View source for WYKR-FM

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station dual
| name1            = WYKR-FM
| name2            = WTWN
| logo             = WYKR-FM logo.png
| logo_size        = 250px
| city1            = [[Haverhill, New Hampshire]]
| city2            = [[Wells River, Vermont]]
| country          = US
| area             = Northeast Vermont & Northwest New Hampshire
| branding         = WYKR Country 101.3
| airdate1         = {{start date|1990|2|19}}
| airdate2         = {{start date|1976|10|3}}
| frequency1       = 101.3 [[MHz]]
| frequency2       = 1100 [[kHz]]
| repeaters        = 
| translators      = {{Radio Relay|105.1|W286DE|Wells River|WTWN}}
| format           = [[Country music|Country]]
| erp1             = 3,000 watts
| haat1            = {{convert|12|m|ft|sp=us}}
| power2           = {{ubl|5,000 watts daytime|2,000 watts [[critical hours]]}}
| class1           = A
| class2           = D
| facility_id1     = 53866
| facility_id2     = 53865
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| coordinates1     = {{coord|44|6|49.2|N|71|58|52.3|W|region:US-NH_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates2     = {{coord|44|8|55.23|N|72|4|0.33|W|region:US-VT_type:landmark|name=WTWN}}
| callsign_meaning2 = "Twin State"<ref name="mst-wykrtowtwn">{{cite news |title=Call Letter Changes |work=The M Street Journal |date=May 5, 1999 |page=6}}</ref>
| former_callsigns2 = WYKR (1976–1999)
| former_frequencies1  = 
| former_frequencies2  = 1490 kHz (1976–1987)
| affiliations     = {{ubl|[[CBS News Radio]]|[[Westwood One]]|[[Motor Racing Network]]}}
| owner            = Joshua Smith
| licensee         = Yankee Kingdom Media Corp.
| sister_stations  = 
| webcast          = {{listenlive|https://streamer.radio.co/s1ebf8172e/listen}}
| website          = {{URL|https://www.wykr.com/}}
}}
'''WYKR-FM''' (101.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) is a radio station licensed to serve [[Haverhill, New Hampshire]]. It airs a [[country music]] format.<ref>{{cite web |title=Winter 2008 Station Information Profile |work=Arbitron |url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?srvy_id=WI08&surveyID=WI08&band=fm&callLetter=WYKR}}</ref> WYKR-FM's programming is also heard on [[Daytimer|daytime-only station]] '''WTWN''' (1100 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) and [[FM translator]] W286DE (105.1) in [[Wells River, Vermont]]. Both WYKR-FM and WTWN are owned by Joshua Smith's Yankee Kingdom Media Corp.

WYKR began broadcasting in 1976 over the AM station in Wells River, which operated at 1490&nbsp;kHz until 1987. WYKR-FM was added in 1990. WYKR AM became WTWN in 1999, and aired [[Christian radio]] programming during the 2000s before returning to the WYKR-FM [[simulcast]]. The Puffer family owned the stations from 1976 until 2023, when they were acquired by Yankee Kingdom Media Corp.

==History==
WYKR went on the air October 3, 1976, under the ownership of Eugene and Harold Puffer, [[doing business as]] the Puffer Brothers.<ref name="vab-wykrearlyyears">{{cite web |title=Voices From The Hills |url=https://vermontbroadcasters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/vab-35th-magazine.pdf#page=45 |publisher=Vermont Association of Broadcasters |access-date=October 7, 2024 |date=May 19, 1989 |page=43}}</ref><ref name="fcc-cards">{{cite web |title=WYKR (WTWN) history cards |url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=69090 |website=CDBS Public Access |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=May 21, 2024 |format=PDF}}</ref> The station's studios were located in the former [[Wells River Graded School]].<ref name="vab-wykrearlyyears"/> Harold Puffer left the station in 1981 to return to the insurance business; the following year, Eugene Puffer—who had previously worked at [[WCVR]] in [[Randolph, Vermont|Randolph]]—transferred WYKR's license to a new company, Puffer Broadcasting.<ref name="vab-wykrearlyyears"/> WYKR was a 1,000-watt station at 1490&nbsp;kHz until 1987, when it moved to 1100&nbsp;kHz and boosted power to 5,000 watts.<ref name="vab-wykrearlyyears"/>

In the late 1980s, Puffer Broadcasting obtained a [[Broadcasting construction permit|construction permit]] for an FM station at 101.3&nbsp;MHz, with the intent of simulcasting WYKR's country music programming.<ref name="vab-wykrearlyyears"/> The new station was assigned the WYKR-FM [[call sign]] by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] on November 10, 1988,<ref name="fcc1">{{cite web |title=WYKR-FM Call Sign History |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=53866&Callsign=WYKR-FM}}</ref> and went on the air February 19, 1990.<ref name="by1999">{{cite book|title=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999|year=1999|page=D-280|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-NE-Ter-BC-YB-1999..pdf|accessdate=April 23, 2017}}</ref> The AM station changed its call sign from WYKR to WTWN, for "Twin State",<ref name="mst-wykrtowtwn"/> on April 16, 1999;<ref name="fcc-wtwncallsigns">{{cite web |title=WTWN Call Sign History |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=53865&Callsign=WTWN |website=CDBS Public Access |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=May 21, 2024}}</ref> by June 2000, WTWN was a [[Christian radio]] station.<ref name="nerw-wtwnchristian">{{cite news |last1=Fybush |first1=Scott |title=CRTC Picks Three in Toronto |url=https://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-000623.html |access-date=May 21, 2024 |work=North East RadioWatch |date=June 23, 2000}}</ref>

Puffer Broadcasting sold WYKR-FM and WTWN to Joshua Smith, through his Yankee Kingdom Media Corp., for $125,000 in 2023; the stations' towers, which the Puffers had separately held through Mill Street Enterprises, were also concurrently acquired by Smith.<ref name="ri-saletoykmc">{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Station Sales Week Of 5/26 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/252511/station-sales-week-of-5-26/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |work=RadioInsight |date=May 26, 2023}}</ref>

==Translator==
{{RadioTranslators
| callsign = WTWN
| width    =

| call1    = W286DE
| freq1    = 105.1
| fid1     = 200081
| watts1   = 250
| class1   = D
| city1    = Wells River, Vermont
| coord1   = {{coord|44|6|49|N|71|58|52|W|region:US-VT_type:landmark|name=W286DE}}
| notes1   =  
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.wykr.com/}}
{{FM station data|53866|WYKR}}
{{AM station data|53865|WTWN}}

{{clear}}
{{Northeast Kingdom and Northern New Hampshire Radio}}
{{Lebanon-Hanover-White River Junction Radio}}
{{Country Radio Stations in New Hampshire}}

[[Category:Radio stations in New Hampshire|YKR-FM]]
[[Category:Country radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Haverhill, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1990]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in New Hampshire]]


{{NewHampshire-radio-station-stub}}