WTAR

The station, originally WCAV, began broadcasting in 1952, transmitting on 860 kHz.

{{main|WRAP (Norfolk)}}

File:WRAP 1969-03-31 1.jpg

In 1954, owners of another Norfolk radio station, WRAP on 1050 kHz, acquired WCAV, moving it to 850 kHz and changing its call letters to WRAP and adopting a black-oriented format. On this new frequency, WRAP programming could broadcast around the clock. The daytime power was increased to 5,000 watts and the nighttime power to 1,000 watts.[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1957/Radio--All-1957-BC-YB.pdf#page=220 "Directory of AM and FM Stations and Market Data For The United States: Virginia: Norfolk"], Broadcasting Yearbook (1957 edition), page 268. WRAP was programmed to Norfolk's African-American community. Its call sign used the word "RAP", an African-American English word for "talk" or "discussion". (It would be several decades before "rap" began referring to a musical style.) An advertisement in the 1957 edition of Broadcasting Yearbook, using the descriptions of the era, said "Survey figures show the most Negroes in the Norfolk area listen most to WRAP". It added that WRAP was "the only all-Negro station in Norfolk".

In 1987, WNIS on AM 1350 was acquired by local cable TV company Clinton Cablevision (later Sinclair Telecable).[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1991/B-Radio-NE-MT-1991-B&W.pdf "Page D-247"] Broadcasting Yearbook (1991 edition), page D-247. The new owner flipped the format to talk. A swap was made with AM 1350, which moved the WNIS call sign to this station, and transferred the WRAP call letters, with its associated black-oriented format, to AM 1350.[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-11-09.pdf#page=96 "For The Record: Call Letters"], Broadcasting, November 9, 1987, page 96.

WNIS, meaning "News and Information Station", picked up programming from ABC Talkradio, NBC Talknet and the Mutual Broadcasting System's Larry King Show.

On July 15, 1997, WNIS and its sister station on AM 790, WTAR, exchanged call letters, with AM 790 becoming WNIS, while WTAR was moved to 850 kHz.[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=4671 Call Sign History] (Facility ID: 4671)[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=60472 Call Sign History] (Facility ID: 60472) 850 has the stronger signal, broadcasting at 50,000 watts by day, the highest power authorized for AM stations by the Federal Communications Commission. At night it runs 25,000 watts, while 790 kHz transmits 5,000 watts day and night. Both stations had talk formats.

WTAR flipped from talk radio to an all-sports format on February 5, 2006.[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2007/Radio-All-BC-YB-2007.pdf#page=534 "Directory of Radio Stations in the United States: Virginia: Norfolk"], Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook (2007 edition), page D-533. On September 15, 2017, WTAR began simulcasting on WUSH-HD2 and FM translator station W243DJ at 96.5 MHz in Norfolk. The move allows WTAR listeners to hear the station on either AM or FM, although the FM translator signal is limited to Norfolk and surrounding communities due to its low power of 120 watts.{{Cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/info/W243DJ-FX|title=W243DJ-FM 96.5 MHz - Norfolk, VA|website=radio-locator.com}} The station also signed on another low-powered FM translator, W243EK in Hampton (on the same frequency of W243DJ), to improve its nighttime signal on the Lower Peninsula and the HRBT's AM/FM rebroadcast system.

On September 1, 2022, WTAR dropped its sports format and began stunting with a loop of Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" (as well as construction sound effects). (However, on September 3, WTAR broke from the stunt to air a University of Virginia football game against Richmond; the 96.5 translators remained on the stunt during that time). On September 6, WTAR and its translators flipped to hot adult contemporary, branded as "96.5 Lucy FM", modeled after its sister station in Austin, Texas. The 850 AM signal continues to break away from "Lucy FM" programming for the University of Virginia broadcasts.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/240326/wtar-brings-sexy-back/ Lucy is Home in Norfolk] Radioinsight - September 6, 2022

Until September 1, 2022, the station aired a sports radio format, carrying the Fox Sports Radio Network most of the day, with a local afternoon drive time show. The syndicated Dan Patrick Show was heard in late mornings. WTAR was part of the Washington Commanders Radio Network.

On March 20, 2023, WTAR flipped to adult album alternative, branded as "96.5 The Coast". The flip returns the "Coast" branding to the market for the first time since WKOC's flip in 2003.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/250001/the-coast-returns-to-norfolk-with-aaa/ The Coast Returns to Norfolk With AAA] Radioinsight - March 20, 2023

On September 3, 2024, the station's owner, Sinclair Communications announced that it would flip WTAR and its two translators to conservative talk radio "Talkradio 96.5/850" on Monday, September 16.

[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/280209/wtar-to-flip-to-conservative-talk/ WTAR to flip to conservative talk] Radioinsight - September 3, 2024

File:WUSH Translator.png with RDS.]]

{{RadioTranslators

| callsign = WUSH-HD2

| width =

| call1 = W243DJ

| freq1 = 96.5

| city1 = Norfolk, Virginia

| fid1 = 141072

| watts1 = 120

| haat1 = 131

| class1 = D

| coord1 = {{coord|36|49|44|N|76|12|26|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA_source:FCC|name=W243DJ}}

| notes1 =

}}

{{RadioTranslators

| callsign = WTAR

| width =

| call1 = W243EK

| freq1 = 96.5

| city1 = Hampton, Virginia

| fid1 = 203167

| watts1 = 165

| haat1 = 119

| class1 = D

| coord1 = {{coord|37|4|42|N|76|26|47|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA_source:FCC|name=W243EK}}

| notes1 =

}}

File:WTAR SportsRadio850 logo.png

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=WI14&band=am&callLetter=WTAR|title=Arbitron Station Information Profiles|access-date=November 19, 2014|work=Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings}}

{{cite web|url=https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=WTAR|title=WTAR Facility Record|access-date=November 19, 2014|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}

}}

{{AM station data|60472|WTAR}}

• [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=66393 FCC History Cards for WTAR] (covering 1947-1981 as WCAV / WRAP)

;FM translators

• {{FCC-LMS-Facility|141072|W243DJ}}
• {{FXL|W243DJ}}
• {{FCC-LMS-Facility|203167|W243EK}}
• {{FXL|W243EK}}

{{Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News Radio}}

{{News/Talk Radio Stations in Virginia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1952 establishments in Virginia

Category:Radio stations established in 1952

TAR

Category:Talk radio stations in the United States