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| erp = |
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| class = A |
| class = A |
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| coordinates = {{coord|38|15|40|N|85|25|43|W|}}<br> (main antenna)<br>{{coord|38|15|40|N|85|25|37|W}} (auxiliary antenna) | |
| coordinates = {{coord|38|15|40|N|85|25|43|W|}}<br /> (main antenna)<br />{{coord|38|15|40|N|85|25|37|W}} (auxiliary antenna) | |
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| callsign_meaning = '''W'''e '''H'''ave '''A''' '''S'''ignal (a [[backronym]], as the call was randomly assigned by the FCC) |
| callsign_meaning = '''W'''e '''H'''ave '''A''' '''S'''ignal (a [[backronym]], as the call was randomly assigned by the FCC) |
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| former_callsigns = |
| former_callsigns = |
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| website = {{url|www.whas.com}} |
| website = {{url|www.whas.com}} |
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| affiliations = |
| affiliations = |
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*[[CBS Radio News |
*[[CBS Radio News]] |
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*[[Kentucky Wildcats]] ([[Kentucky Wildcats football|football]] and [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|men's basketball]]) |
*[[Kentucky Wildcats]] ([[Kentucky Wildcats football|football]] and [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|men's basketball]]) |
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*[[Louisville Cardinals]] ([[Louisville Cardinals football|football]] and [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|men's basketball]]) |
*[[Louisville Cardinals]] ([[Louisville Cardinals football|football]] and [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|men's basketball]]) |
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*[[Westwood One (current)|Westwood One]] |
*[[Westwood One (current)|Westwood One]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''WHAS''', known by the on air branding as "News Radio 840 WHAS", is an [[AM radio]] station broadcasting in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]. |
'''WHAS''', known by the on air branding as "News Radio 840 WHAS", is an [[AM radio]] station broadcasting in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]. It is a 50,000 Watt [[Clear-channel stations|clear channel]] radio station assigned to frequency 840 [[kHz]]. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S. and much of Canada, and even in other countries at times. The station's studios are located in the Louisville enclave of [[Watterson Park, Kentucky|Watterson Park]] and the transmitter site is in [[Long Run, Louisville|Long Run]] in far east Jefferson County. WHAS is owned by [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]] |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Its first broadcast was on July 18, 1922. |
Its first broadcast was on July 18, 1922. It was originally assigned the frequency of 350 [[kHz]]. |
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On May 16, 1925, the first live broadcast of the [[Kentucky Derby]] was originated by WHAS and was also carried by [[WGN (AM)|WGN]] in Chicago.<ref>"Derby To Go On The Air", ''The New York Times'', May 16, 1925, p. 11</ref> The call of the Derby featured an announcer who watched from the windows of one of the famous twin spires of [[Churchill Downs]]. |
On May 16, 1925, the first live broadcast of the [[Kentucky Derby]] was originated by WHAS and was also carried by [[WGN (AM)|WGN]] in Chicago.<ref>"Derby To Go On The Air", ''The New York Times'', May 16, 1925, p. 11</ref> The call of the Derby featured an announcer who watched from the windows of one of the famous twin spires of [[Churchill Downs]]. |
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On May 15, 1932, WHAS changed from being an [[NBC]] affiliate and joined [[CBS]]. At that time, WHAS operated on 820 kHz with 10 KW power, but the output was soon increased to 25 KW as authorized by the Federal Radio Commission.<ref>{{cite news|title=CBS Adds WHAS and Windsor Unit|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1932/1932-04-15-BC.pdf|accessdate=2 October 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=April 15, 1932}}</ref> |
On May 15, 1932, WHAS changed from being an [[NBC]] affiliate and joined [[CBS]]. At that time, WHAS operated on 820 kHz with 10 KW power, but the output was soon increased to 25 KW as authorized by the Federal Radio Commission.<ref>{{cite news|title=CBS Adds WHAS and Windsor Unit|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1932/1932-04-15-BC.pdf|accessdate=2 October 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=April 15, 1932}}</ref> |
