WWBC

The Blue Crystal Broadcasting Corporation, owned by William Earman, received a construction permit on January 27, 1964,{{r|hc}} to build a new daytime-only radio station on 1510 kHz in Cocoa. The station signed on July 11, with the transmitter mounted in the water in the Indian River at the Island Point Marina, and studios on Forrest Avenue.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65756609/station-wwbc-signs-on-tomorrow/|access-date=December 21, 2020|title=Station WWBC Signs On Tomorrow|date=July 10, 1964|work=Orlando Sentinel|page=6-A}} The station broadcast a pop music format.{{r|finest}}

Two years after building the station, Earman sold WWBC in order to become general manager of the Cocoa Chamber of Commerce. The new owners, Astro Enterprises, mostly consisted of employees of another station in town.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65756512/cocoa-radio-station-sold/|access-date=December 21, 2020|title=Cocoa Radio Station Sold|work=Orlando Evening Star|date=June 1, 1966|page=1A}} Under Astro, WWBC began broadcasting a country music format.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65755853/behind-the-mike/|first=Diana|last=Brooks|title=Behind the Mike|date=October 24, 1966|work=Orlando Sentinel|page=7}} Ownership in Astro Enterprises completely turned over in 1975, when the company was sold to a group headed by Raymond A. Kassis of Baltimore.{{cite news|title=Harris Projects Profit Upswing|work=Florida Today|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65759504/|first=Tom|last=Myers|date=December 12, 1975|page=12C|access-date=December 21, 2020}} The station had already carried some religious programs, but under Kassis, a born-again Christian, WWBC shifted to a primarily religious format, airing local and national fare, along with some country music.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65760990/|first=Oline|last=Cogdill|title=WWBC: Sending The Sound Of Gospel|page=1D|work=Florida Today|date=May 21, 1976|access-date=December 21, 2020}}

Kassis announced in 1977 his intention to apply for television channel 52 for a station focused on family programming.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65761416/|work=Florida Today|title=New Television Station Planned|date=June 25, 1977|first=Don|last=Murray|page=2B}} His bid opened the door for other applicants to file; one, Good Life Broadcasting, proposing a similar service, prompted Kassis to claim that the competitor had "blundered" by "taking a brother to court".{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65761726/|access-date=December 21, 2020|work=Florida Today|page=1A|first=Bob|last=Dearing|title=TV Applications Straining Brotherhood|date=March 3, 1978}} The two parties would settle in late 1980, with The Good Life winning a construction permit for WTGL.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86916 |title= History Cards for WTGL|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) Kassis would later start the National Christian Network from facilities shared with WWBC in Cocoa,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65762170/|access-date=December 21, 2020|date=August 13, 1983|page=1D|first=June|last=Straner|work=Florida Today|title=Kassis has plans to 'use the best for God's work'}} which were also rented for use as an uplink facility by Sheridan Broadcasting Networks.{{r|wmie}}

Four years after the Kassis purchase, the station was approved to increase daytime power to 1,000 watts.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=68668 |title= History Cards for WWBC|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) On December 2, 1984, Kassis started WMIE-FM 91.5, a noncommercial station also with a Christian format and oriented to the Black community.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65768913/|access-date=December 21, 2020|date=February 15, 1985|title=WMIE radio station blazing new trails|work=Florida Today|first=Veronica T.|last=Jennings|page=10}}

WWBC was required to relocate its transmitter from the Island Point site when it was sold to condominium developers in the early 2000s.{{cite news|url=http://laserfiche.cocoafl.org/WebLink8/0/doc/214237/Page2.aspx|access-date=December 21, 2020|date=September 23, 2002|first=Raymond|last=Kassis|title=Proposal to the City of Cocoa, Florida for WWBC Radio Station Tower Relocation}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65781243/|pages=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65781177/ 4A]|access-date=December 21, 2020|date=April 4, 2004|work=Florida Today|title=Regulations menace liveaboard lifestyle|first=Jeff|last=Schweers}} The new transmitter location was the former location of defunct WKKO (860 AM).{{Cite web|url=http://cflradio.net/860_wkko_am.htm|title = WKKO-AM 860 Cocoa |website=cflradio.net}}

Kassis died in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.arrl.org/news/view/southern-florida-assistant-section-manager-ray-kassis-n4lem-sk|date=November 17, 2016|work=ARRL|title=Southern Florida Assistant Section Manager Ray Kassis, N4LEM, SK|access-date=December 21, 2020}} The intellectual unit of WMEL, which had moved among several stations in the Melbourne–Cocoa area, began broadcasting for a time on WWBC and its translators on November 1, 2016, as John Harper leased out the station.{{cite news|url=https://www.vieravoice.com/wmel-moves-up-the-am-dial-adds-3-fm-stations/article_13fdc889-be01-5850-a4ff-c3245f6625b8.html|work=Viera Voice|first=Mike|last=Gaffey|date=December 1, 2016|title= WMEL moves up the AM dial, adds 3 FM stations |access-date=December 21, 2020}}

{{RadioTranslators

| callsign = WWBC

| width =

| call1 = W234BI

| freq1 = 94.7

| city1 = Cocoa, Florida

| fid1 = 156428

| watts1 = 125

| haat1 = 76

| class1 = D

| coord1 =

| notes1 =

| call2 = W260CL

| freq2 = 99.9

| city2 = Cocoa, Florida

| fid2 = 146519

| watts2 = 250

| haat2 = 56

| class2 = D

| coord2 =

| notes2 =

| call3 = W264AS

| freq3 = 100.7

| city3 = Melbourne, Florida

| fid3 = 144128

| watts3 = 250

| haat3 = 141

| class3 = D

| coord3 =

| notes3 =

}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.1510wwbc.com 1510WWBC.com]

{{AM station data|3071|WWBC}}

{{clear}}

{{Melbourne, Florida radio}}

{{Daytime-only radio stations in Florida}}

WBC

Category:Radio stations established in 1964

Category:1964 establishments in Florida

WBC