WPEO-FM (98.3 MHz) is an FM radio station licensed to Farmer City, Illinois.[2] It is owned by WPEO Radio Foundation, and it simulcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format with co-owned WPEO 1020 AM in Peoria, Illinois. The radio studios and offices are just south of Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois.
WPEO-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 5,200 watts. The transmitter is in Saybrook, Illinois, giving it coverage of an area of Central Illinois between Champaign and Bloomington.[3]
History
The station began operations in 1983 as WZRO "5 County Country", then changed to WEZO, and changed to WWHP as "The Whip". It played a variety of music genres, primarily Americana roots, classic country, blues, and bluegrass. The station claimed to be located, "somewhere between Memphis and Chicago."[4]
After a change in ownership in early 2014, the station changed formats to classic hits.[5]
On November 23, 2015, WWHP became "NewsTalk 98.3" with a local morning and afternoon drive.
Former Cities 92.9 morning host Ian Bayne took over the station as program director and general manager and hosted the morning show from 6-9 am, installing national Breitbart editor Mike Flynn from 3-6 pm. Other programming included Laura Ingraham, Dana Loesch, Jerry Doyle, and Lars Larson.[6]
On May 30, 2016, WWHP changed its format to classic rock.
On January 24, 2018, the station changed its call sign to WEXG and rebranded as "The Edge".[7]
On October 6, 2020, WEXG changed its format from classic rock to a simulcast of Christian radio-formatted WPEO 1020 AM Peoria, branded as "The Word", and adopted a new WPEO-FM call sign the next day.[8] Smash Hit then sold the station to WPEO owners WPEO Radio Foundation for $159,900.[9] The sale was consummated on March 16, 2021.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WPEO-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WPEO-FM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WPEO-FM
- ^ "WPEO-FM Radio Station Information". Radio & Records.
- ^ Nowicki, Jerry (2014-08-12). "Radio station WWHP sold; format to change". News-Gazette.com. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
- ^ WWHP Bloomington/Champaign IL Flipping To News/Talk
- ^ WWHP Relaunches as The Edge Radioinsight - January 31, 2018
- ^ WEXG Flips To Simulcast Of WPEO Radioinsight - October 6, 2020
- ^ Venta, Lance (2020-10-09). "Station Sales Week Of 10/9". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
External links
- Official website
- Ian Bayne's website
- WPEO in the FCC FM station database
- WPEO in Nielsen Audio's FM station database