WINC-FM

{{for|the Winchester, Virginia, radio station that held the call sign WINC-FM at 92.5 FM from 1981 to 2020|WAIW (FM)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WINC-FM

| logo = WINC-300x200-Logo.jpg

| logo_upright = .9

| city = Berryville, Virginia

| country = US

| area = {{ubl|Northern Shenandoah Valley|Eastern West Virginia Panhandle}}

| branding = 105.5 WINC-FM (pronounced "Wink FM")

| frequency = {{frequency|105.5|MHz}}

| repeater =

| airdate = {{start date and age|1979|08|13|p=y|br=yes}}

| language = English

| format = Hot adult contemporary

| erp = 3,000 watts

| haat = {{convert|91|m|ft|sp=us}}

| class = A

| licensing_authority = FCC

| facility_id = 60363

| coordinates = {{coord|39|7|3.0|N|77|58|21.0|W|type:landmark}}

| callsign_meaning = Winchester

| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WWOO (1979–1987)|WAPP (1987–2002)|WWRE (2002–2009)|WXNB (2009–2011)|WXBN (2011–2020)}}

| owner = Darrin Jones

| licensee = Euclid Avenue Properties, LLC

| sister_stations = WINC

| webcast = {{listenlive|http://player.listenlive.co/55191}}

| website = {{URL|https://talkwinchester.com/winc-fm/}}

}}

WINC-FM (105.5 FM) is a hot adult contemporary-formatted radio station licensed to Berryville, Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley. WINC-FM is owned by Darrin Jones, through Euclid Avenue Properties, LLC.

History

In November 2020, the then-WXBN flipped to hot adult contemporary, assuming the hot adult contemporary format and "WINC-FM" (pronounced "Wink FM") branding previously heard on the Winchester-based 92.5 frequency (which was in the process of being sold to the Educational Media Foundation). The station would take over the WINC-FM legacy callsign on December 29, 2020.

On April 30, 2021, Centennial Broadcasting announced it was selling WINC-FM and sister station WZFC to Fairfax, Virginia-based Metro Radio, Inc. for $225,000. Fellow sister station WINC was not included in the sale. Allen B. Shaw, Centennial's president and CEO, said in a May 2021 interview with The Winchester Star that Metro Radio, Inc. had had insured Shaw "they do not intend to" change the format of WINC-FM and WZFC. Shaw further said Metro thought WZFC's format was "probably the best format for the Winchester market" for ad revenue.

On June 30, long-time morning show host Barry Lee signed off after 37 years at the station. Hours later, long-time afternoon host Paula Kidwell would also sign off. The sale of WINC-FM and sister WKDV-FM was completed the same day.

WINC-FM was acquired by funeral home operator Darrin Jones, through his Euclid Avenue Properties, effective December 12, 2022. Following the sale's completion, on December 16, 2022, WINC-FM began stunting with Christmas music, ahead of an announcement to be made on January 5, 2023, at 10:55 am. At that time, the station relaunched its hot adult contemporary format from a new Winchester studio; Metro Radio had operated the station from Fairfax, with the intent of serving Leesburg. WINC-FM is operated in conjunction with its former AM sister station, which had been sold in the interim to Todd Bartley's Colonial Radio Group of Williamsport and renamed WZFC; the arrangement saw the AM station reclaim its former WINC call sign.

References

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=60363&Callsign=WINC-FM|title=Call Sign History|accessdate=June 2, 2014|publisher=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}

{{cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=WI20&band=fm&callLetter=WXBN|title=Arbitron Station Information Profiles|accessdate=June 2, 2014|work=Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings}}

{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WINC-FM|title=WINC-FM Facility Record|accessdate=June 2, 2014|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}

{{cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/199237/educational-media-foundation-acquires-winc-fm/|title=Educational Media Foundation Acquires WINC-FM|date=October 8, 2020|accessdate=November 17, 2020|publisher=RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks|last=Venta|first=Lance}}

{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/201446/winc-fm-begins-frequency-move-ahead-of-emf-sale/|title=WINC-FM Begins Frequency Move Ahead Of EMF Sale|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=November 18, 2020|publisher=RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks|last=Venta|first=Lance}}

{{cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/207632/metro-radio-inc-acquires-winc-fm/|title=Metro Radio Inc. Acquires WINC-FM|date=April 30, 2021|accessdate=April 30, 2021|publisher=RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks|last=Venta|first=Lance}}

{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/assignmentDraftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f917915d22901791a881a5d0707&id=25076f917915d22901791a881a5d0707&goBack=N|title=Assignment of Authorization|date=April 30, 2021|accessdate=April 30, 2021|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}

{{cite news|newspaper=The Winchester Star|location=Winchester, Virginia|publisher=Ogden Newspapers|title=WINC-FM and its sister station to be sold to Fairfax firm|url=https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/winc-fm-and-its-sister-station-to-be-sold-to-fairfax-firm/article_dea6242a-f2d0-5321-a60b-a9823ebee127.html|date=May 5, 2021|access-date=May 6, 2021|last=Powell|first=Mickey}}

{{cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210236/barry-lee-retires-from-winc-fm-mornings-after-37-years/|title=Barry Lee Retires From WINC-FM Mornings After 37 Years|date=June 30, 2021|accessdate=July 1, 2021|publisher=RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks|last=Venta|first=Lance}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/wincfm/posts/10158556750843821|title=Today is my last day on WINC FM...|date=June 30, 2021|accessdate=July 1, 2021|publisher=Paula Kidwell/Centennial Broadcasting/Facebook}}

{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/consummationDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f917a62b850017a7c4ea9d1193f&id=25076f917a62b850017a7c4ea9d1193f&goBack=N|title=Notification of Consummation|date=July 7, 2021|accessdate=July 7, 2021|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}

{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Station Sales Week Of 10/14 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/243994/station-sales-week-of-10-14/ |access-date=April 20, 2023 |work=RadioInsight |date=October 14, 2022}}

{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2022 |title=WINC-FM Enters Holiday Mode Until January 5 Announcement |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/246214/winc-fm-enters-holiday-mode-until-january-5-announcement/ |access-date=December 17, 2022 |language=en-US}}

{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Mickey |title=Under new ownership, WINC-FM resumes broadcasting in Winchester |url=https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/under-new-ownership-winc-fm-resumes-broadcasting-in-winchester/article_c511fd23-2a73-5d90-adda-730e2962eb82.html |access-date=April 20, 2023 |work=The Winchester Star |date=January 6, 2023 |language=en}}

}}