WKES-FM 91.1 Lakeland

WKES-FM 91.1
Lakeland

Original Call Letters: WCIE

Originally Licensed: May 20, 1975

Original City of License : Lakeland

Original Frequency: 91.3

Origin of Call Letters:

Original Power: 50,000 Watts

Original Location:

Original Format: Contemporary Christian

Network Affiliation(s):

Moody Broadcasting Network

Owner(s):	1975-Carpenters Home Church/Evangel Christian School
	1997-Paxson Communications Corporation ($5 million)
	1997-Moody Broadcasting Network

History of Call Letters and Formats:	WCIE-1975-Contemporary Christian
	WKES-1997-Inspirational Music

History of WKES
Thanks to Marc Tyll for this history of WKES.
WKES began regular broadcast service on May 20, 1975 as WCIE when Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland received a construction permit for a new non commercial FM radio station. The original frequency was on 91.3 and the station operated with 50,000 watts from a 500 foot tower located at 777 Carpenter’s Way in Lakeland, Florida. The call letters – WCIE – stood for Where Christ Is Everything and was managed by the Evangel Christian School, a part of the Carpenter’s Home Church. The original format was Contemporary Hit Christian Music with some Christian talk programming such as Focus on the Family hosted by Dr. James Dobson. In 1980 WCIE increased its power to 100,000 watts when the station moved its frequency from the original 91.3 dial position to 91.1. Programming remained Contemporary Christian with select Christian talk programming throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s. In 1997, Carpenter’s Home Church sold WCIE for $5 million to Paxson Communications Corporation in a three way station swap. Paxson purchased WKES-FM 101.5 Saint Petersburg from the Moody Bible Institute and WCIE simultaneously. WCIE, along with some cash, was traded to Moody in exchange for the 101.5 frequency. WCIE became WKES-FM 91.1 and began programming Moody Broadcasting Network programming that had previously been broadcast over the 101.5 frequency. Today WKES-FM 91.1 continues to broadcast programs from the Moody Broadcasting Network and is simulcast over WKZM-FM 104.3 Sarasota and WHGN-FM 91.9 Crystal River.