WBT (AM)
Broadcast area | Charlotte metropolitan area |
---|---|
Frequency | 1110 kHz |
Branding | News Talk 1110/99-3 WBT |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format | Talk radio |
Affiliations | |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
Facility ID | 30830 |
Class | A |
Power | 50,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°7′56.52″N 80°53′23.0″W / 35.1323667°N 80.889722°W |
Repeater(s) | |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast |
|
Website | www |
WBT (1110
WBT is owned by Urban One, with studios and offices located off West Morehead Street, just west of Uptown Charlotte, co-located with the city's CBS television affiliate, WBTV, currently owned by Gray Television but at one time co-owned with WBT Radio.[4]
WBT broadcasts 50,000 watts around the clock as the only
Programming
On weekdays, WBT airs mostly locally produced talk shows and offer podcasts of these shows on its website. News, weather, and traffic reports are heard each half-hour.
WBT begins each weekday with Good Morning BT with Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman, a five-hour
Weekends feature shows on money, health, real estate, technology, the outdoors, cars and home repair, some of which are paid brokered programming.[6] Syndicated shows include Glenn Beck, Bill Cunningham, Ric Edelman, Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb and The Tech Guy with Leo Laporte. Some hours begin with Fox News Radio.
Sports
WBT was the
WBT was the flagship of the Charlotte Hornets from the team's debut in 1988 until the team moved to New Orleans in 2002. From 1991 to 1995, WBT was the Charlotte-area home of the Duke Blue Devils. It was also the Charlotte home of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from 1977 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 2006. The Tar Heels returned to WBT in 2012.[8]
History
Formation
As with many early radio stations, there is a limited amount of information about WBT's origins. Wesley Wallace's 1962 review of the history of North Carolina radio reported being frustrated "by the absence or inaccessibility" of information, noting that "Broadcasters have been too busy acting in the present tense to take much thought of the past; hence they have discarded much of the memorabilia of broadcasting's earlier days."[9]
WBT was first licensed as a broadcasting station on March 18, 1922. However, the station traces its history to earlier broadcasts made in a joint effort by Fred Laxton, associated with
The three decided to set up a transmitter[12] in an abandoned chicken coop located behind Laxton's home at 2462 Mecklenburg Avenue, with a microphone line running to the home's living room.[13] Laxton's daughter later remembered being drafted as a child to repeatedly count into the microphone for the early test transmissions.[14] These initial transmissions eventually were expanded into the playing of phonograph records, which resulted in enough interest from local amateurs, as well as technically advanced members of the general public, that a regular schedule of broadcasts was established. In late 1920 the station was issued an Experimental radio station license to Fred Laxton, located at his home address, with the call sign 4XD.[15][16]
The growing interest in radio led to the December 1921 founding of the Southern Radio Corporation, located in the Realty Building, to sell radio parts and equipment. The initial officers were Fred Laxton, president, J. B. Marshall, vice president, and Frank Bunker, commercial engineer in charge. It was also announced at this time that the company planned to installed a transmitter and rooftop antenna at the Realty building, to be used for "sending out concerts, big speeches and other entertainment to those who own home outfits within a radius of 200 miles [320 km] from Charlotte".[17]
Early years
Initially there were no specific standards in the United States for radio stations making transmissions intended for the general public, and numerous stations under various classifications made entertainment broadcasts. However, effective December 1, 1921, the Department of Commerce, the regulators of radio at this time, adopted a regulation that formally created a broadcasting station category, and stations were now required to hold a Limited Commercial license authorizing operation on wavelengths of 360 meters for "entertainment" broadcasts or 485 meters for "market and weather reports" (833 and 619 kHz).[18]
The Southern Radio Corporation was issued a "provisional" broadcasting station license, with the randomly assigned call letters WBT, on March 18, 1922, which authorized broadcasts on the 360-meter entertainment wavelength.[19] WBT made its first broadcast four days later on March 22. The next day's Charlotte Observer reported that: "Erected by the Southern Radio corporation of this city and attached to the Realty building, this station, officially designated as WBT, operating on a 360-meter wavelength, this station will arrange musical concerts, addresses on various subjects and will give nightly programs for the benefit of approximately 20,000 receiving stations within a hearing radius. The first program was given last night and several stations in this section are known to have picked up the Victrola music broadcasted." This article further described the "wireless telephone broadcasting station" as "the first station that has been erected and put in active operating condition in the Carolinas. A station has been erected at State college in West Raleigh, but it did not work properly and it will probably be a few weeks before it will be in a position to do any broadcasting."[1] On April 11, following a successful inspection by the Fourth Radio District inspector, Walter Van Nostrand Jr on April 4, 1922, the license's "provisional" qualifier was removed.[13]
