Chamber Newsroom: News From Our Members

Locally owned and operated Phillips Broadcasting of St Augustine is doubling the size of its radio station ownership with the addition of two brand new FM stations that will serve the St Johns County region and augment its two long-held AM stations, the 75-year old heritage news/talk/local information WFOY 1240 and WAOC 1420.

    “I have great confidence and faith in St Augustine’s stability and robust economy since the company purchased the two AM stations back in 2006.   I feel with the trends shifting more to FM listening, it’s important that we add FM voices to our established AM brands,” commented Kristine Phillips, President of Phillips Broadcasting LLC, owner of the stations. “We are investing heavily in a state of-the-art broadcast studio and transmitter plant that will be an all digital facility with brand new studio and transmitting equipment which should deliver superior coverage 24 hours a day to the entire County and beyond.”

    Phillips believes the addition of two FMs will enhance WFOY's long standing reputation as the radio station of “record” for St Augustine and the contiguous communities it has proudly served for over 75 years.  WFOY will be heard at 102.3 FM. “The area has grown well beyond the original 1240 AM signal design, which dates back to the 1930’s when St Augustine was a much smaller community. Our new signal strength will cover fast growing St. Johns County,” added Phillips. “With 102.3 FM, we will deliver a clear, strong signal even during severe weather when local news alerts are so vitally important.”

    "96.5 FM (which is in the process of being transferred to Phillips, pending Federal Communications Commission approval) will expand WAOC's day and night coverage.  We are laying down the game plans for what will be a truly dynamic approach to St Augustine radio that 96.5 FM will offer,” Phillips commented. “It will provide something which St Augustine listeners and advertisers have not had for a long time in a way that will establish WAOC and 96.5 FM as a truly needed form of radio entertainment and with WFOY – 102.3FM, become market dominating stations. As a result, we will cement our reputation as the Voice of St. Johns County."
   
   Station officials spoke about the difficulty in obtaining the FM stations, a process which began back in late 2008, a little more than two years after Phillips purchased the AM combo from Doug Shull of Shull Broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission regulates spectrum for all radio stations in the United States and in markets close to major media centers such as Jacksonville, available spectrum in which to place FM stations is at a premium.

    “I enjoy everything about St Augustine since I moved here six years ago,” Phillips said. “As a resident and a businessperson, it’s a wonderful community in which to live and raise children.   I feel that by making this substantive investment with the addition of our two new FM’s, we will be a vital community resource as a place for outstanding radio - news, sports weather, information and entertainment for St. Johns County.  As we embrace the 500th anniversary of Ponce DeLeon’s discovery of LaFlorida next year, we're excited to build upon our 75 year heritage in the community while we look forward to the future."

    Phillips says station engineering staff will be putting WFOY-102.3 FM on the air early in 2013, while WAOC 96.5 FM will sign on in sometime in the first quarter of the year.