WBRT’s ownership partners today reveal plans to purchase WOKH-FM 102.7

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 — The Bardstown Radio Team LLC — owners of WBRT AM/FM and the BRTV local cable channel, announced today they have filed an application to purchase ownership of WOKH FM 102.7.

The deal was announced live Wednesday morning by Bardstown Radio Team president Gerald Smith during WBRT’s “Bradford & Brooks” radio show with Margie Bradford and Jim Brooks.

The ownership transfer is expected to be approved and completed later this summer.

Smith and his partners that make up the Bardstown Radio Team — which include WBRT station manager Roth Stratton and his wife Lisa, and Bob Manning and wife Bonny — anticipate keeping the music format about the same on WOKH FM, and adding to that live, local community programming that the stations’ tri-county coverage area wants.

WOKH reaches Nelson, Marion and Washington, with additional signal reach north to Louisville and east toward Lexington.

Bob Manning will serve as station manager of WOKH, and Manning said he is looking forward to adding to the station’s programming. Manning currently has “Bob’s Country” that airs Friday afternoons on WBRT and at other times in the broadcast schedule.

The Bardstown Radio Team purchased WBRT in July 2009, and later expanded to include video broadcasts on local cable channel 19 and the Bardstown Bargains sales promotion website. In 2012, the station added an FM rebroadcast of WBRT programming on 97.1.

For WOKH, the sale means that the station is returning “home” — WOKH was the first FM station licensed in Nelson County by then WBRT owner Tom Isaac.

WOKH is owned by Jonathan Smith through the Choice Radio Central Corp.

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