WKAF (AM)

WKAF is Vermont's fourth oldest radio station, and the first north of Burlington.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1943/Radio%20-%20%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201943%20BW.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1943 page 148] On June 19, 1941, the station first signed on as WWSR at 1390 kHz.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=History Cards for WRSA|url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=68902|access-date=|website=licensing.fcc.gov}} With the enactment of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), the station moved to AM 1420 the following year. WWSR was owned by the Vermont Radio Corporation and broadcast at 1,000 watts. It was a daytimer, required to be off the air at night.

In April 1970, it added an FM station, 102.3 WWSR-FM. At first it simulcast the AM station but it later began airing an automated adult contemporary format known as "Hit Parade". Today it is WWMP, a mainstream rock station owned by Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc.

In the 1990s, WWSR was authorized by the FCC to broadcast at night, but only at 110 watts.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2000/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-2000-2.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-463] After changing to WTWK on March 13, 2002, the station was assigned the WRSA call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on April 23, 2002.{{cite web |title=Call Sign History |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=34812&Callsign=WRSA}} There is an unrelated WRSA-FM (96.9) in Huntsville, Alabama.

WRSA switched affiliations from ESPN Radio to Fox Sports Radio on January 1, 2011. The ESPN affiliation moved to WCPV (101.3 FM).{{cite news|last=Donoghue|first=Mike|title=Fox Sports joins Champlain Valley radio market|url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20101221/NEWS01/12210301/Fox-Sports-joins-Champlain-Valley-radio-market|accessdate=December 22, 2010|newspaper=Burlington Free Press|date=December 21, 2010}} On January 1, 2012, WRSA began to simulcast the oldies format of co-owned WIFY "Cruisin' 93.7" in Addison, Vermont.

WRSA flipped to a comedy radio format in September 2014, along with co-owned WCAT (1390 AM) in Burlington, Vermont.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=WIFY Cruises To A Point |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/90089/wify-cruises-to-a-point/ |access-date=October 7, 2024 |work=RadioInsight |date=September 10, 2024}} WRSA and WCAT returned to music programming with a hybrid of oldies and classic country in July 2015.{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=NERW 7/20/15: Farewell, Van Miller |url=https://www.fybush.com/nerw-20150720/ |access-date=October 7, 2024 |work=Fybush.com |date=July 20, 2015}} On October 30, 2015, WRSA went silent, along with WCAT. According to FCC records, the station had also been silenced in 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=34812|title=FCCdata.org - powered by REC|website=fccdata.org|access-date=March 25, 2019}}

Effective May 20, 2019, WRSA was acquired from Radio Broadcasting Services, Incorporated by the Radio Sound Company, including a construction permit for an FM translator in St. Albans, W262DH 100.3 MHz.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Station Sales Week of 3-15|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/175207/station-sales-week-of-3-15/|access-date=|website=RadioInsight}} WRSA returned to the air in spring 2019, simulcast with WCAT, carrying a business news format mostly supplied by Bloomberg Radio. On June 1, 2019, the station began local operation and ended the affiliation with Bloomberg. The format was a variety of music, and local programming. The new owners pledged to air local information.{{Cite web|url=https://www.samessenger.com/coming-at-you-live/|title=Coming at you live|website=St. Albans Messenger|access-date=June 19, 2019}}

After encountering financial issues, Radio Sound Company took WRSA off the air February 6, 2020.{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=NorthEast Radio Watch 2/24/2020: The WAAF-termath |url=https://www.fybush.com/nerw-20200224/ |access-date=October 7, 2024 |work=Fybush.com |date=February 24, 2020}} Effective May 1, 2020, the station's license and the translator construction permit were transferred back to Radio Broadcasting Services, Incorporated for $1 and assumption of debt outstanding from the 2019 sale. The FCC cancelled the construction permit for W262DH effective October 1, 2021. WCAT's license was surrendered and cancelled on November 1, 2022.{{cite web|url= https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=73613|title=License Cancelled|work=Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System|date=November 1, 2022|access-date=September 2, 2024}}

In 2024, WRSA was sold to Kalani Bowles’s Sky Radio & Press in a $25,000 deal; at the time of the sale, it was simulcasting 102.3, by then hot adult contemporary station WIXM.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Station Sales Week of 7/5 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/274194/station-sales-week-of-7-5-2/ |access-date=October 7, 2024 |work=RadioInsight |date=July 5, 2024}} The new owners would change the call sign to WKAF on September 6, 2024.{{cite web |last1=Flanagan |first1=Edward |title=Form 380 - Transfer/Assignment Request |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/amDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f9190a2e2810190b6d6a68b0bbf&id=25076f9190a2e2810190b6d6a68b0bbf&goBack=N |website=Licensing and Management System |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |access-date=October 7, 2024 |date=July 15, 2024}}

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{{AM station data|34812|WKAF}}

{{Burlington-Plattsburgh Radio}}

KAF

Category:St. Albans, Vermont

Category:Radio stations established in 1941

Category:1941 establishments in Vermont

Category:Mainstream rock radio stations in the United States