WMLK

❧

Wikipedia

WMLK
Transmitter and information sign along westbound I-78/US 22
Frequencies
  • 9.275 MHz
  • 15.15 MHz
  • 17.525 MHz
Ownership
OwnerAssemblies of Yahweh
History
First air date
1981 (1981)
Call sign meaning
From the Hebrew word malak (“messenger”)
Technical information
Power300 kW
Links
Websitewww.wmlkradio.net

WMLK is a shortwave radio station licensed to Bethel, Pennsylvania, United States, and owned by the Assemblies of Yahweh. The station broadcasts on 9.275 MHz, 15.15 MHz, and 17.525 MHz. Its call sign is derived from the Hebrew word malak (מַלְאָךְ), meaning “messenger.”[1]

History

The station’s origins date to 1966, when Elder Jacob O. Meyer began a radio ministry known as the Sacred Name Broadcast.[1] In 1981, the Assemblies of Yahweh acquired a 50,000-watt transmitter for shortwave use.[2] The installation and technical adaptation of the transmitter were carried out by members of the Assemblies of Yahweh, including Deacon Gary McAvin, who served as chief engineer and oversaw aspects of the station’s technical development for several decades.[3]

WMLK began shortwave broadcasting in 1985 using a modified RCA BTA-50G transmitter originally manufactured in 1947.[4] In 2017, the station acquired a new transmitter manufactured by Ampegon, rated at up to 450 kW. Installation required updated cooling and power systems.[4] Broadcasting resumed in June 2022 following completion of the upgrade.

Programming

WMLK broadcasts recorded teachings by Jacob O. Meyer, founder of the Assemblies of Yahweh, who died in 2010. Programming consists primarily of archived material.[5] The station also provides an online audio stream and can be listened to through the Assemblies of Yahweh app.

Schedule

As of October 2024, WMLK broadcasts six days per week on the following frequencies:[6]

  • 15.15 MHz — 12:00–17:00 UTC
  • 17.525 MHz — 17:30–22:30 UTC
  • 9.275 MHz — 23:00–04:00 UTC

Affiliated broadcasts

The Assemblies of Yahweh also distribute the Sacred Name Broadcast through commercial AM and FM radio stations in the United States and internationally. Broadcast times and stations vary by region.

Reception and coverage

WMLK’s curtain antenna system was featured in ARRL's Small Antennas for Small Spaces (2011), which included a photograph and description of the station’s antenna installation near Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania.[7]

It says:

Amateur Radio operators dearly love antennas. To us, antennas are more than mere functional devices for radiating signals; they are beautiful works of engineering art. A gorgeous antenna system will stop us cold in our tracks, utterly transfixed by the wonder of its design. Hams are the people who nearly cause traffic accidents because they are gaping at awesome antennas when they should be paying attention to their driving. A few years ago I alarmed my family by swerving off Interstate 78 in eastern Pennsylvania, grabbing my camera and leaping from the car. The object of my insane desire was the spidery curtain antenna of shortwave broadcaster WMLK

— ARRL's Small Antennas for Small Spaces[8]


See also

References

  1. 1 2 Meyer, Jacob (May 2018). "Radio Station WMLK" (PDF). The Sacred Name Broadcaster. Bethel, PA: Assemblies of Yahweh. pp. 16–21. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  2. ↑ Meyer, Jacob. "Assemblies of Yahweh site (Proclaiming Yahweh's Truth To The World)". Assemblies of Yahweh. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Obituary for Gavin E. McAvin". Lamm & Witman Funeral Home. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 Butera, Martin. "Shortwave Station WMLK". Radio Heritage. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Shortwave Station WMLK". Radio Heritage. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "New Frequencies and Times!". Assemblies of Yahweh. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  7. ↑ Ford, Steve (2011). "1". ARRL's Small Antennas for Small Spaces. American Radio Relay League. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-87259-839-3.
  8. ↑ Ford, Steve (2011). "1". ARRL's Small Antennas for Small Spaces. American Radio Relay League. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-87259-839-3. Retrieved 21 January 2024.

40°28′46.4″N 76°16′48.3″W / 40.479556°N 76.280083°W / 40.479556; -76.280083