In October 1925, Fred Laxton sold the Southern Radio Corporation to the Carolina States Electric Company for approximately $50,000, while retaining control of WBT.[20] However, the next month the station was sold to Charlotte Buick automobile dealer C. C. Coddington,[21] who would promote both the radio station and his auto dealership with the slogan "Watch Buicks Travel". The station was moved to the top of the Coddington building, although Coddington later moved the transmitter site to farm property he owned on Nations Ford Road in south Charlotte, where it remains today.[22]
On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of the Federal Radio Commission's General Order 40, WBT was assigned to a "clear channel" frequency of 1080 kHz, which gave it exclusive national nighttime use of that frequency. In 1929 C.C. Coddington sold WBT to the two-year-old CBS Radio Network. In subsequent years a series of power increases raised the station's from 5,000 watts to the maximum permitted, 50,000 watts. The 50,000 watt transmitter was dedicated on August 12, 1932.[23]
CBS Radio and Amos and Andy
In 1925,
During the
In March 1941, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, WBT was shifted to 1110 kHz, where it has been ever since. During the previous November 11, 1928, frequency reassignments, two midwestern stations, WBBM in Chicago and KFAB in Omaha, Nebraska, had been placed on 780 kHz, which meant they had to synchronize their programming during nighttime hours. To eliminate this restriction, in 1944 a reassignment plan was announced that moved KFAB to 1110 kHz, which in turn required WBT to start operating with a directional antenna at night, to limit its signal toward KFAB.[30] To mitigate the nighttime coverage loss, in July 1947 a 1,000-watt "booster" transmitter, located five miles (8 km) northeast of Shelby, North Carolina, was authorized "for benefit of nighttime listeners west of Charlotte".[31] (Use of the booster transmitter ended sometime in the early 1960s.)
New
Early hosts
Grady Cole was WBT morning host for 32 years, replaced in 1961 by Ty Boyd, who hosted the morning show until 1973, playing such artists as Duke Ellington, Peggy Lee and Petula Clark. Then Boyd moved to WBTV to host television shows. He returned to WBT in 2008 to co-host the morning show while its regular hosts took time off.[35]
Changes in the 1970s
WBT was the number one station in Charlotte for many years. Among its employees were
On March 15, 1971, WBT switched to
In 1978, Marty Lambert became Jeff Pilot, the traffic reporter for WBT and WBCY. Lambert became assistant program director and music director in 1982.[42]
Larry James left his midnight to 6 A.M. shift at WBT for WYDE in Birmingham, Alabama in November 1978 after winning the Country Music Association Disc Jockey of the Year for medium markets. Then he returned to WBT for the same shift in January 1979.[43]
Talk shows at night
In September 1979, Henry Boggan, who had been a midday host and program director at WBIG in Greensboro, North Carolina, began hosting a talk show. it was similar to "Lacey Listens", with "nice-guy" talk, not controversial issues. Like Lacey's, which received calls from far away, his show would reach a large number of listeners. The show ran from 9 P.M. to 1 am, meaning Don Russell's show would start two hours earlier at 5 and run for four hours instead of five, and James' overnight show would start an hour later.[44]
WBT dropped its ABC affiliation in favor of
For their entire 14 years in Charlotte, starting with the inaugural 1988–89 season, WBT aired the games of the original
Seeking more women listeners
WBT made changes to its format on December 10, 1990, hoping to attract more women. The station dropped James K. Flynn, Thompson and Tom Desio, generating numerous protests. Don Russell had hosted "Russell & Flynn" in the morning; the show was renamed "Russell & Friends".
Adding Rush Limbaugh
On September 3, 1991, WBT dropped the McKays and became the 400th station to air The Rush Limbaugh Show, which had already been heard in the Charlotte area on WADA in Shelby, WSIC in Statesville and WHKY in Hickory.[50][51]
In 1995, Jefferson-Pilot bought WBZK-FM 99.3 in Chester, South Carolina to provide a simulcast signal that better served the western part of the market at night. At this time the FM station's call letters were changed to
North Carolina Tar Heels
Also in 2006, WBT lost the
On May 5, 2012, WBT signed back on with the Tar Heel Sports Network to be Charlotte's main carrier of the Tar Heels. After WRFX carried night basketball games for several years, WNOW-FM took over until 2012. With this switch back, games can now be heard all up and down the Eastern Seaboard at night, as WBT's clear channel signal can be heard from "Maine to Miami".[8]
Programming changes
On June 8, 2012, WBT announced that The Brad and Britt Show, hosted by Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire of
On November 15, 2013, both WBT and
On March 3, 2014, WBT again dropped CBS News and returned to ABC News. In making the move, the station cited the stronger resources ABC's reporters provides to WBT's local programming compared to CBS and Fox News Radio.[41]
Sale to Entercom
On July 19, 2016, Greater Media announced that it would merge with
Upon the completion of the Greater/Beasley merger on November 1, Entercom began operating the stations via a time brokerage agreement, which lasted until the sale was consummated on January 6, 2017.Sale to Urban One
On November 5, 2020, Urban One agreed to a station swap with Entercom in which they would swap ownership of four stations in Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. to Entercom in exchange for their cluster of Charlotte stations, including WBT and WBT-FM. As part of the terms of the deal, Urban One took over operations via a local marketing agreement on November 23.[61] The swap was consummated on April 20, 2021.
