WHLN sold

[knoxbob]

WHLN in Harlan sold to Eastern Broadcasting in Harlan for $110k...I remember listening to WHLN when working in Cumberland @ WCPM. Slick sounding top-40 station in the early 80's.
Never understood why they didn't get an FM when the 80-90 docket went through in the mid 80's. Or a translator when that opportunity opened up. I haven't been up that way in decades so I can't say how the station has sounded or performed. Makes sense that it will stay with the other local stations.

 

[gr8oldies]

When 80-90 came along, existing broadcasters couldn't get one, but had to take the competition from a new crosstown rival

 

[knoxbob]

I thought the 80-90 docket gave preference to daytime only and graveyard channel stations. I know of several that got an FM that way. I believe WFSR picked up the freq. for WTUK on the 80-90 docket.

 

[davideduardo]

I thought the 80-90 docket gave preference to daytime only and graveyard channel stations. I know of several that got an FM that way. I believe WFSR picked up the freq. for WTUK on the 80-90 docket.

Docket 80-90 changed separations, added several new classes of stations, allowed A's on any channel, and required under-built stations to build up to full channel type or be downgraded.

The full document is at https://www.americanradiohistory.com/FCC-Publications-Guide.htm listed under "1983"

There was no preference for daytimers or graveyard (local) channels. The FCC believed that the US badly needed another several thousand stations and they thought that many areas were under-served. The cited communities with no service, communities with only daytime AM, and communities with too few services. The FCC favored diversity of ownership, as expressed in several places in the docket.

80-90 created the situation of massive numbers of stations becoming unprofitable which invoked the movement favoring consolidation as most markets ended up with too many stations with no increase in radio revenue.

It was also a main reason for the profusion of satellite and automated formats that could be run cheaply by stations in markets that were dividing the revenues available among many more stations. It killed good and local radio in many medium and small as well as rural markets.