East Kentucky Broadcasting
Encyclopedia
East Kentucky Broadcasting is a network of radio station
s serving the Eastern Kentucky
area.
were drafted to create a new radio station in Pikeville, Kentucky. This radio station became WPKE-AM. July 31, 1949, the first broadcast from WPKE was transmitted at 250 watt
s.
During the early 1950s, Jack Hatcher bought out stockholders O.T. Hinton, Mitchell Preston, Alvis P. Keene, Dr. O.W. Thompson, Clyde Childers and Edward Venters, becoming the sole owner of the radio station. Burton Robinson, the business manager of WPKE, hired 16 year old Walter E. May as the first rock and roll
disc jockey
. After his death in 1960, his heirs sold all of the controlling stock to three men from Morehead, Kentucky
.
Two years after the death of Hatcher, May bought a third of the company, and was subsequently named General Manager of East Kentucky Broadcasting. May increased the transmittal power of WPKE from its original 250 watts to 1,000 watts. In 1965, two businessmen from Pikeville bought the remaining two-thirds of WPKE, organized by May. May then bought some stock from both businessmen, bringing his total interest in the company to 50%. The remaining stock was owned by five other businessmen, Henry Stratton, Hobert Clay Johnson, C.D. Roberts, Herman G. Dotson, and T.T. Colley, each with an equal 10% of the stock.
In 1966, Eastern Kentucky Broadcasting added another station, WPKE-FM, which later became WDHR. Between 1966 and 1980, EKB owned radio stations in Lexington
, Hindman
, Louisa
, Nicholasville
, Virgie
, Prestonsburg
, Coal Run
, Jellico, Williamson, WV
and Tennessee
.
On July 16, 1969, Walter E. May provided live coverage of the Apollo 11
launch from Cape Canaveral
.
Since 1990, Walter E. May has served as the mayor of Pikeville and President of the Board of Directors at Pikeville Medical Center
(throughout the years, EKB has raised over $50,000 for the hospital), in addition to his duties as CEO of East Kentucky Broadcasting. Currently, day-to-day operations of East Kentucky Broadcasting is the responsibility of Keith Casebolt, the President and General Manager.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s serving the Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Mountain Coal Fields
The Eastern Mountain Coal Fields is part of the Central Appalachian bituminous coal field, covering all or parts of 30 Kentucky counties and adjoining areas in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. It covers an area from the Allegheny Mountains in the east across the Cumberland Plateau and...
area.
Current stations
| Callsign | Location | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| WDHR WDHR WDHR is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Pikeville, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and features programing from ABC Radio , Motor Racing Network and Premiere Radio Networks.-Translators:In addition to the... |
Pikeville, KY Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
93.1 (FM) |
| WPKE-FM WPKE-FM WPKE-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Classic rock format. Licensed to Coal Run, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and features programing from ABC Radio and Premiere Radio Networks.... |
Coal Run Coal Run Village, Kentucky Coal Run Village is a city in Pike County, Kentucky, United States. The city serves as a suburb to Pikeville, Kentucky and is virtually surrounded by it to the north, south, and east. The population was 577 at the 2000 census... /Pikeville, KY Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
103.1 (FM) |
| WXCC WXCC WXCC is a radio station licensed to serve Williamson, West Virginia. The station is owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting and licensed to East Kentucky Radio Network, Inc. It airs a Country music format... |
Williamson, WV Williamson, West Virginia Williamson is a city in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA, along the Tug Fork River. The population was 3,414 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mingo County, and is the county's largest and most populous city. Williamson is home to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College... |
96.5 (FM) |
| WZLK WZLK -History:WZLK signed on the air in August 1992 under the ownership of Kenneth and Lonnie Osborne. The first songs to play were that of a classic country nature blended with Kentucky bluegrass. The station was co-owned with WLSI-AM in Pikeville, KY. WZLK became a second country outlet in Pike County... |
Virgie, KY Virgie, Kentucky Virgie is an unincorporated community located along Kentucky Route 1469 in Pike County, Kentucky, United States. Virgie's post office was established as Clintwood on April 3, 1890, with James M. Damron as postmaster. It was later renamed "Virgie" after the daughter of local resident, W.O.B... /Pikeville, KY Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
107.5 (FM) |
| WLSI WLSI WLSI is a radio station broadcasting a Sports/Talk format. Licensed to Pikeville, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and features programing from NBC Radio and Sporting News Radio Network.... |
Pikeville, KY Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
900 (AM) |
| WPRT-AM | Prestonsburg, KY Prestonsburg, Kentucky Prestonsburg is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Kentucky, United States. It lies in the eastern part of the state, along the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. It was founded in 1797 by Col. John Preston—for whom it was named—along with Solomon Stratton, Matthias... |
900 (AM) |
| WPKE-AM WPKE (AM) WPKE is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies format. Licensed to Pikeville, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation. WPKE-AM is an affiliate of CNN Radio and Dial Global. WPKE-AM is also the voice of cable channel 9 in the city of Pikeville,... |
Pikeville, KY Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
1240 (AM) |
| WBTH WBTH WBTH is a radio station licensed to serve Williamson, West Virginia, USA. The station, established in 1939, is owned and operated by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and the broadcast license is held by East Kentucky Radio Network, Inc.... |
Williamson, WV Williamson, West Virginia Williamson is a city in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA, along the Tug Fork River. The population was 3,414 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mingo County, and is the county's largest and most populous city. Williamson is home to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College... |
1400 (AM) |
| WEKB WEKB WEKB is a radio station broadcasting a Oldies format. Licensed to Elkhorn City, Kentucky, USA. The station is currently owned by East Kentucky Broadcasting Corporation and features programing from CNN Radio and Westwood One.-History:... |
Elkhorn City, KY Elkhorn City, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 1,060 people, 437 households, and 295 families residing in the city. The population density was 525.5 people per square mile . There were 506 housing units at an average density of 250.8 per square mile... |
1460 (AM) |
History
On December 23, 1948, articles of incorporationArticles of Incorporation
The Articles of Incorporation are the primary rules governing the management of a corporation in the United States and Canada, and are filed with a state or other regulatory agency.An equivalent term for LLCs in the United States is the Articles of Organization...