Broadcasting facilities
WBT's diamond-shaped antennas account for three of only eight operational Blaw-Knox towers in the United States. In the morning hours of September 22, 1989, the high winds from Hurricane Hugo severely damaged two of WBT's towers and nearly killed then-Chief Engineer, Bob White. The FCC approved WBT to operate at 25,000 watts with a non-directional pattern for the next year while the two damaged towers were rebuilt.
A single tower radiates the transmitter's full power during the day. Its daytime coverage area is not nearly as large as those of other 50,000-watt stations due to the Carolinas' poor ground conductivity; some outer suburbs such as
Despite its clear-channel status, WBT was long plagued by marginal nighttime coverage in some parts of the Charlotte area, especially the western portion, due to the need to adjust its signal at sundown to protect KFAB. To solve this problem, WBT operated a synchronous booster signal in Shelby[62] from 1947 to the early 1960s. In 1995, then-owner Jefferson-Pilot bought WBZK in Chester, South Carolina, located 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Charlotte, to provide a better signal to the western part of the market at night. WBZK's calls became WBT-FM.[52] In 2012, sister station WLNK added a simulcast of WBT on its HD2 digital subcarrier.
Past hosts
Past hosts include "Hello Henry" Boggan, Ty Boyd, Grady Cole, John Hancock, Mike Collins, "Rockin'" Ray Gooding,
Don Russell is the station's longest-tenured personality, having worked at the station on six separate occasions since the 1970s.
From 2009 until March 31, 2011, Pete Kaliner hosted a local program in the 9-midnight slot, but was fired in a cost-cutting move by Greater Media.
Nearly two months after Kaliner's departure, Tara Servatius' contract was not renewed; Doug Kellett and Wayne Powers filled the 3-6 pm slot on an interim basis while the station searched for a replacement. On June 22, 2011, former WSOC-TV lead anchor Vince Coakley, who had done fill-in work at WBT before, was named Servatius' replacement in the 3-6 pm timeslot.[63] Coakley left after a little over a year and was replaced on July 2, 2012, by Brad Krantz (a former WBT host) and Britt Whitmire, formerly of WZTK. Krantz and Whitmire, in turn, were fired by the station on June 11, 2014, and were replaced by John Hancock, who moved up from evenings (6-9 pm) and a 6 pm local news hour hosted by Mark Garrison and a local show with former WFNZ host Brett Jensen from 7 pm-10 pm. Coakley, who became the Republican candidate for North Carolina's 12th District U.S. House seat in 2012, returned to the station in 2017.
In December 2012, morning co-host Stacey Simms left Charlotte's Morning News to spend more time with her family. On January 14, 2013, Charlotte native Doc Washburn, most recently a morning host at
Following Entercom's takeover of WBT via LMA on October 31, 2016, Keith Larson, the station's longtime 9 am-noon host, was fired.
References
- ^ a b "Radio Station Here Complete", Charlotte Observer, March 23, 1922, page 11.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ As of March 10, 1922, 8 days before WBT was licensed, the Department of Commerce reported that there were 67 authorized broadcasting stations, including, in the South, WGH in Montgomery, Alabama. ("List of stations broadcasting market or weather reports (485 meters) and music, concerts, lectures, etc. (360 meters), (March 10, 1922)" Radio Service Bulletin, March 1, 1922, pages 13-14.)
- ^ "Contact Us" (wbt.radio.com)
- ^ "Predicted Daytime Coverage Area for WBT 1110 AM, Charlotte, NC" (radio-locator.com)
- ^ "Daily Schedule" (wbt.com)
- ^ Alexander, Jonathan (May 17, 2022). "Carolina Panthers will broadcast games on new Charlotte radio station this year". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Washburn, Mark (May 12, 2012). "Tar Heel sports return to WBT". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- ^ The Development of Broadcasting in North Carolina, 1922-1948 (PhD dissertation) by Wesley Herndon Wallace, Department of History, Duke University, 1962, page ii.