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During the [[Ohio River flood of 1937|1937 Flood]] the station aired 115,000 messages. |
During the [[Ohio River flood of 1937|1937 Flood]] the station aired 115,000 messages. On March 29, 1941 the station moved to its current frequency of 840 AM and made a [[clear-channel station]], both as a result of the [[North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement]], which relocated the 840 clear channel allocation to Louisville from [[Toronto]], where it was used by [[CBLA-FM|CBL]]. On March 30, 1970 WHAS began 24-hour operation. |
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The station was originally part of the local media empire ruled by the [[Barry Bingham, Sr.|Bingham family]], which also published ''[[The Courier-Journal|Louisville Courier-Journal]]'' and ''[[Louisville Times]]'' (now owned by the [[Gannett Company]] and merged in 1987) and operated television station [[WHAS-TV]] (which, following several mergers and transactions in subsequent years, is now owned by Sander Media and operated by Gannett). |
The station was originally part of the local media empire ruled by the [[Barry Bingham, Sr.|Bingham family]], which also published ''[[The Courier-Journal|Louisville Courier-Journal]]'' and ''[[Louisville Times]]'' (now owned by the [[Gannett Company]] and merged in 1987) and operated television station [[WHAS-TV]] (which, following several mergers and transactions in subsequent years, is now owned by Sander Media and operated by Gannett). WHAS and its FM sister station, [[WAMZ]] (the former WHAS-FM) were acquired by Clear Channel Communications (which, as iHeartMedia, continues to own the stations to this day) in 1986 as part of the breakup of the Bingham family's media properties.<ref>"Changing Hands." ''[[Broadcasting and Cable|Broadcasting]]''. June 16, 1986, pg. 63. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-06-16-Page-0071.pdf]</ref> |
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The station has been broadcasting on a full-time basis in the [[IBOC]] [[digital radio]] mode, using the [[HD Radio]] system from [[iBiquity]], since September 2007 after an initial testing period which started in 2006. Prior to 1995, WHAS broadcast in [[C-QUAM]] [[AM stereo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://users.hfx.eastlink.ca/~amstereo/offenders.htm|title=Offenders of The Faith|work=eastlink.ca}}</ref> |
The station has been broadcasting on a full-time basis in the [[IBOC]] [[digital radio]] mode, using the [[HD Radio]] system from [[iBiquity]], since September 2007 after an initial testing period which started in 2006. Prior to 1995, WHAS broadcast in [[C-QUAM]] [[AM stereo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://users.hfx.eastlink.ca/~amstereo/offenders.htm|title=Offenders of The Faith|work=eastlink.ca}}</ref> |
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==Programming== |
==Programming== |
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WHAS modernized in the early 1970s from an old-line [[Middle of the road (music)|MOR]] music outlet into an early form of [[Hot Adult Contemporary]] music format, featuring adult-appeal Top 40 hits and rock oldies; one longtime slogan was "Good and Gold" (as in "good music", or adult contemporary, and "golden" oldies). For a time in the 1980s, it was also the Louisville affiliate for [[Casey Kasem]]'s [[American Top 40]]. |
WHAS modernized in the early 1970s from an old-line [[Middle of the road (music)|MOR]] music outlet into an early form of [[Hot Adult Contemporary]] music format, featuring adult-appeal Top 40 hits and rock oldies; one longtime slogan was "Good and Gold" (as in "good music", or adult contemporary, and "golden" oldies). For a time in the 1980s, it was also the Louisville affiliate for [[Casey Kasem]]'s [[American Top 40]]. The station continued to feature a full-service Hot AC format through the 1980s (and was the last 50 kW AM station with a full-time AC format), and by 1995, most of the remaining music programming was oldies-based; this made WHAS one of the last 50,000-watt clear-channel radio stations to feature music programming on a regular basis. |
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Today the station features ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show]]'' (live), ''[[The Mark Levin Show]]'' (delayed by 3 hours), the last hour of the national broadcast of ''[[Clyde Lewis|Ground Zero]]'', and ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]'' (live) on its daily lineup. |
