Branding 98.5 Kiss FM ERP 6,000 watts City of license Eureka Format Contemporary Hit Radio | Frequency 98.5 MHz HAAT 100 meters (330 ft) First air date August 22, 1988 Sister stations WWCT, WHPI, WZPN | |
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Broadcast area Peoria metropolitan area Slogan Peoria's #1 Hit Music Station Transmitter coordinates 40°42′57.1″N 89°27′50.3″W / 40.715861°N 89.463972°W (NAD83) Callsign meaning Peoria (also Peoria airport code) | ||
Wpia peoria 1999 saturday night dance party part 1 wmv
WPIA (98.5 FM) is a radio station licensed to Eureka, Illinois and serving the greater Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois areas. The station is owned and operated by Advanced Media Partners, LLC.
Contents
Wpia peoria il 1999 saturday night dance party part 2 wmv
History
The station originally went on the air as WCRI in 1989. It was owned by Woodford County Radio, Inc. WCRI programmed local news, farm news including grain and livestock prices, high school and Eureka College sports as well as a blend of 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s music. Local librarians created and hosted a weekly five-minute program "Queries, Quips and Quotes." The daily talk show "Woodford County Today" focused on community and area events. Students from the local grade school read the daily lunch menu. The station operated at 3,000 watts; the transmitter and antenna were located about a mile north of Eureka. The studios were at 103 North Major, across the street from the courthouse to the west and Eureka Hospital to the south. The station was sold in 1994 to the owner of WPOK, Pontiac, and his business partners.
After three years as WIVR, "98.5 The River", the station was bought by the owners of WEEK-TV, who turned it into "Oldies 98.5" with the callsign WEEK-FM, the only radio station owned by Granite Broadcasting. After 93.3 became WPBG ("Big Oldies 93.3"), putting it in direct competition with WEEK-FM, 98.5's ratings slid and Granite sold the radio station.
From around 1999 to 2004, the station was called WPPY, "98.5 The Party", first with the callsign WPPY, then adding a simulcast on 101.1 WRVP (now WHPI), then swapping callsigns with 101.1 to become WRVP itself.
In March 2004, the station's call letters were changed to WPIA and it became Christian rock station "Hope 98.5". Then-owners Regent Communications (who were also the owner of rival WZPW until its sale to Cumulus Media in 2012) sold the station and 101.1 FM (now WHPI) to Independence Media Holdings, who also bought 96.5 (now WZPN) from another company and combined it with 98.5 to form "96.5 & 98.5 KISS FM" starting in September 2006. On July 2, 2007, 96.5 stopped simulcasting 98.5.
Current On-Air staff: Scott & Ali, Amber, Liam On The Radio, Big Time Tim Jim, Rik Blade, Julie and Kaylee.
Former On-Air staff: Mornings: Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, Middays: Brody Scott, Afternoons: Tic Tak, Nights: Govia.
Independence Media Holdings sold WPIA, along with its other 3 Peoria-area stations (96.5 WZPN Farmington, 99.9 WWCT Bartonville and 101.1 WHPI Glasford) to Advanced Media Partners on November 15, 2010.