WMXL
Encyclopedia
WMXL broadcasts with an ERP
of 85,000 watts, with nearly a 100-mile broadcasting radius. The station is heard as far south as London
, as far east as Grayson
, as far north as Cincinnati
and as far west as Louisville
. Clear Channel Communications
currently owns the station.
WMXL-FM is the fifth station broadcasting HD Radio
in Lexington after WUKY
, WKQQ, WBUL, and WLKT.
From 1974 to 1992, this station programmed a top 40 format under the call letters WLAP-FM. The station used TM's Stereo Rock format (as "FM 94½, The Music FM") for many years and, after transitioning to live programming in 1987, saw its peak of popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At that time, the station was known as Power 94.5, and programmed by Lexington native Greg Peddicord (aka Barry Fox).
The mid-90s brought a switch to the "Hot AC" format and the name Mix 94.5.
Dale O'Brien served as morning show host and program director for much of the early 90s before leaving for the programming position at Z104 in Washington, DC in 1996. At that point, Rick O'Shea arrived to guide the morning show, and Doug Hamand was given control of the programming. The O'Shea version of the station's Breakfast Club also featured local radio legend Matt Jaeger and former Miss Kentucky Christie Hicks.
Other popular Mix 94.5 air talent during this period included Barry Fox and longtime Lexington air talent Mike Graves. Fox served as music director before assuming programming duties, and the station prospered during the late 1990s.
O'Shea left the station in 1998 and Matt Jaeger took over the lead role on the morning show, continuing to dominate the Lexington adult audience. It was during this time period that the station's owner, Jacor Broadcasting, began to replace live air talent with out-of-town recorded shows from within the company. As a result, audience share began to slowly erode, and WMXL has never since been a market leader.
Barry Fox left Lexington to program WDJX in Louisville, and was replaced by T. R. Fox, who arrived from Rochester, NY. This Fox - no relation to his predecessor - programmed the station for several years, before giving way to the return of Dale O'Brien.
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 85,000 watts, with nearly a 100-mile broadcasting radius. The station is heard as far south as London
London, Kentucky
-Education:All of the following schools are administered by the Laurel County School District.-Primary schools:* * * * * * * * * * * * -High schools:* * -Colleges:* Laurel Technical College* * -Notable natives:...
, as far east as Grayson
Grayson, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,877 people, 1,415 households, and 938 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.1 people per square mile . There were 1,538 housing units at an average density of 614.5 per square mile...
, as far north as Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and as far west as Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
currently owns the station.
WMXL-FM is the fifth station broadcasting HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
in Lexington after WUKY
WUKY
WUKY is the flagship National Public Radio station in Lexington, Kentucky. Owned by the University of Kentucky, it is an Adult Album Alternative station that airs over 100 hours of music a week, in addition to programming from NPR, Public Radio International, the BBC, and American Public...
, WKQQ, WBUL, and WLKT.
From 1974 to 1992, this station programmed a top 40 format under the call letters WLAP-FM. The station used TM's Stereo Rock format (as "FM 94½, The Music FM") for many years and, after transitioning to live programming in 1987, saw its peak of popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At that time, the station was known as Power 94.5, and programmed by Lexington native Greg Peddicord (aka Barry Fox).
The mid-90s brought a switch to the "Hot AC" format and the name Mix 94.5.
Dale O'Brien served as morning show host and program director for much of the early 90s before leaving for the programming position at Z104 in Washington, DC in 1996. At that point, Rick O'Shea arrived to guide the morning show, and Doug Hamand was given control of the programming. The O'Shea version of the station's Breakfast Club also featured local radio legend Matt Jaeger and former Miss Kentucky Christie Hicks.
Other popular Mix 94.5 air talent during this period included Barry Fox and longtime Lexington air talent Mike Graves. Fox served as music director before assuming programming duties, and the station prospered during the late 1990s.
O'Shea left the station in 1998 and Matt Jaeger took over the lead role on the morning show, continuing to dominate the Lexington adult audience. It was during this time period that the station's owner, Jacor Broadcasting, began to replace live air talent with out-of-town recorded shows from within the company. As a result, audience share began to slowly erode, and WMXL has never since been a market leader.
Barry Fox left Lexington to program WDJX in Louisville, and was replaced by T. R. Fox, who arrived from Rochester, NY. This Fox - no relation to his predecessor - programmed the station for several years, before giving way to the return of Dale O'Brien.