Translator(s) See § Translators HAAT 290 meters (950 ft) Frequency 96.1 MHz Format Classic hits Area York, Harrisburg | First air date 1958 (as WGCB-FM) Facility ID 55351 City of license Red Lion Owner Cumulus Media Branding 96-1 SOX | |
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Broadcast area South Central Pennsylvania
Northern Maryland ERP 13,500 watts (analog)
135 watts (digital) Slogan Susquehanna Valley's Greatest Hits | ||
WSOX (96.1 FM, "96.1 SOX") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Radio License Holding SRC LLC, a part of Cumulus Media, and broadcasts a classic hits format. The station's service contour includes the metro areas of York, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Gettysburg and Lancaster, Pennsylvania as well as the northern suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. Its broadcast tower is located near Red Lion at (39°54′16.7″N 76°34′46.6″W).
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WSOX uses HD Radio, and simulcasts the talk radio programming of sister station WSBA on its HD2 subchannel, while the sports programming of sister station WGLD is simulcast on its HD4 subchannel. HOPE FM christian radio programming is broadcast on the station's HD3 subchannel, which is simulcast on four FM translators.
History
The station signed on for the first time in 1958 as WGCB-FM with a christian radio format. Red Lion Broadcasting owned the station.
In 1969, Red Lion Broadcasting lost a landmark First Amendment case (Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC), after the station refused to grant free on-air time for a journalist to rebutt the claims made against him by an on-air evangelist.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the station's license was transferred three times: in August 1997, from Thomas H. Moffit, Sr., to Pioneer Broadcasting Corporation; in March 2003, from Pioneer Broadcasting Corporation to Lancaster-York Broadcasting, LLC (owned by Brill Media) and four months later, in July 2003, from Lancaster-York Broadcasting, LLC to Susquehanna License, LLC, which was owned by Susquehanna Radio Corporation.
On October 31, 2005, Cumulus Media announced the creation of a new private partnership, Cumulus Media Partners, LLC, formed with Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners, to purchase Susquehanna Radio Corporation for approximately $1.2 billion. The purchase was completed on May 5, 2006, at which time the license for WSOX was transferred to Radio License Holding SRC, LLC., a licensee of Cumulus Media Partners Susquehanna Corporation.
Translators
The following four translators are licensed to Hope Christian Church of Marlton, Inc, and simulcast the programming of HOPE FM (owned by Calvary Chapel of Marlton) broadcast on WSOX-HD3: