| WFAV | |
| City: | Kankakee, Illinois |
| Country: | US |
| Area: | Kankakee, Illinois |
| Branding: | WFAV 95.1 |
| Airdate: | [1] [2] |
| Format: | Top 40 (CHR) |
| Subchannels: | HD2: Simulcast of WIVR (country) |
| Erp: | 2,300 watts |
| Haat: | 112m (367feet) |
| Class: | A |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
| Facility Id: | 42656 |
| Coordinates: | 41.078°N -87.756°W |
| Callsign Meaning: | "Favorite Hits" |
| Affiliations: | American Top 40 |
| Owner: | Milner Media Partners, LLC |
| Sister Stations: | WVLI, WYUR, WIVR |
WFAV (95.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois. WFAV has a Contemporary hit radio format and is owned by Milner Media Partners.[3]
The station was built by Dennis Baldridge and Richard Shelton, engineers at 89.7 WONU, and originally held the call sign WKVF.[2] As the station was coming on the air, it was sold to Rollings Communications for $90,000.[4] Its call sign was changed to WZZP by the time it began broadcasting in October 1992.[2] [1] [5] The station aired a classic rock format, and was part of a simulcast with 95.3 WZNF in Rantoul, Illinois and 107.9 WZNX in Arcola, Illinois.[2] [1] [5] In 1995, the station was sold to Milner Broadcasting, headed by Tim Milner, for $425,000.[6]
In March 1995, the station adopted an oldies format, branded "The Valley", and the station's call sign was changed to WVLI.[7] The station was simulcast on WFAV 103.7 from the station's sign-on in 2007 until 2011.[8] [9] [10] [11] WFAV 103.7 would end the simulcast and begin airing a CHR format.[12] In August 2012, the station began simulcasting on 92.7 WKIF.[13]
On December 27, 2012, 95.1 began simulcasting the CHR format of 103.7, and "The Valley" oldies format was moved to 92.7. The two stations became known as 95.1 & 103.7 Hit Radio for the Kankakee River Valley.[14] On December 29, 2012, the WKIF calls moved from 92.7 to 95.1 and the WVLI calls moved from 95.1 to 92.7.[15] On February 20, 2013, the station's call sign was changed to WFAV (which moved from 103.7) and its simulcast with 103.7 ended, as 103.7 adopted a classic rock format as WYUR.[16] In 2018, Milner Broadcasting was sold to the newly formed Milner Media Partners.[17]