WFRE

{{short description|Country music radio station in Frederick, Maryland}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WFRE

| logo = WFRE-FM 2019.png

| city = Frederick, Maryland

| country = US

| area = {{ubl|Central Maryland|Northern Virginia}}

| branding = Free Country 99.9 WFRE

| frequency = {{frequency|99.9|MHz}} {{HD Radio}}

| airdate = {{start date and age|1961}}

| languages = English

| format = Country music

| subchannels = HD2: WFMD simulcast (News–talk–sports)

| erp = 7,600 watts

| haat = {{convert|355|m|ft|sp=us}}

| class = B

| licensing_authority = FCC

| facility_id = 31139

| callsign_meaning = Frederick

| former_callsigns = WFMD-FM (1961–1969){{cite news|title=Call letters|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1969/1969-10-20-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=October 20, 1969|page=105}}

| owner = Local Daily Media

| licensee = Davis Media, LLC

| affiliations = Westwood One

| sister_stations = WFMD

| webcast = {{listenlive|http://player.listenlive.co/34921}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.wfre.com/}}

}}

WFRE (99.9 FM) is a radio station located in Frederick, Maryland, in the United States. It plays country music and is owned by Local Daily Media along with its sister station 930 WFMD. Despite the station being located approximately {{convert|45|mi|km|sp=us}} from the two closest major cities (Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.), its signal reaches both markets.

In 2007, Clear Channel Communications was required to spin off stations to comply with ownership limits. WFRE and WFMD were placed in a divestiture trust while Clear Channel sought a buyer.{{cite news|url=http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/business/display.htm?StoryID=78490|title=WFMD, WFRE put on the market|last=Waters Jr. |first=Ed |date=August 7, 2008|work=Frederick News-Post}}

On March 27, 2019, Connoisseur Media announced that it would acquire WFRE and WFMD from the Aloha Station Trust in exchange for transferring its cluster. in Erie, Pennsylvania, to iHeartMedia (the former Clear Channel).{{cite web |title=iHeartMedia & Connoisseur Media Swap Frederick & Erie |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/175710/iheartmedia-connoisseur-media-swap-frederick-erie/ |website=RadioInsight |date=March 27, 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Fairfield |first1=CJ |title=Two Frederick radio stations acquired by Connoisseur Media |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/arts_and_entertainment/music/two-frederick-radio-stations-acquired-by-connoisseur-media/article_fe2c7085-19c9-5afd-a397-d285952d0f7b.html |website=The Frederick News-Post |language=en}} The sale closed on May 20.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/186552/no-new-station-sales-in-fcc-database-tuesday-morni|title=No New Station Sales In FCC Database Tuesday Morning|website=All Access}} On July 24, 2024, Connoisseur announced a sale of WFMD and WFRE to Local Daily Media, owner of WTYD and WBQK as well as a local news site serving Williamsburg, Virginia. The sale closed on October 1.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Local Daily Media Acquires WFRE/WFMD |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/275958/local-daily-media-acquires-wfre-wfmd/ |work=RadioInsight |date=July 24, 2024}}