Today the station features ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show]]'' (live), ''[[The Mark Levin Show]]'' (delayed by 3 hours), the last hour of the national broadcast of ''[[Clyde Lewis|Ground Zero]]'', and ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]'' (live) on its daily lineup. Some other personalities on the weekday lineup have included [[Terry Meiners]] on "The Terry Meiners Show" <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whas11.com/story/news/local/community/2015/04/09/terry-meiners-840-whas-radio/25516365/|title=Terry Meiners Renews With NewsRadio 840 WHAS|author=News Release|date=April 9, 2015|work=WHAS}}</ref> and [[Lachlan McLean]] on "SportsTalk 840". |
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The late morning slot (9 am to noon) has seen two changes in recent years. Francene Cucinello hosted "The Francene Show" until her death on January 15, 2010; she was replaced that summer by Mandy Connell. In turn, Connell left in August 2013 to become the morning host on fellow iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel) station [[KHOW]] in [[Denver]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2013/07/24/khows-successor-to-boyles-is-mandy-connell/15410/ |title=KHOW's successor to Peter Boyles is Mandy Connell |first=Joanne |last=Ostrow |work=Ostrow Off the Record |publisher=''[[The Denver Post]]'' |date=July 24, 2013 |accessdate=July 28, 2013}}</ref> her last show on WHAS was on August 9.<ref name=Bullard>{{cite news|url=http://wfpl.org/post/mandy-connell-leaving-whas-denver |title=Mandy Connell Leaving WHAS for Denver |first=Gabe |last=Bullard |publisher=[[WFPL]] |location=Louisville, KY |date=July 24, 2013 |accessdate=July 28, 2013}}</ref> For several months after her move, Connell provided daily one-minute commentaries, known as "Mandy Minutes", to WHAS.<ref name=Bullard/> Connell's slot was filled by Leland Conway, previously a talk radio host in [[Lexington, Kentucky]] and most recently [[Richmond, Virginia]], whose show began airing on September 16.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130904/COLUMNISTS1802/309040104/Leland-Conway-replaces-Mandy-Connell-at-84-WHAS-radio |title=Leland Conway replaces Mandy Connell at 84 WHAS radio |first=Christa |last=Ritchie |work=The Buzz |publisher=''[[The Courier-Journal]]'' |date=September 4, 2013 |accessdate=September 19, 2013}} (soft paywall)</ref> |
The late morning slot (9 am to noon) has seen two changes in recent years. Francene Cucinello hosted "The Francene Show" until her death on January 15, 2010; she was replaced that summer by Mandy Connell. In turn, Connell left in August 2013 to become the morning host on fellow iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel) station [[KHOW]] in [[Denver]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2013/07/24/khows-successor-to-boyles-is-mandy-connell/15410/ |title=KHOW's successor to Peter Boyles is Mandy Connell |first=Joanne |last=Ostrow |work=Ostrow Off the Record |publisher=''[[The Denver Post]]'' |date=July 24, 2013 |accessdate=July 28, 2013}}</ref> her last show on WHAS was on August 9.<ref name=Bullard>{{cite news|url=http://wfpl.org/post/mandy-connell-leaving-whas-denver |title=Mandy Connell Leaving WHAS for Denver |first=Gabe |last=Bullard |publisher=[[WFPL]] |location=Louisville, KY |date=July 24, 2013 |accessdate=July 28, 2013}}</ref> For several months after her move, Connell provided daily one-minute commentaries, known as "Mandy Minutes", to WHAS.<ref name=Bullard/> Connell's slot was filled by Leland Conway, previously a talk radio host in [[Lexington, Kentucky]] and most recently [[Richmond, Virginia]], whose show began airing on September 16.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130904/COLUMNISTS1802/309040104/Leland-Conway-replaces-Mandy-Connell-at-84-WHAS-radio |title=Leland Conway replaces Mandy Connell at 84 WHAS radio |first=Christa |last=Ritchie |work=The Buzz |publisher=''[[The Courier-Journal]]'' |date=September 4, 2013 |accessdate=September 19, 2013}} (soft paywall)</ref> |
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==Public service== |
==Public service== |
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WHAS is the flagship radio station of the annual [[WHAS Crusade for Children]] telethon. |
WHAS is the flagship radio station of the annual [[WHAS Crusade for Children]] telethon. The station also broadcasts ''The Moral Side of the News,'' one of the oldest [[public affairs programming|public affairs programs]] in American broadcasting, dating back to the 1940s. The show has also been shown on WHAS-TV since the 1950s. The show's panel of clergy members have been involved in distributing the proceeds of the Crusade for Children among local charities since the telethon's beginning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wayback.archive.org/web/20120126085638/http://www.whascrusade.org/who-we-are|title=Crusade for Children » Who We Are|work=archive.org}}</ref> |
