WWBG
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WWBG
| logo = WTOB 96.7 980 WWBG 1470 logo.png
| city = Greensboro, North Carolina
| country = US
| area = Piedmont Triad
| branding = Classic Hits WTOB
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1999}}
| frequency = 1470 kHz
| format = Classic hits
| above = Simulcast of WTOB Winston-Salem
| language =
| power = {{ubl|10,000 watts (day)|5,000 watts (night)}}
| class = B
| licensing_authority = FCC
| facility_id = 67831
| coordinates = {{coord|36|9|1.49|N|79|54|47.13|W|type:landmark_region:US-NC|display=inline}}
| callsign_meaning = homage to WBIG
| former_callsigns =
| owner = Richard Miller
| licensee = Twin City Broadcasting Company, LLC
| sister_stations = WTOB, WCOG
| webcast = {{listenlive|1=https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/CirrusOmni/index.cfm?stationCallSign=WTOB}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.wtob980.com/}}
| affiliations = {{ubl|Compass Media Networks|Premiere Networks|Westwood One|Carolina Thunderbirds|Charlotte Hornets}}
}}
WWBG (1470 AM) is an American radio station licensed to serve Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The station, launched in 1999 as a replacement for WBIG, is owned by Richard Miller's Twin City Broadcasting Company, LLC.
WWBG broadcasts a classic hits music format to the Greensboro–High Point area, simulcast from co-owned WTOB in Winston-Salem.
History of WBIG
{{main|WBIG (North Carolina)}}
The call sign of WWBG is a tribute to the prior occupant of this frequency in Greensboro, WBIG, which broadcast from the city for 60 years. Established in 1925 in Charlotte and moved to Greensboro the next year by founder Wayne M. Nelson, the station became the first broadcasting property of Jefferson-Pilot in 1934 and affiliated with CBS. It continued as the most popular station in Greensboro in decades, though in later years the move of music audiences to FM and the growth of the radio market outside of Greensboro proper put it at a severe disadvantage. Jefferson-Pilot shut the station down on November 20, 1986; the land was sold five years later for the construction of a Lowe's home improvement store.
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.{{cite news |first=Jim |last=Schlosser |work=Greensboro News & Record |title=Radio Revival Planned on Triad Airwaves |date=December 10, 1994}} (A station in Aurora, Illinois, would adopt the WBIG call sign in 1991.) During the year after WKEW changed from news/talk, Truth Broadcasting 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. Truth Broadcasting planned to do what WKEW had done.{{cite news |first=Jeri |last=Rowe |work=Greensboro News & Record |title=News-Talk Radio Returning to Air - WWBG Resurrects Part of Greensboro's Heritage to Start a News-Talk Station |date=September 14, 1999}} 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."{{cite news |first=Jeri |last=Rowe |work=Greensboro News & Record |title=Dusty Dunn Returns to Greensboro Airwaves |date=October 28, 1999}}
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 (1380 AM) in Winston-Salem.{{cite news |first=Jamie |last=Kritzer |work=Greensboro News & Record |title=Radio Station WWBG Changing Format |date=December 27, 2001}}
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.{{cite news |work=Greensboro News & Record |title=Hispanic Radio Stations Switch Places on Dial |date=March 20, 2003}}
WTOB began airing separate programming in 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_76d82552-8c28-11e2-8821-001a4bcf6878.html|title=WTOB going back to the future with oldies, beach music|last=Clodfelter|first=Tim|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=March 13, 2013|access-date=April 10, 2013}}
In December 2020, WTOB 980 AM/96.7 FM began simulcasting on the 1470 AM frequency. During simulcast, the station call sign 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.{{Cite web|url=http://greensborosports.com/2020/12/13/wtob-radio-now-can-be-heard-in-greensboro-on-1470-am-wwgb/|title = WTOB Radio now can be heard in Greensboro on 1470 AM/WWGB – Greensboro Sports}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.quepasamedia.com/web/content/view/26/53/lang,en/ Que Pasa Media]
- [http://www.quepasanc.com WWBG official website]
{{AM station data|67831|WWBG}}
{{Piedmont Triad radio}}
{{Classic Hits Radio Stations in North Carolina}}
Category:Guilford County, North Carolina
Category:Radio stations established in 1999
Category:1999 establishments in North Carolina