WLKO
| City | Hickory, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Branding | 102.9 The Lake |
| Slogan | We Play Anything |
| Frequency | 102.9 MHz(also on HD Radio) 102.9 HD-2 for Hot AC "Today's Mix" |
| First air date | 1959 (as WHKY-FM) |
| Format | Adult Hits |
| ERP | 30,500 watts |
| HAAT | 468 meters |
| Class | C1 |
| Facility ID | 68211 |
| Callsign meaning | W LaKe 1O2 (The O is meaning the 0) |
| Former callsigns | WHKY-FM (1959-1987) WRLX (1987-1989) WEZC (1989-1995) WLYT (1995-2012) WLKO (2012-present) |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia |
| Webcast |
Listen Live HD2: Listen Live |
| Website | 1029thelake.com |
iHeartMedia
(Capstar TX LLC
WLKO (102.9 FM, "The Lake") is an adult hits music station serving the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Although licensed to Hickory, the main studios are located at 801 Woodridge Center Drive, just off the Billy Graham Parkway near Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, while its transmitter is located north of Stanley. The station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia.
WLKO broadcasts in the HD Radio format, licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission as a digital (hybrid) station.
The station's history in Charlotte began on September 1, 1987, with a signal boost and a move from Hickory, North Carolina (where it was WHKY-FM). Prior to the move, "Y-102.9" had played Top 40 with a heavy emphasis on album-oriented rock, a format that made people notice at a time when rock radio was in decline. Before that, WHKY-FM had aired Christian programming since 1959.
WRLX, also known as "Relax 102.9", aired a beautiful music format. WRLX promoted itself with images of a pair of retirement-age punk rockers, intended to humorously illustrate how the competition apparently viewed the station's target audience. In March 1989, the station changed its call letters to WEZC (after the 104.7 frequency gave up those letters) and its name to "EZ 102.9", gradually adding more vocals during the summer to make the transition from beautiful music to MOR. Some of the early announcers include Bob Brandon, Jim Davenport, Catherine Lane, Jon Robinson and Todd Edwards. In 1993, the name changed again to "Lite 102.9" as the station moved from Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow to soft adult contemporary (Phil Collins, Elton John and Billy Joel), and the call letters switched to WLYT in 1995. Over the years, as the definition of soft adult contemporary changed, WLYT evolved. The station played pop and lite rock music from the 1970s to present, with an occasional 1960s song. Delilah After Dark aired in the evenings.
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Wikipedia