WTCF

WTCF is a Contemporary Christian formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Wardensville, West Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.[1][2] WTCF is owned and operated by Educational Media Foundation.[3]

WTCF
CityWardensville, West Virginia
Broadcast areaNorthern Shenandoah Valley
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Potomac Highlands of West Virginia
Frequency103.3 FM MHz
BrandingK-LOVE
SloganPositive, Encouraging.
Programming
FormatContemporary Christian[1]
AffiliationsK-LOVE
Ownership
OwnerEducational Media Foundation
History
First air date
August 15, 2012
Call sign meaning
W The Cross FM
former branding/format
Technical information
Facility ID189559
ClassA
Power350 Watts
HAAT410 meters (1,350 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°10′58.0″N 78°23′23.0″W
Links
WebcastWTCF Webstream
WebsiteWTCF Online

Pre-broadcast history
Logo of WTCF used from August 15, 2012 to March 27, 2014.
Logo of WTCF used from March 27, 2014 to August 1, 2014.

On May 23, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Alex Media, Inc. as high bidder and winner of the auction for the 103.3 FM frequency to be located in Wardensville, West Virginia, part of Auction 91.[4] Alex Media filed a construction permit on August 17, 2011, for a radio station to broadcast on that frequency and transmit from Little North Mountain in western Frederick County, Virginia.[5]

A potential problem between the new station and existing station WLTK, which was also broadcasting on 103.3, was corrected after Alex Media asked the FCC to file a "Show Cause" notice asking WLTK to move to vacant frequency 102.9 FM.[5][6] On November 7, 2011, WLTK filed to move from 103.3 FM to 102.9 FM, allowing Alex Media to begin broadcasting on 103.3 FM without interference.[7] On June 15, 2012, the owners of WLTK applied for and were granted a new broadcast license moving it from 103.3 to 102.9, but from the same location and tower, at the same power and over the same coverage area as previously.[8] On June 19, 2012, WLTK officially switched frequencies from 103.3 to 102.9 MHz.

The call sign WTCF was awarded on March 19, 2012,[9] and on June 21, 2012, it was announced on "The Cross FM", a web-only radio station broadcasting from WTRM's studios in Winchester, Virginia, that it would launch on WTCF in "45 to 60 days".[10]

On June 25, 2012, Alex Media entered into an Option Agreement to sell WTCF to WTRM owners Timber Ridge Ministries, Inc. for $650,000.[11] A time brokerage agreement was also entered on the same date.[12] On the same day, Alex Media applied for a construction permit to move to another tower, 100 feet (30 m) from the authorized tower, with an increase in power, from 340 watts to 350 watts.[13] One day later on July 26, 2012, the station announced via their official Facebook page, that they would be launching on September 4, 2012, but will be in "testing mode" during the month of August.[14] At 10:00am, on August 15, 2012, WTCF began operations in "testing mode".[15]

On August 28, 2012, Alex Media filed an "Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station" for WTCF in advance of the station's September 4 launch.[16] It would not be until one month later, on September 28, that WTCF would apply for and be granted an FM broadcast license.[17] WTCF ended their "testing mode" programming and officially launched on September 4, 2012 at 9:00 am.[18]

Sale of WTRM

On February 6, 2013, Timber Ridge Ministries sold then-sister station WTRM to the American Family Association for $1.1 million.[19][20][21] The sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 28, 2013[22] and was closed on April 11, 2013.[23] At 8:30 pm on April 11, 2013, WTRM officially switched to American Family Radio programming with "Southern Light" programming remaining online on a Timber Ridge Ministries owned website.[24]

WTCF was not part of the sale and programming on WTCF was not affected.[20]

Sale of WTCF

Alex Media, Inc. filed an Asset Purchase Agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 5, 2013, beginning the process of selling WTCF to Timber Ridge Ministries for $650,000.[25] Alex Media had previously entered into an Option Agreement to sell WTCF to Timber Ridge Ministries for $650,000 back on June 25, 2012.[11] An application to assign the WTCF license to Timber Ridge Ministries was filed on August 26, 2013,[26] and was consummated on September 1, 2013.

Format Flip

WTCF signed off its hybrid Contemporary Christian/Christian Rock/Christian Hip Hop after just 18 months on the air, switching to Southern Gospel as "Southern Light" at 12Noon on March 27, 2014.[27] The "Southern Light" format was previously heard on former sister-station WTRM.[28]

Sold Again

On May 19, 2014, Educational Media Foundation (EMF) purchased WTCF, from owner Timber Ridge Ministries, for $425,000.[29][30] Timber Ridge sold the station for $175,000 less than what they purchased it for in 2013.[25] In its filing with the FCC, EMF announced plans to make WTCF an affiliate of their K-LOVE network.[31]

The FCC granted the sale of WTCF on July 2, 2014.[32] Timber Ridge closed on a sale of nearby station, WVRS, on July 3, 2014.[33] Four days later, the station began simulcasting its Southern Gospel format on WVRS.[34]

At 12:00am on August 1, the simulcast of WVRS and WTCF ended.[35] The Southern Gospel format remained on WVRS, with K-LOVE programming beginning on WTCF.[36] The sale of WTCF to EMF was closed on September 2, 2014.[37]

References
  1. "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  2. "60 dBu Service Contour for WTCF, 103.3 MHz, Wardensville, WV". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  3. "WTCF Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  4. "FCC FM Broadcast Auction - Auction ID: 91 - Winning Bids". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  5. Delawder, Darryl K. "Exhibit 27 - Engineering Statement Regarding Section 73.315". Delawder Communications, Inc. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  6. Crawford, Susan N. (August 17, 2011). "Notice of Show Cause". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  7. "Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. November 7, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  8. Application for FM Broadcast Station License
  9. "Call Sign Desk - Query". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  10. "In case you missed..." The Cross FM/Timber Ridge Ministries, Inc. June 22, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  11. "Option Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  12. "Time Brokerage Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  13. "Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  14. "The Cross FM OFFICIAL LAUNCH on Your FM DIAL: September 4th!". The Cross FM/Timber Ridge Ministries, Inc. July 26, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  15. "The time is here..." The Cross FM/Timber Ridge Ministries, Inc. August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  16. "Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. August 28, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  17. "Application for FM Broadcast Station License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  18. "As of..." The Cross FM/Timber Ridge Ministries, Inc. September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  19. "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. February 6, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  20. "Asset Purchase Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  21. "Virginia Noncomm And Its Pennsylvania Translators Sold". All Access Music Group. February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  22. "Application Search Details". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  23. "Georgia AM Sold". All Access Music Group. April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  24. "American Family Radio's newly..." Robert F. Corbin via Twitter. April 11, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  25. "Asset Purchase Agreement". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. June 27, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  26. "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. August 26, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  27. "The Cross FM". The Cross FM/Timber Ridge Ministries, Inc. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  28. "The southern gospel format..." Robert F. Corbin via Twitter. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  29. "Kentucky Trio, Two AMs In Washington State, West Virginia FM Sold". All Access Music Group. May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  30. "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  31. "Main Studio Waiver". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  32. "Application Search Details - BALED-20140516AAA". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  33. "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. July 3, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  34. "Please Make Note..." Timber Ridge Ministries/Facebook. July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  35. "Starting August 1, 2014 we will only be..." Timber Ridge Ministries/Facebook. July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  36. "K-LOVE Master Station List". Educational Media Foundation. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  37. "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
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