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WHAS radio has solidifed its reputation over the years as a leader in coverage of crisis situations, particularly severe weather. |
WHAS radio has solidifed its reputation over the years as a leader in coverage of crisis situations, particularly severe weather. |
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During the [[Ohio River flood of 1937|flood of 1937]], the station gained nationwide notice for its coverage of the disaster, which included broadcasting Louisville flood bulletins over the facilities of [[WSM (AM)|WSM]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] after Louisville authorities were forced to cut electrical power to the city because of the rising flood waters (thus forcing WHAS' own signal off the air). |
During the [[Ohio River flood of 1937|flood of 1937]], the station gained nationwide notice for its coverage of the disaster, which included broadcasting Louisville flood bulletins over the facilities of [[WSM (AM)|WSM]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] after Louisville authorities were forced to cut electrical power to the city because of the rising flood waters (thus forcing WHAS' own signal off the air).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/the-whole-world-is-listening-whas-radio-coverage-of-the-1937-ohio-river-flood.htm|title=The Whole World Is Listening: WHAS Radio Coverage of the 1937 Ohio River Flood|work=History Net: Where History Comes Alive - World & US History Online}}</ref><ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WFBRXmittingWSMFloodCoverage%281937-01-27%29.mp3</ref> |
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On the afternoon of April 3, 1974, Louisville was hit by an F4 tornado that developed during the "[[Super Outbreak]]". WHAS broke away from regular programming to track the storm as it passed through the Louisville metropolitan area. In the hours immediately following the storm, the station delivered important information about what areas had been directly impacted by the storms, and traffic reporter Dick Gilbert followed the tornado in his helicopter, reporting on the damage as he flew at a safe distance behind the storm. The station stayed with continuous coverage of the disaster in Louisville and across the state of Kentucky and the southern portion of Indiana until well into the early morning hours of April 4.<ref>[http://lkyradio.com/audio/WHASApril1974TornadoCoverage01.mp3 WHAS April 1974 Tornado Coverage]. LKYradio.com. ([[MP3]]) Retrieved April 3, 2014.</ref><ref>Willis, Scott. ”[http://lkyradio.com/WHASairchecks.htm Welcome to LKY Radio - Classic Louisville, Kentucky radio - WHAS Airchecks]”. LKYradio.com. Retrieved April 3, 2015. |
On the afternoon of April 3, 1974, Louisville was hit by an F4 tornado that developed during the "[[Super Outbreak]]". WHAS broke away from regular programming to track the storm as it passed through the Louisville metropolitan area. In the hours immediately following the storm, the station delivered important information about what areas had been directly impacted by the storms, and traffic reporter Dick Gilbert followed the tornado in his helicopter, reporting on the damage as he flew at a safe distance behind the storm. The station stayed with continuous coverage of the disaster in Louisville and across the state of Kentucky and the southern portion of Indiana until well into the early morning hours of April 4.<ref>[http://lkyradio.com/audio/WHASApril1974TornadoCoverage01.mp3 WHAS April 1974 Tornado Coverage]. LKYradio.com. ([[MP3]]) Retrieved April 3, 2014.</ref><ref>Willis, Scott. ”[http://lkyradio.com/WHASairchecks.htm Welcome to LKY Radio - Classic Louisville, Kentucky radio - WHAS Airchecks]”. LKYradio.com. Retrieved April 3, 2015.</ref> For their efforts, the station's personnel earned thanks from then-Kentucky Governor [[Wendell Ford]] and President [[Richard Nixon]]. |
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WHAS continued to provide valuable severe weather coverage in the |
WHAS continued to provide valuable severe weather coverage in the 1990s. On January 17, 1994, a record overnight snowstorm paralyzed the city and much of the state of Kentucky.<ref>http://archive.courier-journal.com/article/20140117/NEWS01/301170115/Louisville-s-1994-winter-storm-something-record-books</ref> WHAS had round the clock updates and closings information for nearly a week.<ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHAS1994WinterStormCoverage.mp3</ref> On May 28, 1996, another tornado outbreak occurred in Kentuckiana and the station suspended their election coverage that night to cover the storm.<ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASBullittCountryTornadoCoverage(1996-05-28).mp3</ref> |
