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WHFA

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Poynette, Wisconsin
United States
Broadcast area Madison
Frequency 1240 kHz
Branding Relevant Radio
Programming
Format Catholic radio
Ownership
Owner Relevant Radio
(Relevant Radio, Inc.)
History
First air date 1925
Former call signs WIBU (1925–2001)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority FCC
Facility ID 54617
Class C
Power 1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates 43°21′38″N 89°24′8″W / 43.36056°N 89.40222°W
Repeater 97.3 W247CI (Middleton)
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website relevantradio.com

WHFA (1240 AM) is a radio station licensed to Poynette, Wisconsin, United States. The station serves the Madison area. It broadcasts a Catholic format. The station is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc., and is an affiliate of Relevant Radio.

History

The station was first licensed on July 8, 1925, as WIBU, to William C. Forrest's The Electric Farm in Poynette.[2] Forrest was an early pioneer of Wisconsin broadcasting. The call letters were randomly assigned from a roster of available call signs, and were adopted to mean "Wind Is Being Used" or "Wind Is Behind Us", as Forrest utilized windmills to generate the farm's electricity.

Following the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927.[3] In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard.[4] On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including WIBU, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it."[5] However, the station successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed.

On November 11, 1928, the FRC made a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies, as part of a reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40. WIBU was assigned to 1310 kHz,[6] which was changed to 1210 kHz in 1931. On March 29, 1941, the station moved to 1240 kHz, its location ever since, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.

Studios were housed in a streamlined art-modern style building located on N2349 WIBU Road in Poynette. Veteran Wisconsin Public Radio announcer Jim Packard, announcer of Whad’Ya Know?, was among WIBU alums.

In the spring of 1988, WIBU gained national notoriety in national media as it adopted an all polka format, which lasted until 1991. In 1999 the format changed to Music of Your Life.

WIBU was sold to Starboard Broadcasting in 2001 and became WHFA, carrying Starboard's Catholic religious format, branded Relevant Radio.

References

  1. Back to citation "Facility Technical Data for WHFA". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. Back to citation "New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, August 1, 1925, page 3.
  3. Back to citation "List of broadcasting stations issued temporary permits", Radio Service Bulletin, April 30, 1927, pages 6-14.
  4. Back to citation "Extension of Broadcasting Station Licenses", Radio Service Bulletin, December 31, 1927, page 7.
  5. Back to citation "Appendix F (2): Letter to and list of stations included in General Order No. 32, issued May 25, 1928", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission for the Year Ended June 30, 1928, Together With Supplemental Report for the Period From July 1, 1928 to September 30, 1928, pages 146-149.
  6. Back to citation "Broadcasting Stations", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (June 30, 1928), page 191.
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