The highest-billing station in the US is signing away one of its three Washington-area repeater signals, as Hubbard Media that Connects ends WTLP’s simulcast of WTOP, leasing the Maryland frequency to Christian broadcaster K-LOVE through 2029.
Starting August 1, WTOP’s 24/7 news programming will no longer be heard on the Class A facility, which serves Frederick County. WTOP will continue to broadcast on WTOP-FM and repeater WWWT on 107.7 serving Northern Virginia, along with streaming through WTOP.com and its mobile apps.
How K-LOVE will use the WTLP signal is not yet known. The station joins former WINC-FM 92.5 in Winchester, Virginia, and former Mix 107.3 (WRQX) in Washington under the CCM network’s umbrella, with a pending acquisition of 100.7 WZBA in Westminster, MD, also in the works.
For WTOP listeners in Frederick, due north of Montgomery County via I-270, Hubbard is directing them to its main 103.5 FM signal, a 44kw Class B facility with a formidable in-car signal that lacks a city-grade contour in Frederick. Streaming is being offered as an alternative.
Hubbard purchased WTOP in April 2011 as part of a $505 million, 17-station acquisition from Bonneville International Corp.
The lease comes as WTOP General Manager Joel Oxley prepares to step away from the station after decades at the helm. During his tenure, WTOP was consistently the nation’s top-billing radio station, in addition to earning multiple Marconi and Murrow awards.
