WIL-FM (92.3 MHz) is a commercial radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. It airs a country music format and is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.[1] The studios are on Olive Boulevard, near Interstate 270 in Creve Coeur (with a St. Louis address).

WIL-FM is a Class C station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for most stations.[2] The transmitter is on Butler Hill Road near Keller Road in St. Louis, amid the towers for other local FM and TV stations.[3] WIL-FM uses HD Radio technology. Its HD2 subchannel plays Americana music, known as "Second Fiddle." The HD3 subchannel plays oldies and feeds FM translator W232CR at 94.3 MHz.

Format

WIL-FM plays a variety of country music, concentrating on the hits from the current charts and the last 25 years.[4] WIL-FM personalities include Remy & Kasey and Marty Brooks. WIL-FM is programmed by Tommy Mattern and the music director is Marty Brooks. WIL-FM primarily competes with iHeartMedia's KSD-FM for country listeners in St. Louis.

History

WIL-FM signed on the air on July 15, 1962; 61 years ago (1962-07-15).[5] It was the sister station to WIL (1430 AM). In its first decade, it mostly simulcast the AM station. WIL-AM-FM had a Top 40 format and they were owned by WIL, Inc., a subsidiary of Balaban Stations. The studios were in Broadcasting House in St. Louis. WIL-FM was only powered at 30,000 watts, a fraction of its current output.

WIL-FM took the call sign KFMS on March 30, 1973. But after a year, it returned to WIL-FM, effective September 1, 1974.[6] In the 1970s, WIL 1430 had switched to a personality country format. WIL-FM aired a more music-intensive country sound, with less chatter and fewer commercials.[7]

Over time, as more people tuned to the FM band for music listening, WIL-FM became the dominant station. It added more foreground personalities. Eventually the AM station changed its call letters to KZQZ and is now dark. WIL-FM was acquired by Salt Lake City-based Bonneville International.

Bonneville announced its sale of WIL-FM (and 16 other stations) to Hubbard Broadcasting on January 19, 2011.[8] The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.[9]

On January 30, 2017, WIL-FM re-branded as "New Country 92.3".[10] On October 6, 2020, the station dropped the "New Country 92.3" branding and returned to using its call letters in its branding, as "92.3 WIL".[11]

HD Radio

Starting in 2012, WIL-FM's HD2 digital subchannel began airing Americana music, calling itself "Second Fiddle". Previously, WIL-FM-HD2 was branded as "Kerosene Country", and largely had the same playlist as WIL-FM.

On February 18, 2020, WIL-FM signed on a third subchannel. It began airing an oldies format, branded as "My Mix 94.3." The subchannel feeds FM translator W232CR at 94.3 MHz in Alton, Illinois.[12]

References

  1. ^ "WIL-FM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  2. ^ FCC.gov/WIL-FM
  3. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WIL-FM
  4. ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Summer 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  5. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1965 page B-91. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  6. ^ FCC’s history cards for WIL-FM; retrieved April 28, 2021.
  7. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-124. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  8. ^ "$505M sale: Bonneville sells Chicago, D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati to Hubbard". Radio-Info.com. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  9. ^ "Hubbard deal to purchase Bonneville stations closes". Radio Ink. May 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  10. ^ WIL Rebrands as New Country 92.3 Radioinsight - January 30, 2017
  11. ^ WIL Rebrands Back To Its Call Letters Radioinsight - October 6, 2020
  12. ^ "WBGZ Moves to 107.1; Launches Oldies My Mix 94.3".

External links