WPAY (AM)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Garrison, Kentucky radio station that held the call sign WPAY-FM at 98.3, see WFHT (FM). For the Portsmouth, Ohio radio station that previously held the call sign WPAY-FM at 104.1 FM, see WPYK. For the defunct Portsmouth, Ohio radio station that held the call sign WPAY at 1400 AM, see WPAY (defunct).
WPAY
CityRossford, Ohio
Broadcast areaToledo metropolitan area
Frequency1520 kHz
Programming
FormatSilent
Ownership
OwnerRobert Jamrog and Patricia Anderson-Kimble
(Fusion Radio, LLC)
WNKL
History
First air date
November 28, 1968 (1968-11-28)
Former call signs
WTTO
WTUU
WANR
WGOR (1976-1981)
WVOI (1981-1998)
WDMN (1998-2008)
WNWT (2008-2017)
Technical information
Facility ID40858
ClassB
Power500 watts day
400 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
41°30′32″N 83°33′07″W / 41.50889°N 83.55194°W / 41.50889; -83.55194
Translator(s)92.1 W221BG (Toledo)

WPAY (1520 AM) is a radio station licensed to Rossford, Ohio, serving the Toledo metropolitan area. Currently licensed to Fusion Radio, LLC, it was previously owned by the Educational Media Foundation and was an affiliate of its K-Love Classics network until the network's closure in November 2020. The station is currently silent [1]

History[]

WTTO[]

1520 AM in Toledo, Ohio was established in 1966. Its first call letters being WTTO, it was known as "Weetow 15" with a Top 40 format to compete with 1470 WOHO (now defunct) and 1560 WTOD (Now WWYC). It also competed with 800 CKLW from Detroit/Windsor, Ontario. The station had its studios on the 4th floor of the Commodore Perry Hotel in Downtown Toledo.

WTUU[]

In 1975, the call letters were changed to WTUU. The station switched to a country music format becoming known as "Fun Country W-15-2".

WANR, WGOR, WVOI[]

Sometime later, 1520AM adopted an all-news radio format with the call letters WANR featuring programming from NBC Radio's News and Information Service. The news format was unsuccessful and the station was sold. The call sign was changed to WGOR in 1976; the station took on a religious format. With yet another change in ownership, the call letters were later changed to WVOI. In 1981, after WKLR 99.9 FM, then playing a Rhythm & Blues format, switched calls to WKKO-FM "K-100" began playing country music, WVOI converted to an urban contemporary music format. This format was successful and lasted until the later part of the 1990s.

Dominion 1520[]

In 1998, the calls were changed to WDMN (which stood for Dominion) when the Cornerstone Church of Maumee Ohio acquired the station. The station took on a Gospel music format.

1520 WNWT Talk Radio[]

In April 2008, WDMN dropped Gospel music and changed its format to talk radio. The format was a combination of progressive and conservative talk radio programming. Some traditional and smooth jazz was played on the weekends. The station was also an affiliate of CNN. On July 1, 2008, the station changed its calls to WNWT.

Sale to Education Media Foundation[]

On January 22, 2009, it was announced that the Educational Media Foundation had purchased WNWT. On April 23, 2009, WNWT's talk format was dropped and it started airing K-Love.

Recent formats[]

On April 26, 2014, WNWT became an affiliate of Urban Family Talk.

On March 15, 2017, the call letters were changed to WPAY.

On March 8, 2018, Urban Family Talk was dropped in favor of Radio Nueva Vida, a Spanish-language Christian format. On September 25, 2018, the station flipped to EMF's new K-Love Classics network.

On June 7, 2019, WPAY reverted to Urban Family Talk.

On August 2, 2019, WPAY changed there format to K-Love Classics.

In November 2020, the Educational Media Foundation phased out its K-love classic format in favor of Christmas music.

On January 1, 2021, Christmas music gave way to an all '90s Christian music format, now known as K-Love 90s, "The Best Songs from the Decade Defined Christian Music".

Fusion Radio acquisition[]

On November 10, 2020, it was reported by Radioinsight.com that the Education Media Foundation traded WPAY and translators 92.1 W221BG Toledo and 103.3 W277BI Toledo to Fusion in exchange for 103.3 W277AE Madison WI. No cash was exchanged. The swap was consummated on July 15, 2021.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/201175/emf-fusion-radio-swap-signals-in-madison-toledo/

In July 2021, WPAY went silent. No word on when they will return to air.

Translators[]

Call sign Frequency
(MHz)		 City of license ERP
(W)		 Class FCC info
W221BG 92.1 FM Toledo 250 D FCC FM Query

References[]

  1. ^ "WPAY Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.

External links[]

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