Radio station in Middletown, Maryland
 | |
| Broadcast area | Frederick County, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 103.1 MHz |
| Branding | Key 103 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Manning Broadcasting, Inc. |
| Sister stations | |
| History | |
| First air date | May 7, 1990 (34 years ago) (1990-05-07) |
| Technical information | |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 3728 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,000 watts |
| HAAT | 174 meters (571 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°25′05″N 77°30′04″W / 39.418°N 77.501°W / 39.418; -77.501 |
| Links | |
| Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | WAFY Online |
WAFY (103.1 FM; "Key 103") is a radio station located in Frederick, Maryland, United States. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format and is owned by Manning Broadcasting, Inc.
History
The station was founded on May 7, 1990, by Barbara Marmet, with the intention of having a community radio station for Frederick. The "Key" branding references Frederick native Francis Scott Key.
Among several applicants for the allocation, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave preference to her because of her local residency and, under an affirmative action program designed to increase minority-owned broadcasters, a woman. This led to a lawsuit by Jerome Lamprecht, one of the competing applicants; in 1992's Lamprecht v. FCC, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held in an opinion written by newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that in the absence of a demonstrable reason, such as encouraging programming diversity, such preference was unconstitutional. Litigation continued until an eventual settlement between Lamprecht and Marmet in 1999.
Marmet sold WAFY to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2005. After Nassau went into chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the station, along with WARK and WWEG in Hagerstown, were purchased by Manning Broadcasting, Inc. in May 2012, with the sale being completed on November 1, 2012, at a price of $6.4 million.
On September 16, 2010, at 9 a.m., Key 103 dropped the "Frederick's Continuous Soft Rock" moniker and began a 20th anniversary retrospective show looking back at the 20 years of the station's personalities, music, and activities. This retrospective ended at noon with a launch into its current hot adult contemporary format.
References
- "Facility Technical Data for WAFY". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- Lewis, Neil A. (February 20, 1992). "Appeals-Court Ruling by Thomas Limits F.C.C. Affirmative Action". The New York Times.
- "Applications of Jerome Lamprecht, Dragon Communications, Barbara Marmet, Port Royal Broadcasting for FM CP on Channel 276A" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. December 17, 1999.
- Smith, Kevin M. (November 5, 2004). "WAFY sold to N.J. broadcast company". The Gazette. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- Aines, Don (May 9, 2012). "Two area radio stations return to local owners". The Herald-Mail. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- "EMF Buys Dallas-Fort Worth FM From Liberman". All Access. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
External links
- Key 103 website
- Facility details for Facility ID 3728 (WAFY) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WAFY in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
| Radio stations in the Frederick, Maryland area | |||
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| Adult Contemporary radio stations in the state of Maryland | |
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