WDXR
Encyclopedia
WDXR is a radio station
licensed
to serve Paducah, Kentucky
, USA. The station, established in 1957, is currently owned by Virginia-based Bristol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
format. The station changed to the current format, which includes Rhythm and Blues
and Gospel music
, on April 20, 2005. In additional to music, the station features local news
, a community calendar, and "Paducah Black History Minute". The station also features syndicated programming from Citadel Media.
s of power on a frequency of 1560 kHz. The station was assigned the call sign
WDXR by the Federal Communications Commission
.
WDXR was originally owned by E. Weaks McKinney-Smith, serving as both company president as the station's first news director
. McKinney-Smith had the FCC transfer the WDXR broadcast license
to a new company called WDXR, Inc., which was owned by both E. Weaks McKinney-Smith and his wife, Lady Sarah McKinney-Smith. After E. Weaks McKinney-Smith died in February 1974, control of WDXR, Inc., passed solely to Lady Sarah McKinney-Smith.
In April 1989, Pollack Communications, Inc., agreed to sell WDXR to Metro Media of Kentucky, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 30, 1989, and the transaction was consummated on July 11, 1989. This would prove short-lived as Metro Media of Kentucky, Inc., reached an agreement in June 1991 to sell this station to the Mason-Dixon Broadcasting Company. The deal was approved by the FCC on July 19, 1991, and the transaction was consummated on September 5, 1991.
In January 1996, the Mason-Dixon Broadcasting Company contracted to transfer the broadcast license
for this station to Hilltopper Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 28, 1996, and the transaction was consummated on March 19, 1996.
In August 2000, Hilltopper Broadcasting, Inc., announced an agreement to sell WDXR to Forever Communications, Inc., subsidiary WRUS, Inc., as part of a five-station deal valued at a reported $5 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 13, 2000, and the transaction was consummated on February 2, 2001. At the time of the sale, WDXR aired a mix of news
and ESPN Radio
sports talk programming.
format. WDXR adopted an urban adult contemporary
music format in April 2005.
Bristol Broadcasting Company broke ground on an expansion on its existing radio studio and office complex in May 2008. Company officials cited continuing growth at the nine-station complex as the reason for the new construction.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, USA. The station, established in 1957, is currently owned by Virginia-based Bristol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Programming
WDXR broadcasts an urban adult contemporaryUrban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
format. The station changed to the current format, which includes Rhythm and Blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and Gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, on April 20, 2005. In additional to music, the station features local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
, a community calendar, and "Paducah Black History Minute". The station also features syndicated programming from Citadel Media.
The beginning
This station began regular operation on December 24, 1957, broadcasting with 1,000 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power on a frequency of 1560 kHz. The station was assigned the call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
WDXR by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
.
WDXR was originally owned by E. Weaks McKinney-Smith, serving as both company president as the station's first news director
News Director
A news director is an individual at a broadcast station or network or a newspaper who is in charge of the news department. In local news, the news director is typically in charge of the entire news staff, including journalists, news presenters, photographers, copy writers, television producers,...
. McKinney-Smith had the FCC transfer the WDXR broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
to a new company called WDXR, Inc., which was owned by both E. Weaks McKinney-Smith and his wife, Lady Sarah McKinney-Smith. After E. Weaks McKinney-Smith died in February 1974, control of WDXR, Inc., passed solely to Lady Sarah McKinney-Smith.
Move to 1450
In December 1978, WDXR, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Paducah Broadcasters, Inc. The deal, contingent on a simultaneous transaction for WPAD, was approved by the FCC on February 14, 1979. WDXR formerly broadcast on a frequency of 1560 kHz, before exchanging frequencies with WPAD (1450 AM) in February 1979. At the time of the swap, WDXR broadcast a middle of the road music format.In April 1989, Pollack Communications, Inc., agreed to sell WDXR to Metro Media of Kentucky, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 30, 1989, and the transaction was consummated on July 11, 1989. This would prove short-lived as Metro Media of Kentucky, Inc., reached an agreement in June 1991 to sell this station to the Mason-Dixon Broadcasting Company. The deal was approved by the FCC on July 19, 1991, and the transaction was consummated on September 5, 1991.
In January 1996, the Mason-Dixon Broadcasting Company contracted to transfer the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
for this station to Hilltopper Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 28, 1996, and the transaction was consummated on March 19, 1996.
In August 2000, Hilltopper Broadcasting, Inc., announced an agreement to sell WDXR to Forever Communications, Inc., subsidiary WRUS, Inc., as part of a five-station deal valued at a reported $5 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 13, 2000, and the transaction was consummated on February 2, 2001. At the time of the sale, WDXR aired a mix of news
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
and ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
sports talk programming.
WDXR today
In December 2003, Forever Communications, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Bristol Broadcasting Company, Inc., as part of a five-station deal for a cash price of $3.15 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 20, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on March 15, 2004. At the time of the sale, WDXR broadcast a sports radioSports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format. WDXR adopted an urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
music format in April 2005.
Bristol Broadcasting Company broke ground on an expansion on its existing radio studio and office complex in May 2008. Company officials cited continuing growth at the nine-station complex as the reason for the new construction.