WABF (AM)
WERM | |
| History | |
|---|---|
First air date | June 19, 1948 (as WABB) |
Former call signs | WABB (1948–2012) WTKD (2012–2014) WERM (2014–2017) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 70656 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts (day) 4,400 watts (night) |
Transmitter coordinates | 30°43′11″N 88°04′16″W / 30.71972°N 88.07111°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
WABF (1480
By day, WABF is powered at 5,000 watts non-directional. But at night, to avoid interference to other stations on 1480 AM, WABF reduces power to 4,400 watts and uses a directional antenna. The transmitter is on Dumaine Road at Conception Street Road in Mobile.[2] WABF shares its transmitter site with co-owned WERM 1220 AM.
History
WABB
The station first
Owner Bernie Dittman moved to Mobile from his native Ohio to join his father J.W. at the station.[4] Dittman switched WABB to a Top 40 format, aimed at young listeners looking for their favorite contemporary hits.
FM Station
WABB had an
When WABB-FM made the move to the
Switch to Talk
WABB's longtime owner, president, and general manager Bernie Dittman died on October 25, 2006, after suffering from a stroke the previous week.[6] Dittman's daughter Betsey succeeded him after relocating to Mobile from Chicago.[7]
In its final years as WABB, the station's talk format featured a line-up of primarily nationally syndicated
Ownership Changes
On February 17, 2012, the Dittman family announced on its website that it has decided to sell WABB-FM to the
.The EMF sale excluded WABB AM, which the Dittman family had chosen to retain for the time being, therefore retaining the rights to the WABB call sign. The Dittman family closed the sale of the AM station to Omni Broadcasting on October 24, 2012, and the new owners changed the call sign to WTKD, following the flip to
WABF was sold to Donald Pugh's Eternity Record Company LLC at a purchase price of $175,000. The transaction was consummated on July 15, 2014. On August 19, 2014, the station changed its call sign to WERM, airing an
Transmitter Relocation
The station's gospel format gave way to the standards and swap shop programming from sister station
During its long history, WABB-AM-FM were home to many disc jockeys and news anchors who moved up to major markets and radio networks, including Scott Shannon (later with WHTZ, WPLJ and WCBS-FM in New York City), Leslie Fram, Norman Robinson, Ron Anthony, Dennis "Hound Dog" Stacy, Michael Stuart (Marathon Mike) and Raymond Bannister.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WABF". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WABF
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1949 page 70, Broadcasting & Cable
- ^ "People: Radio". Media Life. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
Dittman owned WABB-AM since 1959, adding WABB-FM in 1973.
- ^ "Bernie Dittman Passes Away". Radio Monitor. October 26, 2006.
- ^ "WABB's Dittman Dead At 79". Radio Ink. October 31, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
- ^ Holbert, Rob (November 8, 2006). "Media Frenzy". Lagniappe Mobile. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
- Arbitron. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
- Mobile Press-Register. Mobile, Alabama. April 10, 2007.
On WABB-AM 1480, at 5 a.m. Wednesday, the news-talk radio station will unveil its two-year partnership with WALA-TV10's news department. From 5 until 8 a.m. weekdays, WABB-AM will simulcast the television station's morning newscast.
- ^ "WABB-FM Agrees to be Purchased by Educational Media Foundation" from WABB (February 17, 2012)
- ^ Williams, Alvin (November 16, 2012). "New call letters adopted for WABB-AM". Examiner.com.
External links
- WABF in the FCC AM station database
- WABF in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- FCC History Cards for WABF