WHER (defunct)

WHER
Broadcast area Memphis, Tennessee
Branding WHER
Slogan "1,000 Beautiful Watts"
Frequency 1430 kHz
First air date October 29, 1955
Format popular, jazz, talk
Power 1000 watts
Class IV
Callsign meaning W "Her"
Owner Sam Phillips and Kemmons Wilson
RCA 77 microphone with WHER mic flag.

WHER (1430 kHz AM) was the first "All-Girl" radio station when it went on the air in October 1955. Staffed almost exclusively by women (including broadcasting pioneer Vida Jane Butler), the station spawned a series of imitators, but later evolved into a mixed-gender staff rechristened WWEE.

The radio station was the brainchild of Sam Phillips, who used a portion of the $35,000 he made from the sale of Elvis Presley's recording contract to RCA Records to finance the station. A portion of the balance of the funding came from Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, who also provided the station's first home, in a part of the third Holiday Inn ever built.

As of 2008, the 1430 kHz frequency is occupied by WOWW, a country music station.


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