View source for WVAM

{{short description|Radio station in Parkersburg, West Virginia}}
{{for|the radio station in Altoona, Pennsylvania, known as WVAM from 1948 to 2019|WTNA}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo                =
| logo_size           = 200px
| name                = WVAM
| city                = [[Parkersburg, West Virginia]]
| branding            = ''98.1 and 107.9 WVAM''
| frequency           = 1450 [[kHz]]
| translator          = 98.1 W251CP (Parkersburg)<br>107.9 W300AQ ([[Williamstown, West Virginia|Williamstown]])
| airdate             = July 11, [[1935 in radio|1935]] (as WPAR at 1420){{r|wtap-whnkoff}}
| format              = [[Oldies]]
| power               = 1,000 [[watt]]s day and night
| class               = C
| facility_id         = 73353
| coordinates         = {{coord|39|17|23.0|N|81|31|36.0|W|type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning    = '''W'''est '''V'''irginia '''AM'''
| former_callsigns    = WPAR (1935–1983)<br>WIKS (1983–1986)<br>WLTP (1986–2004)<br>WHNK (2004–2020)
| former_frequencies  = 1420 kHz (1935–1941)
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| owner               = Thomas Taggart and Samuel Yoho
| licensee            = Mid Ohio Valley Radio Corporation
| operator            =
| sister_stations     =
| webcast             =
| website             = {{URL|https://wvamradio.com/}}
}}
'''WVAM''' is a radio station in [[Parkersburg, West Virginia]]. Owned by Mid-Ohio Valley Radio Corporation, it broadcasts an [[oldies]] format.
==History==
The station signed on July 11, 1935 as WPAR, operating with 100 watts at 1420&nbsp;kHz under the ownership of the Ohio Valley Broadcasting Corporation.<ref name=wtap-whnkoff/> On February 13, 1937, WPAR became an affiliate of the CBS radio network.<ref>{{cite news |title=CBS Adds WPAR |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Daily/RD-1937/RA-1937-Feb.pdf |access-date=April 9, 2022 |work=Radio Daily |date=February 9, 1937 |page=22}}</ref> It moved to 1450 in 1941; at the same time, WPAR boosted its power to 250 watts. The station was Parkersburg's first radio station and remained the only station in the area during its first decade of broadcasting.<ref name=wtap-whnkoff>{{cite news|last1=Risberg|first1=Jillian|last2=Schrader|first2=Abbie|title=AM 1450 Off the Air|url=http://www.thenewscenter.tv/news/headlines/257233691.html|accessdate=May 1, 2014|newspaper=[[WTAP-TV|TheNewsCenter]]|date=April 30, 2014|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140725085636/http://www.thenewscenter.tv/news/headlines/257233691.html |archive-date=July 25, 2014 }}</ref> On September 22, 1983, the station was renamed WIKS; on November 1, 1986, it became WLTP.<ref name=fcc-callsigns>{{cite web|title=Call Sign History|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=73353&Callsign=WVAM|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|accessdate=May 1, 2014}}</ref> The WLTP call sign moved to its sister station at [[WLTP (AM)|910 AM]] on March 9, 2004; at that time, 1450 AM became WHNK.<ref name=wtap-whnkoff/><ref name=fcc-callsigns/>
Clear Channel took WHNK [[off-the-air]] on April 28, 2014 after the station lost its lease with Walker Machinery, which owned WHNK's transmitter site and intended to use the property for expansion. At the time of the going silent, WHNK was broadcasting a [[classic country]] format.<ref name=wtap-whnkoff/>
On November 1, 2016, WHNK returned to the air with a [[Christian radio]] format branded as ''FaithTalk 1450'', airing Christian talk and teaching programs.
In August 2020, the station and its two translators were sold to Mid Ohio Valley Radio Corporation for $30,000. On August 30, the station announced that it would drop its Christian talk format on August 31 and flip to [[oldies]] under the new call letters WVAM. The station will also carry [[Parkersburg High School]] football games.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-28|title=Station Sales Week Of 8/28: Silent Boston AM Sold|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/196610/station-sales-week-of-8-28-silent-boston-am-sold/|access-date=2020-08-31|website=RadioInsight|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-30|title=WHNK To Flip To Oldies|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/196745/whnk-to-flip-to-oldies/|access-date=2020-08-31|website=RadioInsight|language=en-US}}</ref> The sale of the station and the translators was consummated on October 29, 2020.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{AM station data|73353|WVAM}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|201252|W251CP}}
*{{FXL|W251CP}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|86072|W300AQ}}
*{{FXL|W300AQ}}
{{Parkersburg-Marietta Radio}}
{{Oldies Radio Stations in West Virginia}}
[[Category:Radio stations in West Virginia|VAM]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1935]]
[[Category:1935 establishments in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Oldies radio stations in the United States]]
{{WestVirginia-radio-station-stub}}