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==Notable former on-air personalities== |
==Notable former on-air personalities== |
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* [[Gary Burbank]], afternoon DJ <ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASGaryBurbankFirstDay(1976).mp3</ref> |
* [[Gary Burbank]], afternoon DJ <ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASGaryBurbankFirstDay(1976).mp3</ref> |
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* [[David Dick (Kentucky)|David Dick]], newscaster, later with [[WHAS-TV]] and from 1966 to 1985 [[CBS News]] |
* [[David Dick (Kentucky)|David Dick]], newscaster, later with [[WHAS-TV]] and from 1966 to 1985 [[CBS News]] |
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* Joe Donovan, overnight DJ, show host (1977-1998) (deceased) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?pid=169214378|title=Joe Deuth Obituary - Louisville, KY - The Courier-Journal|work=The Courier-Journal}}</ref> |
* Joe Donovan, overnight DJ, show host (1977-1998) (deceased) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?pid=169214378|title=Joe Deuth Obituary - Louisville, KY - The Courier-Journal|work=The Courier-Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lkyradio.com/joedonovan.htm|title=Welcome to LKYRadio - Classic Lexington, Kentucky Radio - Joe Donovan Page|work=lkyradio.com}}</ref><ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASJoeDonovan(1979-06-02).mp3</ref> |
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⚫ | * Dick Gilbert, helicopter traffic reporter (1970-1984), received national recognition for broadcasting live coverage of the April 3, 1974 Louisville tornado <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gilbertfoundation.org/|title=The Gilbert Foundation - Our History|work=gilbertfoundation.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/04/02/whas-tv-news-anchor-recalls-tornado-coverage/7217649/|title=WHAS TV news anchor recalls 1974 tornado coverage|author=Doug Proffitt, Special to The Courier-Journal;|date=April 2, 2014|work=The Courier-Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmpd.com/news/publishers.php?pid=17|title=84 WHAS|author=Chris Ansman|work=lmpd.com}}</ref> (deceased) |
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Page|work=lkyradio.com}}</ref> <ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASJoeDonovan(1979-06-02).mp3</ref> |
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⚫ | * Dick Gilbert, helicopter traffic reporter (1970-1984), received national recognition for broadcasting live coverage of the April 3, 1974 Louisville tornado <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gilbertfoundation.org/|title=The Gilbert Foundation - Our History|work=gilbertfoundation.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/04/02/whas-tv-news-anchor-recalls-tornado-coverage/7217649/|title=WHAS TV news anchor recalls 1974 tornado coverage|author=Doug Proffitt, Special to The Courier-Journal;|date=April 2, 2014|work=The Courier-Journal}}</ref> |
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* [[Cawood Ledford]], sports (deceased) |
* [[Cawood Ledford]], sports (deceased) |
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* [[Don McNeill (performer)|Don McNeill]], national morning radio host |
* [[Don McNeill (performer)|Don McNeill]], national morning radio host |
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* [[Milton Metz]], talk show host, notable for live broadcast after April 3, 1974 tornado that shared information about the aftermath. |
* [[Milton Metz]], talk show host, notable for live broadcast after April 3, 1974 tornado that shared information about the aftermath.<ref>http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASApril1974TornadoCoverage09.mp3</ref> |
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* [[Hugh Smith (news anchor)|Hugh Smith]] |
* [[Hugh Smith (news anchor)|Hugh Smith]] |
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* Fred Wiche, Farm & Garden Director, "The Weekend Gardner" (1979-1998)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1998/Obituaries-in-the-News/id-a97ec77d65dca0fbadbdf8e636173e58|title=Obituaries in the News|work=apnewsarchive.com}}</ |
* Fred Wiche, Farm & Garden Director, "The Weekend Gardner" (1979-1998)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1998/Obituaries-in-the-News/id-a97ec77d65dca0fbadbdf8e636173e58|title=Obituaries in the News|work=apnewsarchive.com}}</ref> |
