WULR

Curtis Sigmon signed on WYCL at 1580 AM on April 19, 1956, with 250 watts. The station later moved to 980 AM and increased power to 1,000 watts. In April 1978, its call letters changed to WBZK.{{cite web|url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/WBZK |title=FM Station Information WBZK|access-date=2023-09-11}} WDZK, at 99.3 FM in Chester, signed on in 1969.Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook, 1994.

For five years before the 1986-87 season, WDZK broadcast Winthrop University men's basketball.Will Parrish, "Winthrop on Rock Hill Station"l The Charlotte Observer, October 25, 1986.

On January 20, 1988, after 31 years as a day time-only station, WBZK broadcast at night for the first time, reducing its power after dark from 1,000 watts to 290 watts. This meant better coverage of local government and sports, which included Clemson Tigers basketball and York Comprehensive High School football. The station continued to simulcast the adult contemporary music of its sister FM WDZK except for Sunday morning religious programming.Mike Wynn, "WBZK Begins Night Broadcasts: York AM Radio Station Continues Adult Contemporary Music Format", The Charlotte Observer, January 29, 1988. York High games had been broadcast on the next day on tape. WDZK had broadcast Chester High School football for 20 years.Will Parrish, "Fans Win Big with Football Coverage", The Charlotte Observer, June 8, 1988.

In 1990, WDZK moved from a tower three miles south of Chester to a 495-foot tower, the highest in the area, 10 miles north of Chester. WDZK increased its power from 3,000 to 6,000 watts. WBZK also moved to two new towers south of Rock Hill and increased power to 3,500 watts, giving the station six times as many listeners.Dan Huntley, "2 Stations Preparing for Boost," The Charlotte Observer, March 15, 1990.

In 1993, WBZK and WDZK broadcast several Clemson women's basketball games, the first area stations to do so.Steve Wiseman, "Clemson Women's Basketball on Radio," The Charlotte Observer, January 16, 1993. In the same year, WDZK broadcast Charlotte Knights baseball.Steve Wiseman, "What Else Is New? More Places to Park, Buy Food and Drinks", The Charlotte Observer, April 8, 1993.

In 1994, now-retired broadcaster and journalist Jon Mayhew worked the 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday airshifts. He also worked the weekends, producing a teen-oriented talk show on Saturday and overseeing the broadcast of Sunday morning religious programming. Mayhew left the station in mid-1994 for a stint at the Piedmont Superstations Radio Network, which was based at WOHS radio in Shelby. Mayhew, who lived in Mooresville, said the drive would be shorter to Shelby from Mooresville than from Mooresville to York, SC.

In 1995, the Sigmon family sold WBZK-FM to the owners of WBT in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina after owning the station for 26 years. The family kept the AM, which played oldies and beach music.Tim Funk and Blair Skinner, "Family Sells Off WBZK FM", The Charlotte Observer, February 2, 1995.

WBZK began 24-hour broadcasts in 1995."Business Bazaar Plans to Add New Features," The Charlotte Observer, December 3, 1995, p. 8Y.

In July 2000, Carolina Metro Radio LLC (Edward A. Baker, managing member/33.33% owner) reached an agreement to purchase WBZK from York Clover Broadcasting Co. (C. Curtis Sigmon, president) for a reported sale price of $500,000.{{cite news |date=10 July 2000 |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA19022.html |work=Broadcasting & Cable |title=Changing Hands - 7/10/2000}} At the time of the sale, WBZK was broadcasting a beach music format.

At one time, WBZK broadcast Spanish Christian programming.

Osiris Collazos hosted the "Amanecer en America" ("Wake Up America") morning show on "La Maxima".Franco Ordoñez, "Latinos' Anti-DWI Efforts a Tough Sell", The Charlotte Observer, January 15, 2006.

980 AM Inc acquired WBZK in September 2008. According to the documentation of the sale, 980 AM Inc was owned by Michael B. and Dara Glinter. WBZK was exchanged for station WPYR in Louisiana with no money changing hands, according to the agreement filed with the FCC.{{cite web|url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=632882|title=Facilities Exchange Agreement|access-date=18 November 2010}} At the same time, the station's call sign was changed to WULR.

Before its switch to Christian talk, WBZK's programming consisted largely of contemporary Christian music. The music was programmed on an automated basis rather than having live-on air personalities. WBZK had relatively few interruptions between songs for commercials or other non-musical items. Songs were often played back-to-back with no bumpers in between.{{citation needed|date=November 2010}}

According to industry reports, the Glinters have relocated to South Carolina from Florida and wanted to operate a radio station near their new home. Truth Broadcasting paid $400,000, minus a security deposit and credit for the tower lease, for WULR and began operating the station on August 16, 2010, broadcasting the same programming as WCRU in Dallas, North Carolina.{{cite web|url=http://www.rbr.com/epaper/issue71-08-anc.html|title=Truth coming to WBZK-AM in Charlotte market|date=20 August 2010|access-date=18 November 2010}}

On January 1, 2013, WULR was swapped to Iglesia Nueva Vida of High Point, North Carolina in exchange for the license to WEGO and $46,501.73.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.wtru.com/ Official site]

{{AM station data|74380|WULR}}

{{Charlotte Radio}}

ULR

Category:Radio stations established in 1956

Category:1956 establishments in South Carolina