KHIL (1250 AM, "Classic Country") is a radio station licensed to serve Willcox, Arizona, United States. The station is owned by John Oberreuter and Mark Lucke, through licensee Willcox Radio, LLC. It airs a classic country music format using a transmitter with an output of 5,000 watts (day), and 196 watts (night).[2] The station's programming is also simulcast on repeater station K251CG (98.1 FM) in Willcox.
 | |
| Frequency | 1250 kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | Classic Country |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic country |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
Former call signs | KWCX (1961–1963) |
Call sign meaning | Hills surrounding Willcox, Arizona |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 72656 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 5,000 watts (day) 196 watts (night) |
Transmitter coordinates | 32°16′00″N 109°49′58″W / 32.26667°N 109.83278°W |
| Translator(s) | 98.1 K251CG (Wilcox) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
The station was founded in 1958 by Rex Allen.[3] It was assigned its KHIL call letters by the Federal Communications Commission.[4]
In 2007, KHIL applied to relocate to Kearny, Arizona, with a change in frequency to 1260 kHz and a power upgrade 10,000 watts.[5] This application was dismissed by the FCC on April 21, 2008,[6] and KHIL remains in Willcox with a daytime power of 5,000 watts. At that time, Lucke had become the only paid employee (down from a staff of 10 in 2003).[3]
KHIL was featured in a December 2018 in a documentary published by The Atlantic, Lonesome Willcox.[7] A June 2019 report in The Guardian portrayed the station as being at the risk of closure, with Lucke keeping operations up without pay.[3]
Ownership
editIn April 2002, Lakeshore Media LLC completed its purchase of KHIL and KWCX-FM from Cathy Ann Enterprises LLC.[8] The sale price was reported to be $1.1 million.[9]
In March 2003, Clear Channel Communications reached a deal to acquire KHIL and KWCX-FM from Lakeshore Media LLC for $2.5 million, but that deal was contingent on the relocation of KWCX-FM to the Tucson area.[9] The FCC denied the move and the deal fell through.
In July 2007, KZLZ LLC reached an agreement to acquire KHIL and KWCX-FM from Lakeshore Media LLC for a reported sale price of $900,000.[10]
Effective November 22, 2017, KZLZ LLC sold KHIL to Willcox Radio, LLC for $150,000.
Translator
edit| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K251CG | 98.1 FM | Willcox, Arizona | 144678 | 50 | D | 32°16′1.27″N 109°50′2.24″W / 32.2670194°N 109.8339556°W | LMS |
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KHIL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c Weingarten, Debbie (June 6, 2019). "America's rural radio stations are vanishing – and taking the country's soul with them". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
- ^ "Don't let greed take away our radio stations". Arizona Range News. August 15, 2007.
- ^ "Application Search Details". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database. April 21, 2008.
- ^ Wright, Zach; Maxey, Ryan. "A 'Tragic Hero' in Small-Town America". The Atlantic. The Atlantic. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ "Lakeshore Media Buys Arizona Stations KHIL-AM and KWCX-FM". Radio Ink. April 11, 2002. Archived from the original on May 6, 2005. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
- ^ a b Reel, James (October 7, 2004). "Media Watch: Yet More Clear Channel". Tucson Weekly.
- ^ "Transactions 07-20-07". Radio Business Report. July 20, 2007. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
External links
edit- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 72656 (KHIL) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KHIL in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- "History Cards for KHIL". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
- Facility details for Facility ID 144678 (K251CG) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K251CG at FCCdata.org