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* [[John Ziegler (talk show host)|John Ziegler]], talk show host <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wave3.com/story/3392530/local-radio-personalities-react-to-ziegler-ruling|title=Local Radio Personalities React To Ziegler Ruling|date=May 25, 2005|work=wave3.com}}</ref> |
* [[John Ziegler (talk show host)|John Ziegler]], talk show host <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wave3.com/story/3392530/local-radio-personalities-react-to-ziegler-ruling|title=Local Radio Personalities React To Ziegler Ruling|date=May 25, 2005|work=wave3.com}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 11:36, 19 April 2015
Broadcast area | Louisville metropolitan area |
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Frequency | 840 kHz (AM) (HD Radio) |
Branding | 840 WHAS |
Programming | |
Format | News/Talk |
Affiliations | |
Ownership | |
Owner |
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WTFX-FM, WQMF (FM), WAMZ (FM), WNRW (FM), WLGX (FM), WKRD (AM), WKJK (AM) | |
History | |
First air date | July 18, 1922 |
Call sign meaning | We Have A Signal (a backronym, as the call was randomly assigned by the FCC) |
Technical information | |
Class | A |
Power | 50,000 Watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°15′40″N 85°25′43″W / 38.26111°N 85.42861°W (main antenna) 38°15′40″N 85°25′37″W / 38.26111°N 85.42694°W (auxiliary antenna) |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen live (via iHeartRadio) |
Website | www |
WHAS, known by the on air branding as "News Radio 840 WHAS", is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 50,000 Watt clear channel radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S. and much of Canada, and even in other countries at times. The station's studios are located in the Louisville enclave of Watterson Park and the transmitter site is in Long Run in far east Jefferson County. WHAS is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
History
Its first broadcast was on July 18, 1922. It was originally assigned the frequency of 350 kHz.
On May 16, 1925, the first live broadcast of the Kentucky Derby was originated by WHAS and was also carried by WGN in Chicago.[1] The call of the Derby featured an announcer who watched from the windows of one of the famous twin spires of Churchill Downs.
On May 15, 1932, WHAS changed from being an NBC affiliate and joined CBS. At that time, WHAS operated on 820 kHz with 10 KW power, but the output was soon increased to 25 KW as authorized by the Federal Radio Commission.[2]
During the 1937 Flood the station aired 115,000 messages. On March 29, 1941 the station moved to its current frequency of 840 AM and made a clear-channel station, both as a result of the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, which relocated the 840 clear channel allocation to Louisville from Toronto, where it was used by CBL. On March 30, 1970 WHAS began 24-hour operation.
The station was originally part of the local media empire ruled by the Bingham family, which also published Louisville Courier-Journal and Louisville Times (now owned by the Gannett Company and merged in 1987) and operated television station WHAS-TV (which, following several mergers and transactions in subsequent years, is now owned by Sander Media and operated by Gannett). WHAS and its FM sister station, WAMZ (the former WHAS-FM) were acquired by Clear Channel Communications (which, as iHeartMedia, continues to own the stations to this day) in 1986 as part of the breakup of the Bingham family's media properties.[3]
The station has been broadcasting on a full-time basis in the IBOC digital radio mode, using the HD Radio system from iBiquity, since September 2007 after an initial testing period which started in 2006. Prior to 1995, WHAS broadcast in C-QUAM AM stereo.[4]
Programming
WHAS modernized in the early 1970s from an old-line MOR music outlet into an early form of Hot Adult Contemporary music format, featuring adult-appeal Top 40 hits and rock oldies; one longtime slogan was "Good and Gold" (as in "good music", or adult contemporary, and "golden" oldies). For a time in the 1980s, it was also the Louisville affiliate for Casey Kasem's American Top 40. The station continued to feature a full-service Hot AC format through the 1980s (and was the last 50 kW AM station with a full-time AC format), and by 1995, most of the remaining music programming was oldies-based; this made WHAS one of the last 50,000-watt clear-channel radio stations to feature music programming on a regular basis.
