WWFK

WWFK (107.1 FM, "Frank FM") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock radio format. Licensed to Dannemora, New York, it serves the Champlain Valley, including the Plattsburgh-Burlington radio market. The station is owned by Radioactive, LLC (with a sale to Great Eastern Radio pending).

WWFK
CityDannemora, New York
Broadcast areaChamplain Valley
Frequency107.1 MHz
Branding107.1 Frank-FM
Slogan"Everything That Rocks!"
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatClassic rock (Simulcasting, WRFK 107.1, Barre, VT)
AffiliationsFrank FM
Ownership
OwnerRadioactive, LLC
OperatorGreat Eastern Radio
WSNO, WWFY, WRFK
History
First air date
June 2008 (as WELX)
Former call signs
WDYC (2/2008-6/2008)
WELX (2008–2009)
WNMR (2009–2016)
WBKM (2016–2017)
WWWF (2017–2018)
WPLA (2018–2020)
Call sign meaning
W W FranK
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID164251
ClassA
ERP6,000 watts
HAAT84 meters (276 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
44°43′16.6″N 73°44′09.7″W
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
WebcastListen Live
Websitefrankvermont.com

The transmitter is located off Route 374 in Dannemora.[1]

WWFK has been known for frequent changes in format and management throughout its existence; Radioactive has outsourced operations of the station to other companies and organizations that typically only run the station for a year at a time.

The station now simulcasts its programming from new sister station 107.1 FM WRFK, Barre, VT, broadcasting a Classic Rock format and will soon be acquired by Great Eastern Radio, LLC.

History

A construction permit for the station, then allocated to Saranac Lake, New York, was granted to Radioactive on June 6, 2005,[2] after having won it at auction in November 2004.[3] The allocation was later moved to Dannemora.[4] The station was initially assigned the call sign WDYC on February 15, 2008.[5]

The station first signed on that June as WELX, as a simulcast of 102.9 WCLX in nearby Westport, New York. At the time, WCLX had an album oriented rock format.[4] The WNMR call letters were introduced on April 6, 2009;[5] within a week, the WCLX simulcast was discontinued,[6] and the station temporarily went silent.[7]

Logo as news/talk station "107.1 WNMR", used from September 2009 until May 1, 2010.

WNMR returned to the air that fall, under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Convergence Entertainment and Communications.[8] It carried a talk radio format, with most programming on WNMR syndicated, including The Dan Patrick Show, The Michael Smerconish Show, The Dave Ramsey Show, some programming from Bloomberg Radio, Free Talk Live, the Midnight Trucking Radio Network, lifestyle talk programming on weekends, and some Sporting News Radio content on Sundays.[9] A local program, Corm and the Coach, aired in morning drive time and was co-hosted by Steve Cormier and Tom Brennan. The pair had previously been heard on WCPV until 2008.[10] Convergence had planned a television simulcast of the show on WGMU.[11] WNMR also carried hourly newscasts from ABC News Radio.[12] However, the station struggled due to poor advertising revenues, leading Corm and the Coach to go on hiatus after the April 7, 2010 broadcast.[13] Five days later, it was announced that Convergence had put WNMR's operations up for sale.[14] On May 1, the station once again left the air.[15]

Logo as all-sports station "107.1 The Game", used from June 2010 until March 11, 2011.

After Convergence formed a new broadcast subsidiary, CEC Media Group, the station resumed broadcasting in late June with an all-sports format. Most programming came from Sporting News Radio (now SB Nation Radio), save for a local afternoon show hosted by Rich DeLancey.[9] Later, Mike O'Meara's one-hour talk show was added. However, automation problems forced WNMR off the air once more on March 11, 2011.[16] Convergence ended its association with the station in July 2012; Convergence's owner, Jeff Loper, said that the company "had issues with finding people to run the thing successfully."[17]

WNMR went back on air for a short amount of time as "107.1 The Fixx" with a rhythmic contemporary format. Due to disagreements with the owner, the station went off air. "The Fixx" continued as an Internet radio station. While WNMR was off the air, 107.1 WRFK, a classic hits station in Barre, could be heard in the Champlain Valley.[17] By August 2014, the station was back on the air and stunting with polka music. A teaser ad stated that 107.1 would be the new home for "The Barrel".[17] WNMR subsequently broadcast a country music format as "Kickin' Country 107.1".

