WXLK

WXLK (92.3 MHz "K92") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley and Southwest Virginia.[1] WXLK airs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format and is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.[2]

WXLK
CityRoanoke, Virginia
Broadcast areaNew River Valley
Southwest Virginia
Frequency92.3 FM MHz
(HD Radio)
BrandingK92
Slogan"Virginia's Number One Hit Music Station"
Programming
FormatContemporary Hit Radio
SubchannelsHD1: WXLK analog
HD2: Mainstream rock "The Rock Channel"
Ownership
OwnerMel Wheeler, Inc.
WFIR, WLNI, WSLC-FM, WSLQ, WVBB, WPLY, WVBE-FM
History
First air date
December 17, 1960 (as WLRJ)
Former call signs
WLRJ (1960–1973)
WLRG (1973–1980)
Technical information
Facility ID9692
ClassC
Power100,000 watts
HAAT605 meters (1,985 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
37°11′51.0″N 80°9′10.0″W
Translator(s)See § HD Radio
Links
WebcastWXLK Webstream
WXLK-HD2 Webstream
WebsiteK92radio.com
therockchannelradio.com (HD2)

WXLK's studios and offices are on Electric Road in Roanoke. Its transmitter is on Honeysuckle Road in Bent Mountain.[3] WXLK broadcasts in the HD Radio format.[4] The station runs at 100,000 watts effective radiated power (ERP) on a tower 1,985 feet in height above average terrain (HAAT). The Class C station can be heard into North Carolina and West Virginia. At times it can be picked up more than 200 miles away.

History

On December 17, 1960, the station first signed on as WLRJ.[5] It was owned by Lee Hartman & Sons, a company headquartered in Roanoke that still provides audio and video services, although it no longer owns a radio station.[6] WLRJ ran at only 2,800 watts, a fraction of its current power.

The station specialized in what it called "fine music" including middle of the road artists. WLRJ was an affiliate of the ABC-FM Network.[7] It was a rare "stand alone" FM station, with no AM counterpart.

In 1972, the station was bought by CEBE Investments.[8] CEBE switched the format to beautiful music. With the new call letters WLRG, the station called itself "Large Radio - Always Beautiful."

Contemporary hit radio "K92" debuted January 1, 1980. Future WVTF general manager Glenn Gleixner, then a DJ at the station, came up with the branding and callsign – picking K because he believed it was the most memorable letter, and including an X in homage to WIXL in Newton, New Jersey, where he previously worked.[9]

In 1997, the station was acquired by its current owner, Mel Wheeler, Inc. The price tag was $7.5 million for both WXLK and 100.1 WLYK in Lynchburg, which at the time simulcast WXLK.[10] (WLYK is now WVBE-FM, which airs an urban adult contemporary format.)

HD Radio

HD Radio subchannel WXLK-HD2 debuted as Mainstream rock formatted "97.3 & 98.5 The Rock Channel" on December 31, 2017. The subchannel is paired with two FM translators to provide reception on analog radios:[11]

Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseFacility
ID		ERP
(W)		Height
(m (ft))		ClassFCC infoNotes
W247AD97.3Roanoke, Virginia6768899219 m (719 ft)DFCCRelays HD2
W253BT98.5Madison Heights, Virginia8650913020 m (66 ft)DFCCRelays HD2

References
  1. "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  2. "WXLK Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  3. Radio-Locator.com/WXLK-FM
  4. https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?realid=447 HD Radio Guide for Roanoke-Lynchburg, Virginia
  5. Broadcasting Yearbook 1961-62 page B-179
  6. LeeHartman.com
  7. Broadcasting Yearbook 1972 page B-220
  8. Broadcasting Yearbook 1978 page C-230
  9. Berrier Jr., Ralph (24 June 2018). "'Mr. Radio': Glenn Gleixner retires after 18 years as WVTF's general manager". Roanoke Times.
  10. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-474
  11. Venta, Lance (29 December 2017). "97.3 The Rock Channel To Debut In Roanoke - RadioInsight". RadioInsight.
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