Today the station features The Rush Limbaugh Show (live), The Mark Levin Show (delayed by 3 hours), the last hour of the national broadcast of Ground Zero, and Coast to Coast AM (live) on its daily lineup. Some other personalities on the weekday lineup have included Terry Meiners on "The Terry Meiners Show" [5] and Lachlan McLean on "SportsTalk 840".
The late morning slot (9 am to noon) has seen two changes in recent years. Francene Cucinello hosted "The Francene Show" until her death on January 15, 2010; she was replaced that summer by Mandy Connell. In turn, Connell left in August 2013 to become the morning host on fellow iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel) station KHOW in Denver;[6] her last show on WHAS was on August 9.[7] For several months after her move, Connell provided daily one-minute commentaries, known as "Mandy Minutes", to WHAS.[7] Connell's slot was filled by Leland Conway, previously a talk radio host in Lexington, Kentucky and most recently Richmond, Virginia, whose show began airing on September 16.[8]
Significant changes came to the afternoon and evening lineup in the first half of 2015. In February, McLean announced he would leave WHAS on May 15 and move to Charlotte, North Carolina, where his wife took a corporate position with the Cedar Fair amusement park company.[9] In April, it was confirmed that Sports Talk 840 will end once McLean leaves WHAS. Effective May 18, Meiners' show will be cut back by an hour, ending at 6:00 instead of 7:00. The 6–8 time slot will be filled by Connell, who will return to the Louisville market with a locally-focused talk show (although it will broadcast from KHOW's studios). The Mark Levin Show will move to the 8–11 slot, being delayed by two hours instead of three.[10] No announcement has yet been made as to the 11 pm–1 am slot.
Weekend programming includes The Dave Ramsey Show, The Ric Edelman Show, The Larry Kudlow Show, The Mutual Fund Show with Adam Bold, Handel on the Law, and The Bill Cunningham Show.
WHAS is Louisville's home for University of Kentucky athletic broadcasts, carrying Wildcats football and men's basketball games. Previously, it had been the flagship for Louisville Cardinals football and basketball, and still serves as the Cardinals' effective flagship station when there is no conflict with Wildcats games.
Public service
WHAS is the flagship radio station of the annual WHAS Crusade for Children telethon. The station also broadcasts The Moral Side of the News, one of the oldest public affairs programs in American broadcasting, dating back to the 1940s. The show has also been shown on WHAS-TV since the 1950s. The show's panel of clergy members have been involved in distributing the proceeds of the Crusade for Children among local charities since the telethon's beginning.[11]
WHAS radio has solidifed its reputation over the years as a leader in coverage of crisis situations, particularly severe weather.
During the flood of 1937, the station gained nationwide notice for its coverage of the disaster, which included broadcasting Louisville flood bulletins over the facilities of WSM in Nashville after Louisville authorities were forced to cut electrical power to the city because of the rising flood waters (thus forcing WHAS' own signal off the air).[12][13]
On the afternoon of April 3, 1974, Louisville was hit by an F4 tornado that developed during the "Super Outbreak". WHAS broke away from regular programming to track the storm as it passed through the Louisville metropolitan area. In the hours immediately following the storm, the station delivered important information about what areas had been directly impacted by the storms, and traffic reporter Dick Gilbert followed the tornado in his helicopter, reporting on the damage as he flew at a safe distance behind the storm. The station stayed with continuous coverage of the disaster in Louisville and across the state of Kentucky and the southern portion of Indiana until well into the early morning hours of April 4.[14][15] For their efforts, the station's personnel earned thanks from then-Kentucky Governor Wendell Ford and President Richard Nixon.
