WAFY
Broadcast areaFrederick County, Maryland
Frequency103.1 MHz
BrandingKey 103
Programming
FormatHot adult contemporary
Ownership
OwnerManning Broadcasting, Inc.
History
First air date
1990 (1990)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID3728
ClassA
ERP1,000 watts
HAAT174 meters (571 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°25′05″N 77°30′04″W / 39.418°N 77.501°W / 39.418; -77.501
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
WebsiteWAFY Online

WAFY (103.1 FM; "Key 103") is a radio station located in Frederick, Maryland, United States. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format and is owned by Manning Broadcasting, Inc.

History

The station was founded in 1990 by Barbara Marmet, with the intention of having a community radio station for Frederick. The "Key" branding references Frederick native Francis Scott Key.

Among several applicants for the allocation, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave preference to her because of her local residency and, under an affirmative action program designed to increase minority-owned broadcasters, a woman. This led to a lawsuit by Jerome Lamprecht, one of the competing applicants; in 1992's Lamprecht v. FCC, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held in an opinion written by newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that in the absence of a demonstrable reason, such as encouraging programming diversity, such preference was unconstitutional.[2] Litigation continued until an eventual settlement between Lamprecht and Marmet in 1999.[3]

Marmet sold WAFY to Nassau Broadcasting Partners in 2005.[4] After Nassau went into chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the station, along with WARK and WWEG in Hagerstown, were purchased by Manning Broadcasting, Inc. in May 2012,[5] with the sale being completed on November 1, 2012, at a price of $6.4 million.[6]

On September 16, 2010, at 9 a.m., Key 103 dropped the "Frederick's Continuous Soft Rock" moniker and began a 20th anniversary retrospective show looking back at the 20 years of the station's personalities, music, and activities. This retrospective ended at noon with a launch into its current hot adult contemporary format.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WAFY". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Lewis, Neil A. (February 20, 1992). "Appeals-Court Ruling by Thomas Limits F.C.C. Affirmative Action". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ "Applications of Jerome Lamprecht, Dragon Communications, Barbara Marmet, Port Royal Broadcasting for FM CP on Channel 276A" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. December 17, 1999.
  4. ↑ Smith, Kevin M. (November 5, 2004). "WAFY sold to N.J. broadcast company". The Gazette. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ Aines, Don (May 9, 2012). "Two area radio stations return to local owners". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ "EMF Buys Dallas-Fort Worth FM From Liberman". All Access. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
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