WBKR FM, is a heritage FM station based in Owensboro, Kentucky. Originally founded and operated by the same owners of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer daily newspaper (The Hager Family). The station's original call letters were W) O)wensboro M)essenger I)nquirer the same as its former sister AM station WOMI AM, also a heritage station founded in the late 1930's by the same owners. The stations remained in the hands of the heirs of the original owners until sometime in the mid 1990's when the stations were sold to Evansville, Indiana based Brill Media. Brill Media operated WOMI AM and WBKR FM and also bought the cross town competition and longtime rival stations WVJS AM and WSTO FM. Brill Media ended up declaring bankruptcy after a few years and the stations were placed int he nads of a federal trustee to sell. WOMI AM and WBKR FM were acquired by Regent Broadcasting Corporation based in Covington, Kentucky (Cincinnatti). WSTO FM was purchased by South Central Communications Corporation of Evansville, Indiana which also operates WIKY-FM 104.1 MHz. WVJS AM 1420 khZ was purchased by the Cromwell Group, Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee which also operates WBIO-FM 94.7 in Owensboro.