WFTR

Infobox Radio station
name = WFTR


city = Front Royal, Virginia
area = Front Royal, Virginia
Warren County, Virginia
branding = "1450 WFTR"
slogan =
airdate = 1948
frequency = 1450 kHz
format = Full Service
power = 1,000 Watts day and night
erp =
class = B
callsign_meaning = Warren FronT Royal
former_callsigns =
owner = Royal Broadcasting
sister_stations = WZRV
webcast =
website = [http://www.realcountryonline.com/home.asp?callsign=WFTR-AM WFTR Online]
affiliations = ABC Radio News
Dial Global's "Mainstream Country" Network

WFTR is a Full Service formatted broadcast radio station, affiliated with Dial Global's "Mainstream Country" Network.

WFTR is licensed to Front Royal, Virginia, serving Front Royal and Warren County, Virginia. WFTR is owned and operated by Royal Broadcasting.

History

The idea of a radio station in Front Royal started in the fall of 1944 and was a project of The Chamber of Commerce for Front Royal and Warren County. Ground was officially broken on December 9, 1947 for the construction of the studio and tower, which was then located two miles east of Front Royal on John Marshall Highway. Before breaking ground occurred the Chamber of Commerce along with Sky-Park Broadcasting had to file applications and permits to the FCC along with the State Corporation Commission.

On November 28, 1946 Sky-Park Broadcasting Corp. sent an application to the Federal Communications Commission for a request to construct and operate a 250 watt low power radio station in Front Royal. Sky-Park Broadcasting Corp. was formed to start the station for Front Royal and Warren County. The officers of Sky-Park Broadcasting consisted of H. F. Minter, President; Warren S. Bell, Vice President; James A. Payne, Secretary and Howard A. Duncan, Treasure. The office for Sky-Park was located in Front Royal. The officers comprised the board of directors of the corporation.

During February 1947 Sky-Park Broadcasting was granted a charter by the State Corporation Commission. The charter granted them to start construction of a 250 watt, day and night station which will carry a direct signal for a radius of 24 miles. On Thursday June 12, 1947 H. F. Minter, President of Sky-Park was advised by a long distance telephone call that the application for an A.M. broadcasting station, 250 watts power on a 1450 kilocycle channel, had been granted by the Federal Communications Commission for Front Royal.

The action of the FCC granting this application was the consummation of a project under-taken by the Chamber of Commerce of Front Royal shortly after the re-organization on a full time basis, in 1944, and detail work as to the application was begun in October of that year. The people of Front Royal and Warren County had the opportunity of suggesting the call letters for the new broadcasting station. At a meeting between the board of directors the FCC desired that six sets of call letters be submitted in order that one might be selected from the group. The following six we selected from letters sent to James A. Payne and the chamber of commerce office.
*WFTR (Warren Front Royal)
*WFNP (Warren Front National Park)
*WFRW (Warren Front Royal Warren)
*WCFR (Warren County Front Royal)
*WNPB (Where National Park Begins)
*WFRV (Warren Front Royal Virginia)

WFTR was selected for the station call letters in late 1947. Construction on the building and tower was completed in 1948. The station also bought equipment to supply all three studios. WFTR went on the air September 19, 1948 at 12 noon. Along with the Sky-Park Broadcasting employees present were the chamber of commerce, the Kiwanis club, and local boy scouts.

Throughout the 1950’s WFTR had many names and many voices going through the radio waves of Front Royal and Warren County. Names such as Lloyd Riddle and Claude Jones. WFTR has been doing community service announcements since its first day on the air and continues to this day. WFTR carried Mutual News from the Mutual Broadcasting System for many years and had much local talent on the station throughout the years as well. Sometime in early 1962 WFTR went from 250 watts to 1000 watts. Although it was still 250 watts at night time. In 1969 WFTR was sold to Charles B. Britt of Wilmington, NC for the sum of $200,000. Sky-Park Broadcasting Corp. owned the station for 20 years under General Manager Ken Gordon. After the sale to Charles Britt, John E. Taylor took over as General Manager. When Mr. Taylor took over there were no plans on replacing of the staff which included Bill Duke, Jim Lawrence, Norman Schmidt, and Charles Carson. In 1978 Charles Britt sold WFTR to Harris Broadcasting Co. for the sum of $140,000. E. Richard Westlake took over as General Manager.

In March of 1971 Charles Britt, President of WFTR Inc., filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking the commission to amend its rules to assign an additional FM channel to Front Royal. If the permit was granted, the facility would operate with a power of 3,000 watts and program separately from WFTR-AM with broadcasting done in stereo. WIXV went on the air June 30, 1980 located at 95.3 on the FM band. WIXV changed its call letters to WFTR-FM in March of 1983.

The station was once again sold, in 1981, to a New York based communications company, Straus Communications. Kemp Miller came on as General Manager for Straus Communications. In 1993 Kemp hired Mike O’Dell as the sales manager. Kemp left shortly thereafter. Leaving Mike O’Dell as the General Manager. Kemp returned to do sales and The News at Noon and The Valley Today.

Many local DJ’s have walked the halls of WFTR including Lonnie Hill, Mike O’Dell, Kemp Miller, Warren Gosnell, Jim Lawrence, Nikki Ciatti, Bob Traister, Chuck Caroll, and others! Over the years WFTR radio has had many local organizations and community events advertise on the stations. With some of them still on the station today.

On August 15, 2000 Royal Broadcasting Inc. bought the station from Straus Communications. Current President Andrew Shearer and Vice President Mike O’Dell continue to keep the local community programming on WFTR-AM and WZRV-FM. Since day one WFTR has been here for the local community and the support continues to this day. WFTR first went on the air September 19, 1948 and on September 19, 2008 WFTR will celebrate 60 years of community service to Front Royal and Warren County with a celebration at the still operational original studios on John Marshall Highway.

Programming Switch

On September 4th, 2007, WFTR dropped ABC Radio's "Real Country" Network for Dial Global's "Mainstream Country" Network. WFTR continues to air ABC Radio News at the top of each hour.

External Links

* [http://www.royalbroadcasting.net/ Official Website for Royal Broadcasting]
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