WAHR

WAHR (99.1 FM, "Star 99.1") is an American mainstream adult contemporary music-formatted radio station licensed to serve Huntsville, Alabama. The station is owned by the Black Crow Media Group and the broadcast license is held by BCA Radio, LLC. (A transfer to Southern Stone Communications, LLC, is pending consummation.) The signal covers most of northern Alabama and southern central Tennessee. WAHR is one of the top-rated radio stations in the Huntsville market.

History

WAHR was originally founded in 1959 by Arnold Hornbuckle. It was Alabama's first stand-alone FM radio station. The call letters stood for 'Arnold Hornbuckle Records.' At the time of licensing, he owned Hornbuckle's Record Shop, also in Huntsville, Alabama. Shortly after the station began broadcasting, Bill Lane became the station's manager and a minority shareholder. Lane retired in 1990.

In the early 1960s a signature phrase was "Broadcasting from the top of the Times Building". Some of the station operators were servicemen stationed at Redstone Arsenal and promotional literature included a letter from Dr. Wernher von Braun complimenting the station on its classical music programs. After nearly 40 years serving the Tennessee Valley, Hornbuckle retired, selling the station in July 1999. In 2009, Hornbuckle was inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.