WHAS continued to provide valuable severe weather coverage in the 1990s. On January 17, 1994, a record overnight snowstorm paralyzed the city and much of the state of Kentucky.[16] WHAS had round the clock updates and closings information for nearly a week.[17] On May 28, 1996, another tornado outbreak occurred in Kentuckiana and the station suspended their election coverage that night to cover the storm.[18]
Notable former on-air personalities
- Randy Atcher, children's host, cowboy singer
- Foster Brooks, show host
- Gary Burbank, afternoon DJ [19]
- David Dick, newscaster, later with WHAS-TV and from 1966 to 1985 CBS News
- Joe Donovan, overnight DJ, show host (1977-1998) (deceased) [20][21][22]
- Dick Gilbert, helicopter traffic reporter (1970-1984), received national recognition for broadcasting live coverage of the April 3, 1974 Louisville tornado [23][24][25] (deceased)
- Cawood Ledford, sports (deceased)
- Don McNeill, national morning radio host
- Milton Metz, talk show host, notable for live broadcast after April 3, 1974 tornado that shared information about the aftermath.[26]
- Hugh Smith
- Fred Wiche, Farm & Garden Director, "The Weekend Gardner" (1979-1998)[27]
- John Ziegler, talk show host [28]
See also
References
- ^ "Derby To Go On The Air", The New York Times, May 16, 1925, p. 11
- ^ "CBS Adds WHAS and Windsor Unit" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 15, 1932. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ "Changing Hands." Broadcasting. June 16, 1986, pg. 63. [1]
- ^ "Offenders of The Faith". eastlink.ca.
- ^ News Release (April 9, 2015). "Terry Meiners Renews With NewsRadio 840 WHAS". WHAS.
- ^ Ostrow, Joanne (July 24, 2013). "KHOW's successor to Peter Boyles is Mandy Connell". Ostrow Off the Record. The Denver Post. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
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(help) - ^ a b Bullard, Gabe (July 24, 2013). "Mandy Connell Leaving WHAS for Denver". Louisville, KY: WFPL. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ^ Ritchie, Christa (September 4, 2013). "Leland Conway replaces Mandy Connell at 84 WHAS radio". The Buzz. The Courier-Journal. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) (soft paywall) - ^ Crawford, Eric (February 21, 2015). "Lach going off the clock -- host to leave WHAS SportsTalk in May". Louisville, KY: WDRB. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ Crawford, Eric (April 15, 2015). "Mandy Connell back in, Sports Talk out for WHAS Radio". Louisville, KY: WDRB. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ "Crusade for Children » Who We Are". archive.org.
- ^ "The Whole World Is Listening: WHAS Radio Coverage of the 1937 Ohio River Flood". History Net: Where History Comes Alive - World & US History Online.
- ^ http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WFBRXmittingWSMFloodCoverage%281937-01-27%29.mp3
- ^ WHAS April 1974 Tornado Coverage. LKYradio.com. (MP3) Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Willis, Scott. ”Welcome to LKY Radio - Classic Louisville, Kentucky radio - WHAS Airchecks”. LKYradio.com. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
- ^ http://archive.courier-journal.com/article/20140117/NEWS01/301170115/Louisville-s-1994-winter-storm-something-record-books
- ^ http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHAS1994WinterStormCoverage.mp3
- ^ http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASBullittCountryTornadoCoverage(1996-05-28).mp3
- ^ http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASGaryBurbankFirstDay(1976).mp3
- ^ "Joe Deuth Obituary - Louisville, KY - The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "Welcome to LKYRadio - Classic Lexington, Kentucky Radio - Joe Donovan Page". lkyradio.com.
- ^ http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASJoeDonovan(1979-06-02).mp3
- ^ "The Gilbert Foundation - Our History". gilbertfoundation.org.
- ^ Doug Proffitt, Special to The Courier-Journal; (April 2, 2014). "WHAS TV news anchor recalls 1974 tornado coverage". The Courier-Journal.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Chris Ansman. "84 WHAS". lmpd.com.
- ^ http://www.lkyradio.com/audio/WHASApril1974TornadoCoverage09.mp3
- ^ "Obituaries in the News". apnewsarchive.com.
- ^ "Local Radio Personalities React To Ziegler Ruling". wave3.com. May 25, 2005.
External links
- Official website
- Website of recently deceased mid-morning host Francene Cucinello
- WHAS-AM clips archive from LKYRadio
- ‹The template AMQ is being considered for deletion.› WHAS in the FCC AM station database
- WHAS in Nielsen Audio's AM station database