WKEY-FM
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{COI|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WKEY-FM
| logo = File:WKEY logo.png
| logo_caption =
| logo_size =
| city = Key West, Florida
| country = US
| area = Key West and Lower Florida Keys
| branding = Key 93.7
| frequency = 93.7 MHz
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1985|11|17}}
| format = Yacht rock
| erp = 6,100 watts
| haat = {{convert|43|meters}}
| class = C3
| facility_id = 34354
| coordinates = {{coord|24|34|19|N|81|44|24|W|region:US-FL_type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning = Key West
| former_callsigns = WKRY (1985–1999)
| former_frequencies = 93.5 MHz
| affiliations =
| owner = William Ostrander
| licensee = Radio One Key West, LLC
| operator = Magnum Broadcasting, Inc.
| webcast = [https://player.amperwave.net/11074 Listen Live]
| website = {{url|https://key937radio.com}}
| licensing_authority = FCC
}}
WKEY-FM (93.7 MHz) is a radio station located in Key West, Florida, United States. It is owned by William Ostrander through licensee Radio One Key West, LLC., with advertising sales and station broadcast operations conducted through a partnership with Magnum Broadcasting.[https://www.insideradio.com/free/magnum-broadcasting-to-oversee-sales-of-wkey-key-west/article_a7d4975a-ff02-11ed-a963-bb7b3e2164eb.html Magnum Broadcasting to oversee sales of WKEY Key West] (Retrieved 28 May 2025 from InsideRadio.com) WKEY broadcasts a yacht rock format known as "Key 93.7", they broadcast from studios and offices located on Front Street in Key West and transmitter facilities located on 1st Avenue in the unincorporated area of Stock Island.
History
The station went on the air as WKRY on 93.5 MHz on November 17, 1985, with a beautiful music format. By 1989, it was an easy listening station with 20 hours of jazz music and 8 hours of classical music a week.{{Cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1989/1989-BC-YB.pdf#page=147|work=Broadcasting Yearbook|date=1985|title=WKRY(FM)|via=World Radio History|page=B-63}} On November 23, 1999, the station changed its call sign to the current WKEY-FM.{{cite web|url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=34354&Callsign=WKEY |title=WKEY Call Sign History |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division }} On June 8, 2011, WKEY-FM changed formats to oldies, branded as "True Oldies". The station was moved to 93.7 MHz in 2013 as a contingency of relocating 104.3 MHz from West Palm Beach south toward the Miami market.{{Cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/81324/fcc-approves-waxy-fms-miami-move-in/|date=March 28, 2015|title=FCC Approves WAXY-FM's Miami Move-In|first=Lance|last=Venta|work=RadioInsight}}
Jonathan Smith's Choice Radio Keys Corporation acquired the station in 2016. By that time, it was operating as part of a regional simulcast with WGMX and WKEZ-FM, known as "The Mix".{{Cite web |title=Kentucky's Choice Radio Acquires Florida Keys Cluster |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/105649/kentuckys-choice-radio-acquires-florida-keys-cluster/ |access-date=October 19, 2022 |date=March 30, 2016 |website=RadioInsight |language=en-US}} The station then changed to classic hits as "Mix 93.7" on April 1, 2017. Due to an inability to pay outstanding debts, the company assigned the licenses of those stations and AM outlet WFFG to a trustee on June 4, 2018, to be sold for the benefit of creditors.{{Cite web |title=Station Sales Week Of 5/25 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/168586/station-sales-week-of-5-25/ |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=RadioInsight |date=May 25, 2018 |language=en-US}}
Effective November 4, 2020, the trustee sold WKEY-FM to Spottswood Partners II, Ltd., for $15,000 and the cancellation of a lease valued at $85,899.{{Cite web |title=Station Sales Week Of 7/17 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/191283/station-sales-week-of-7-17/ |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=RadioInsight |date=July 17, 2020 |language=en-US}} The station had been off the air since March 2020, with the trustee citing needed tower work.{{cite web|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101816256&formid=910&fac_num=34354|quote=WKEY-FM IS SILENT BECAUSE WORK IS BEING DONE ON THE TOWER IN WHICH THE STATION IS LOCATED.|title=Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA BLSTA-20200313AAB|website=Consolidated Database System|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=March 13, 2020}} On January 8, 2021, WKEY-FM resumed broadcasting, branded as "93.7 NRG", a new non-stop dance and disco music format created by NRG Media of Florida, which leased the station from Spottswood.{{Cite web |title=93.7 NRG Brings A Second Dance Station To Key West |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/206801/93-7-nrg-brings-a-second-dance-station-to-key-west/ |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=RadioInsight |date=April 7, 2021 |language=en-US}}
WKEY was purchased by Radio One Key West, LLC—headed by Buffalo, New York, broadcaster William Ostrander, who goes by the name "Buddy Shula" and owns WECK serving that city—on October 1, 2022, for $301,000.{{Cite web |title=Station Sales Week Of 8/12 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/237592/station-sales-week-of-8-12/ |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=RadioInsight |date=August 12, 2022 |language=en-US}} On October 18, WKEY-FM‘s format changed from smooth jazz to "mellow rock", branded as "Key 93.7".{{Cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/244161/mellow-rock-comes-to-key-west/|title=Mellow Rock Comes to Key West|work=RadioInsight|first=Lance|last=Venta|date= October 19, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://stats.uptimerobot.com/dVzfoi42go Key 93.7 Broadcast Operational Status] (via UptimeRobot)
- {{FM station data|34354|WKEY-FM}}
{{Florida Keys Radio}}
Category:Radio stations established in 1985
Category:1985 establishments in Florida
Category:Rock radio stations in the United States
Category:Soft adult contemporary radio stations in the United States
{{Florida-radio-station-stub}}