WHMA-FM

WHMA-FM
City Hobson City, Alabama
Broadcast area Anniston-Oxford metropolitan area
Branding The Big 95
Slogan "Alabama's Favorite Country Music"
Frequency 95.5 MHz
First air date 1984
Format Country
ERP 530 watts
HAAT 332 meters (1089 feet)
Class A
Facility ID 52320
Transmitter coordinates 33°37′38″N 85°53′25″W / 33.62722°N 85.89028°W / 33.62722; -85.89028
Callsign meaning Harry M. Ayers
Former callsigns WASZ (1984-2004)[1]
Affiliations Fox News Radio
Owner Williams Communications, Inc.
Sister stations WHMA (AM)
Webcast Listen Live
Website whmabig95.com

WHMA-FM (95.5 FM, "The Big 95") is a radio station broadcasting a country music format.[2] Licensed to Hobson City, Alabama, USA, it serves the Anniston-Oxford metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Williams Communications, Inc.

History

The station was originally applied-for by Perry Communications in 1979, with Ashland, Alabama as its city of license. After being approved in 1980, it was granted two extensions to the original 18 months before its construction permit expired in 1981. After later being granted a new CP in 1983, it finally went on the air and was given a license to cover in 1984. During this process, the city of license was changed from Ashland-Lineville, Alabama to its current Hobson City. The station was WASZ until mid-December 2004.[1]

WHMA-FM has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to change its frequency down by one channel, from 95.5 to 95.3 FM. The station will change its city of license again to Alexandria, Alabama in conjunction with this change. The station will have the same transmitter location and height, but will drop its power in the maximum direction from 530 watts to 400. A different directional antenna will also be used, shifting the southern end of its coverage area further west. oldnew

The WHMA-FM callsign and radio format were previously on 100.5, which moved all the way to metro Atlanta to become WWWQ (now WNNX) FM in January 2001. WHMA-FM began broadcasting in 1947 and owned by Consolidated Publishing which printed The Anniston Star newspaper. Licensed to Anniston, Alabama WHMA was a class C 100,000 watt FM. The present WHMA-FM signed on the air January 2005 as a class A 6000 watt previously licensed to Ashland, Alabama as "Real Country" WASZ 95.5. WHMA-FM sister station WHMA-AM signed on the air in 1938. WHMA-AM broadcasts on 1390 as "Mighty Power 1390" with a power of 5000 watts daytime and 1000 watts directional night programming a black gospel format. WHMA-FM played a country music format from March 1985-January 2001 and the current WHMA-FM also plays a country format.

History of call letters

The call letters WHMA-FM were earlier assigned to another station in Anniston. It began broadcasting November 10, 1947, on 100.5 MHz. Studios were in the Radio Building in Anniston. The station was licensed to Anniston Broadcasting Company, which also had the license for WHMA (AM).[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  3. "WHMA-FM Launched" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 24, 1947. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
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