Transmitter upgrade doubles radio station’s wattage
FARMER CITY – A power upgrade long in the works is now a reality at radio station WWHP-FM 98.3, better known as “The Whip” in Farmer City.
The upgraded transmitter now effectively doubles the station’s power, from 3,000 watts to 6,000 watts. The boost now allows the station and its advertisers to reach much larger markets, from Bloomington-Normal to the northwest to Champaign-Urbana in the southwest.
“We can literally reach over a half-million listeners now with the upgrade,” says Larry Williams, WWHP general manager, in a news release. “The upgrade will allow us to expose a greater number of people to good music that they would not otherwise hear, and better serve our loyal advertisers with whom we have developed a close relationship over the years.
“We are looking forward as well to developing good relationships with future advertisers and listeners,” he adds.
The station is known for its unique format of American roots music – unusual for big-city broadcasters, let alone one located in a small town. As a result, the station has developed its slogan, “Somewhere between Memphis and Chicago is The Whip.” WWHP plays a mix of blues, rock, alt-country, bluegrass, gospel, folk and even comedy.
“There were a lot of obstacles to overcome along the way, but our main goal has always been to upgrade the station to provide the area with a good local roots-based format,” Williams says. He’s also known as The Whip’s morning man, Lonesome Larry. “We are excited and looking forward to expanding our live music shows and making new friends along the way.”
WWHP also streams its programming on the Internet at www.wwhp.com.