500 watts (analog)
135 watts (digital)[1]
HAAT290 meters (950 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°54′16.4″N 76°34′46.9″W
Translator(s)See § Translators
Links
WebcastListen live
Listen live (via iHeartRadio)
Websitewww.961wsox.com

WSOX uses HD Radio, and simulcasts the talk radio programming of sister station WSBA on its HD2 subchannel, while the sports programming of sister station WGLD is simulcast on its HD4 subchannel. HOPE FM branded christian radio programming is broadcast on the station's HD3 subchannel, which is simulcast on three FM translators.

History

The Federal Communications Commission granted John M. Norris a construction permit for the station on July 22, 1959 with the WGCB-FM call sign. The station was granted its first license on August 1, 1960.[4] WGCB-FM aired a christian radio format.

The station's license was voluntarily assigned to Red Lion Broadcasting Company, Inc., effective May 23, 1963.[4]

In 1969, Red Lion Broadcasting lost a landmark First Amendment case (Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC), after the station refused to grant free on-air time for a journalist to rebutt the claims made against him by an on-air evangelist.[5]

In August 1997 the station's license was transferred from Thomas H. Moffit, Sr., to Pioneer Broadcasting Corporation, followed by a call sign change to WTHM-FM on December 5, 1997.[6] On July 1, 1998, the call sign was changed to WSOX.[6] In March 2003, the license was transferred from Pioneer Broadcasting Corporation to Lancaster-York Broadcasting, LLC (owned by Brill Media[7]) and four months later, in July 2003, the license was transferred from Lancaster-York Broadcasting, LLC to Susquehanna License, LLC,[8] which was owned by Susquehanna Radio Corporation.[9]

On October 31, 2005, Cumulus Media announced the creation of a new private partnership, Cumulus Media Partners, LLC, formed with Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners, to purchase Susquehanna Radio Corporation for approximately $1.2 billion.[10] The purchase was completed on May 5, 2006,[11] at which time the license for WSOX was transferred to Radio License Holding SRC, LLC., a licensee of Cumulus Media Partners Susquehanna Corporation.[12]

Translators

The following three translators are licensed to Hope Christian Church of Marlton, Inc, and simulcast the programming of HOPE FM (owned by Calvary Chapel of Marlton[13]) broadcast on WSOX-HD3:

Broadcast translators of WSOX-HD3
Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseFacility
ID		ERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassTransmitter coordinatesFCC info
W237DC95.3New Holland, Pennsylvania144115250258 m (846 ft)D40°04′45.4″N 76°00′43.8″WFCC
W262CW100.3Harrisburg, Pennsylvania155485250168 m (551 ft)D40°11′30.3″N 76°52′0.9″WFCC
W265DE100.9Hershey, Pennsylvania144130120193 m (633 ft)D40°15′2.3″N 76°39′43.9″WFCC

Signal note

WSOX is short-spaced to three other stations: WHUR-FM 96.3 WHUR (licensed to serve Washington, D.C.), WCTO-FM on 96.1 in Easton, Pennsylvania, and WWIN-FM Magic 95.9 (licensed to serve Glen Burnie, Maryland).

WSOX and WHUR-FM operate on first adjacent channels (96.1 & 96.3) and the cities they are licensed to serve are only 72 miles apart.[14] The minimum distance between two Class B stations operating on first adjacent channels according to current FCC rules is 105 miles.[15]

WSOX and WWIN-FM also operate on first adjacent channels (95.9 & 96.1) and the cities they are licensed to serve are only 51 miles apart.[16] The minimum distance between a Class B station (WSOX) and a Class A station (WWIN-FM) operating on first adjacent channels according to current FCC rules is 70 miles.[15]

WSOX uses a directional antenna to reduce its signal toward the south-southwest, in the direction of these two stations.[3]

References
  1. "Request for Special Temporary Authority, Attachment 2, Formal Request Letter". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. January 9, 2006. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  2. "54 dBu Service Contour for WSOX, 96.1 MHz, Red Lion, PA". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  3. "FM Query Results for WSOX". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  4. "History Cards for WGCB-FM". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  5. "Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC". oyez.org. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  6. "Call Sign History [WSOX]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  7. "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. March 16, 2003. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  8. "WSOX". fccdata.org. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  9. "Ownership Information for the Assignee". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  10. "Cumulus Media, Inc., and Investor Group to Acquire Susquehanna Radio". Business Wire. Atlanta. October 31, 2005. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  11. "Cumulus Media closes $1.2B acquisition of Susquehanna Radio". MarketWatch. San Francisco. May 5, 2006. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  12. "Transfer of Control Application". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  13. "About Hope". hopefm.net. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  14. "How Far is it Between Red Lion, PA, USA and Washington, DC, USA". freemaptools.com. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  15. "Minimum distance separation between stations. 47 CFR § 73.207 (b)(1)" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  16. "How Far is it Between Red Lion, PA, USA and Glen Burnie, MD, USA". freemaptools.com. Retrieved 2018-03-25.

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