Logo as WBKM, from March 2016 through September 2017

The station changed its call sign to WBKM on March 15, 2016.[5] The change came after Radioactive leased the station to Music Guild International, a Vermont corporation, which programmed an adult album alternative format, after having operated WBKM as an Internet radio station since 2008.[18]

Logo as WWWF, from September 2017 through October 2018

The station changed its call sign again on September 16, 2017, to WWWF.[5] During this period, the station had an adult hits format branded "What The FM", playing a variety of pop hits from classic rock, contemporary rock music, oldies and dance music.

On September 1, 2018, the call sign was changed to WPLA.[5] On October 15, 2018, WPLA changed its format from adult hits to active rock, branded as "107.1 WPLA, Plattsburgh Rocks".[19]

On May 25, 2020, the station changed its format to classic hits and its nickname to "107.1 Lake FM".[20]

Logo as WPLA, 107.1 Lake-FM, from May 26, 2020 to June 26, 2020

On June 26, 2020, WPLA for the second time in less than a month changed its format again from Classic Hits as 107.1 Lake-FM, back to Classic Rock simulcasting brand new sister station, WRFK (FM) also on 107.1 in Barre, Vermont, branded as 107.1 FRANK-FM, with the slogan, "EVERYTHING THAT ROCKS!". This brought the new owners’ Frank-FM format into the Burlington, Vermont/Plattsburgh, New York markets. With both stations being on 107.1, the signals could be synced with one another so that there is no interference between the two.[21] The station changed its call sign to WWFK on July 1, 2020.

References
  1. Radio-Locator.com/WWFK
  2. "Application Search Details". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  3. Fybush, Scott (November 29, 2004). "New Sounds for Nova Scotia and N.B." NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  4. Fybush, Scott (June 23, 2008). "Fire Silences WRKI". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  5. "Call Sign History". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  6. Fybush, Scott (April 13, 2009). "No TV at 1 World Trade Center". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  7. Homel, Benjamin L. (May 11, 2009). "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  8. Homel, Benjamin L.; Loper, Jeff (May 22, 2009). "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE (for WXMR 100.7)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 27, 2009. IN ADDITION TO ITS INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT APPLICATION, ASSIGNEE IS ALSO THE PROGRAMMER IN A LOCAL PROGRAMMING AND MARKETING AGREEMENT CONCERNING FM STATION WNMR, DANNEMORA, NY (FAC ID 164251).
  9. Fybush, Scott (June 28, 2010). "Tornado Rips WICC/WEBE". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  10. Fybush, Scott (August 31, 2009). "WAEB Tower Downed". NorthEast Radio Watch. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  11. "Corm and the Coach Come Back". WCAX.com. August 25, 2009. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  12. "WNMR/WGMU Revised Info" (PDF). Starpoint Enterprises. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  13. "'Corm and The Coach' radio show off the air". The Burlington Free Press. April 10, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  14. "Sale of Vermont radio station might bring back Corm and the Coach". The Burlington Free Press. April 13, 2010. p. B5. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  15. Homel, Benjamin L. (May 17, 2010). "Notification of Suspension of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  16. Homel, Benjamin L. (April 11, 2011). "Notification of Suspension of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  17. Bolles, Dan (September 12, 2014). "The Case of the Phantom Polka Station". Seven Days. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  18. Venta, Lance (March 16, 2016). "Burlington VT AAA Webcaster Makes Move To FM". RadioInsight. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  19. WPLA Says Plattsburgh Rocks Radioinsight - October 16, 2018
  20. The Lake Brings More Classic Hits to Burlington-Plattsburgh Radioinsight - May 26, 2020
  21. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/189651/frank-fm-expands-to-burlington-vt-with-great-eastern-purchase/
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