WWBG

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WWBG
CityGreensboro, North Carolina
Broadcast areaPiedmont Triad
Frequency1470 kHz
BrandingWTOB Classic Hits radio
Programming
FormatOldies Classic Hits. Simulcasting WTOB.
Ownership
OwnerTwin City Broadcasting Co. LLC
(Twin City Broadcasting Co LLC)
WTOB, WCOG
History
First air date
(Originally 1926 to 1986) Returned to the air 1992 under a construction permit and fully licensed in 1999.
Call sign meaning
homage to WBIG
Technical information
Facility ID67831
ClassB
Power10,000 watts (day)
5,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
36°09′01″N 79°54′48″W / 36.15028°N 79.91333°W / 36.15028; -79.91333

WWBG (1470 AM, is an American radio station licensed to serve Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The station, launched in 1999, is currently owned by Richard Miller's Twin City Broadcasting Co LLC and licensed by the same

WWBG broadcasts a Classic Hits music format to the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina area.[1] WWBG is now part of WTOB and WCOG classic hits.

History of WBIG[]

In 1925, Jefferson Standard Life Insurance bought WNRC (Wayne Nelson Radio Company) and changed the call letters to WBIG ("We Believe In Greensboro Where Business Is Good."). Among the programs that aired on the station: Arthur Godfrey, Jack Benny, and murder mysteries. In its early days, the station was located in the basement of the O. Henry Hotel. Bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, a resident of the area, was one of the country music performers who played live in the studio. According to former WKEW owner Bill Mitchell, Manoree, the tonic that sponsored Monroe's show, "helped get you going." WBIG also had its own 10-piece orchestra.[2]

In 1934, Jefferson Standard sued to collect $790 in overdue rent from WBIG, which had its facilities at the top of the Jefferson Standard Building, claiming the station was attempting to get out of paying by having Guilford Broadcasting take over the license.[3]

In 1980, WBIG was the number one station in Guilford County.[4]

For more than 20 years, Bob Poole, the "Duke of Stoneville," was a DJ.[2] "The smooth, deep-voiced morning man for the old BIG ... would whistle with his theme song each day and ... went down nice and easy, like a first cup of coffee." Dusty Dunn was a long-time morning host, his sidekick was Buddy Bray, and Jim Pritchett was sports director.[5][6]

Lloyd Gordon, the news and programming director, said that Jefferson-Pilot signed off WBIG on November 20, 1986, because the station was not making money.[2][7] Dunn and Ken Karns were among those still working there at the time.[8]

History of WWBG[]

On December 9, 1994, Walt Cockerham announced that the former WBIG would return to the air with its old frequency, but the call sign was no longer available.[9] (A station in Aurora, Illinois would adopt the WBIG callsign in 1991.) During the year after WKEW changed from news/talk, bought several stations in the Greensboro area, including the one that would be called WWBG, the call sign that the new station was assigned by the Federal Communications Commission on August 21, 1992.[10] Truth Broadcasting planned to do what WKEW had done.[2] This meant news, talk, sports and community affairs relating to Greensboro. On November 1, 1999, Dunn and Bray returned to 1470 AM. Dunn said, "It's like being home. We've got the old morning crew back together."[6]

The news/talk format only lasted until January 1, 2002, because, program director David Albright said, it was not profitable and a number of Spanish-speaking people wanted a radio station of their own. "La Movidita" was already airing on WTOB in Winston-Salem.[11]

In 2003, Truth Broadcasting stopped selling time to La Movidita, which moved to its former home WSGH. Que Pasa moved from WSGH to WWBG and WTOB.[12]

WTOB began airing separate programming in 2013.[13]

Previous logo until December 2020.

In December 2020, WTOB 980 AM/96.3 FM began simulcasting on the 1470 AM frequency. During simulcast, the station callsign WWBG has been retained, and the transmitter power has been maintained at 10,000 watts daytime and 5,000 watts at night. WTOB currently has an oldies music format and is being simulcast on WWBG.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Rowe, Jeri (September 14, 1999). "News-Talk Radio Returning to Air - WWBG Resurrects Part of Greensboro's Heritage to Start a News-Talk Station". Greensboro News & Record.
  3. ^ Scism, Jack (March 8, 2009). "Remember When". Greensboro News & Record.
  4. ^ "Battle for Big Bucks". Greensboro News & Record. April 27, 1980.
  5. ^ "A Familiar Voice Returns - A Local Radio Tradition Is Revived". Greensboro News & Record. September 19, 1999.
  6. ^ a b Rowe, Jeri (October 28, 1999). "Dusty Dunn Returns to Greensboro Airwaves". Greensboro News & Record.
  7. ^ "WFMY News 2 - Demise of WBIG-AM 1470 20 November 1986". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05.
  8. ^ Burchette, Bob (November 19, 2006). "Music Is Still First in His Heart". Greensboro News & Record.
  9. ^ Schlosser, Jim (December 10, 1994). "Radio Revival Planned on Triad Airwaves". Greensboro News & Record.
  10. ^ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  11. ^ Kritzer, Jamie (December 27, 2001). "Radio Station WWBG Changing Format". Greensboro News & Record.
  12. ^ "Hispanic Radio Stations Switch Places on Dial". Greensboro News & Record. March 20, 2003.
  13. ^ Clodfelter, Tim (March 13, 2013). "WTOB going back to the future with oldies, beach music". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  14. ^ "WTOB Radio now can be heard in Greensboro on 1470 AM/WWGB – Greensboro Sports".

External links[]


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