WBHK

WBHK (98.7 FM "98.7 Kiss-FM") is a commercial radio station owned by SummitMedia and airing an urban adult contemporary format. It is licensed to Warrior, Alabama, and serves Greater Birmingham. In AM drive time, it carries the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show. (Smiley is a graduate of the University of Alabama.) WBHK shares studios with six sister stations in the Cahaba neighborhood in far southeast Birmingham.^[3]

WBHK

Warrior, Alabama
Broadcast area	Birmingham, Alabama
Frequency	98.7 MHz
Branding	98.7 Kiss FM
Programming
Format	Urban Adult Contemporary
Ownership
Owner	SummitMedia (SM-WBHK, LLC)
Sister stations	WAGG, WBHJ, WBPT, WENN, WPYA, WZZK-FM
History
First air date	April 22, 1992; 32 years ago (1992-04-22) (as WLBI)
Former call signs	WLBI (1991–1996)[1]
Call sign meaning	BirmingHam's Kiss
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	65227
Class	C1
ERP	39,000 watts
HAAT	408 meters (1,339 ft)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	987kiss.com

WBHK is a Class C1 FM station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 39,000 watts. The transmitter and tower are on Golden Crest Drive atop Red Mountain.^[4] The signal can be heard across most of Northern and Central Alabama. In 2005, WBHK began broadcasting in IBOC digital radio, using the HD Radio system from iBiquity.

History

Hot AC and Smooth Jazz

While the station was still a construction permit, it was assigned the WLBI call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on December 13, 1991.^[1] After it was built, it signed on the air on April 22, 1992; 32 years ago (1992-04-22).^[5] It was known as "The Great 98" and was powered at 6,000 watts, a fraction of its current output. It had a hot adult contemporary format but was a rimshot station, 15 miles (24 km) north of Birmingham. Its tower was on a hill off Arkadelphia Road, west of Warrior, with studios set up in a trailer. The station was built by Terry Bentley Lowery and Danny Bentley, both with broadcasting interests in Oneonta, Alabama.

In 1994, the station became known as "98 Lite", and changed to a soft adult contemporary format. In 1995, WLBI began adding smooth jazz programming and eventually morphed into a fulltime smooth jazz station. It continued to broadcast as "98 Lite".

Urban AC

On July 24, 1996, after years of struggling in the ratings, it segued to Urban AC music. It began using the slogan, "98.7 Kiss-FM, Smooth R&B and Classic Soul". It switched call letters, becoming WBHK on July 1, 1996.^[1] The letters represent "BirmingHam's Kiss."^[6]

With the format change, the ratings increased. In 2002, the transmitter was upgraded and moved up to Red Mountain after many years of broadcasting from a shorter tower. It was acquired by Atlanta-based Cox Radio in the early 2000s.

On July 20, 2012, Cox Radio announced the sale of WBHK and 22 other stations to Summit Media LLC for $66.25 million. The sale was consummated on May 3, 2013.^[7][8] Under Summit ownership, the station continues its Urban AC format and high ratings.

Station management

• Executive Vice President: Randy Chase
• Vice President of Promotions and Events: Justin Ragland
• General manager: John Walker
• Brand and Content Leader: Maurice Devoe
• Program Director: Darryl Johnson