were drafted to create a new radio station in Pikeville, Kentucky. This radio station became WPKE-AM. July 31, 1949, the first broadcast from WPKE was transmitted at 250 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s.
During the early 1950s, Jack Hatcher bought out stockholders O.T. Hinton, Mitchell Preston, Alvis P. Keene, Dr. O.W. Thompson, Clyde Childers and Edward Venters, becoming the sole owner of the radio station. Burton Robinson, the business manager of WPKE, hired 16 year old Walter E. May as the first rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. After his death in 1960, his heirs sold all of the controlling stock to three men from Morehead, Kentucky
Morehead, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,845 people, households, and families residing in the city. The population density was 726.2 people per square mile. There were 2,356 housing units at an average density of 253.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 93.2% White, 3.2% African...
.
Two years after the death of Hatcher, May bought a third of the company, and was subsequently named General Manager of East Kentucky Broadcasting. May increased the transmittal power of WPKE from its original 250 watts to 1,000 watts. In 1965, two businessmen from Pikeville bought the remaining two-thirds of WPKE, organized by May. May then bought some stock from both businessmen, bringing his total interest in the company to 50%. The remaining stock was owned by five other businessmen, Henry Stratton, Hobert Clay Johnson, C.D. Roberts, Herman G. Dotson, and T.T. Colley, each with an equal 10% of the stock.
In 1966, Eastern Kentucky Broadcasting added another station, WPKE-FM, which later became WDHR. Between 1966 and 1980, EKB owned radio stations in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, Hindman
Hindman, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 787 people, 356 households, and 220 families residing in the city. The population density was 232.5 people per square mile . There were 415 housing units at an average density of 122.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 97.59% White, 0.38%...
, Louisa
Louisa, Kentucky
Louisa is a city in Lawrence County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,018 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lawrence County. The Levisa Fork River and Tug Fork River join at Louisa to form the Big Sandy River...
, Nicholasville
Nicholasville, Kentucky
Nicholasville is the 11th largest city in state of Kentucky and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 19,680 at the 2000 census...
, Virgie
Virgie, Kentucky
Virgie is an unincorporated community located along Kentucky Route 1469 in Pike County, Kentucky, United States. Virgie's post office was established as Clintwood on April 3, 1890, with James M. Damron as postmaster. It was later renamed "Virgie" after the daughter of local resident, W.O.B...
, Prestonsburg
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Prestonsburg is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Kentucky, United States. It lies in the eastern part of the state, along the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. It was founded in 1797 by Col. John Preston—for whom it was named—along with Solomon Stratton, Matthias...
, Coal Run
Coal Run Village, Kentucky
Coal Run Village is a city in Pike County, Kentucky, United States. The city serves as a suburb to Pikeville, Kentucky and is virtually surrounded by it to the north, south, and east. The population was 577 at the 2000 census...
, Jellico, Williamson, WV
Williamson, West Virginia
Williamson is a city in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA, along the Tug Fork River. The population was 3,414 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mingo County, and is the county's largest and most populous city. Williamson is home to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
On July 16, 1969, Walter E. May provided live coverage of the Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
launch from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
.
Since 1990, Walter E. May has served as the mayor of Pikeville and President of the Board of Directors at Pikeville Medical Center
Pikeville Medical Center
Pikeville Medical Center is a 261 bed medical facility located in Pikeville, Kentucky. It is a teaching hospital and is affiliated with Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine....
(throughout the years, EKB has raised over $50,000 for the hospital), in addition to his duties as CEO of East Kentucky Broadcasting. Currently, day-to-day operations of East Kentucky Broadcasting is the responsibility of Keith Casebolt, the President and General Manager.