- ^ Gluck was later a partner in competitor WSOC, and was the first president of WSOC-TV when it launched in 1957.
- ^ "WBT Third Broadcasting Station to be Licensed", Charlotte Observer, March 20, 1927, Section 3, page 6.
- ^ Some newspaper accounts state that the call sign for Laxton's home amateur station was either 4BX ("Mayor Gets Wireless Message From Harding", Charlotte Observer, February 22, 1921, page 4) or 4CL ("WBT Third Broadcasting Station to be Licensed", Charlotte Observer, March 20, 1927, Section 3, page 6). However, official government station lists report that these call signs were actually assigned to individuals in other communities. As of June 30, 1920, Laxton's station is listed in the annual government report as 4DD, located at 905 Realty Building in Charlotte, with Frank L. Bunker assigned 4CE at 734 East 4th Street, and Earle J. Gluck assigned 4CQ at 1418 East 7th Street. ("Amateur Stations: Fourth District", Amateur Radio Stations of the United States (Edition June 30, 1920), page 59.) The November 1920 issue of QST magazine also stated that Laxton's call sign was 4DD. ("The Operating Department", (Roanoke Division), QST, November 1920, page 30).
- ^ a b Wallace (1962) page 60.
- ^ "First Broadcast Recalled" by Dick Banks, Charlotte Observer, April 9, 1967, page 5-A.
- ^ "QST's Directory of Calls" (Fourth District), QST, January 1921, page 53.
- ^ "New Stations: Special Land Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, June 1, 1921, page 3. The "4" in 4XD's call sign indicated that the station was located in the 4th Radio Inspection district, while the "X" signified that it was operating under an experimental station license.
- ^ "Radio 'Phone Station Here", Charlotte Observer, December 21, 1921, page 13.
- ^ "Miscellaneous: Amendments to Regulations", Radio Service Bulletin, January 3, 1922, page 10.
- ^ "New Stations: Commercial Land Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, April 1, 1922, page 2. Limited Commercial license, serial No. 341, issued March 18, 1922, to the Southern Radio Corporation for broadcasting on 360 meters (833 kHz) for a three-month period. (A 1927 Charlotte Observer account claimed that "the station became duly licensed and authorized in December, 1920, with the call WBT" and "was the third licensed station in the world" ("WBT Third Broadcasting Station to be Licensed", Charlotte Observer, March 20, 1927, Section 3, page 6), but contemporary accounts do not support either of these claims.)
- ^ "Southern Radio Sells Out Here", Charlotte Observer, August 29, 1925, page 3.
- ^ "Radio Station Held For City", Charlotte Observer, September 16, 1925, page 20.
- ^ "Phenomenal Growth of Radio Broadcasting in Charlotte", Charlotte Observer, August 26, 1928, Section 3, page 7.
- ^ "WBT Holds Dedication". Broadcasting. August 15, 1932. p. 29. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
- ^ a b c Kay McFadden, "WBT's Been on the Air for 75 Years", The Charlotte Observer, April 10, 1997.
- ^ "1930's: The History of WBT". Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ "Russ Hodges to WOL". Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. 21 (15). Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc.: 52 October 13, 1941.
- ^ Grizzle, Ralph. "Guitar Man: Arthur Smith". Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ Tom Minehart, "Country's Capital Could Have Been Charlotte", Chicago Tribune, November 19, 1985.
- ^ WBT (advertisement), Broadcasting, January 12, 1941, page 6.
- ^ "Controlling Interest in WBT Goes to KFAB in 3-Way Deal", Broadcasting, February 7, 1944, page 16.
- ^ "WBT Extends Coverage With Booster Station" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 28, 1947. p. 76. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
- ^ Frye, George (December 9, 1970). "Crutchfield Becomes Chamber President". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1B.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook (1953 edition) page 220.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook (1971 edition) page B-185.
- ^ Mark Washburn, "Ty Boyd Will Be Back on the Radio Monday", The Charlotte Observer, July 5, 2008.
- ^ a b McMurray, Tom. "Magic Happened Here". reelradio.com. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c Paddock, Polly (March 26, 1971). "WBT Radio, At 49, Sounding Younger". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1B, 2B.
- ^ a b c "1970's: The History of WBT". Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ "Development Of Recreation Community Begins At Keowee," The Charlotte Observer, September 23, 1972, p. 9A.
- ^ Swofford, Stan (March 18, 1993). "Disc Jockey Tom Miller Dies at 52". News & Record. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ^ Carol Hazard, "Former Jeff Pilot Lands Job As Merchandise Mart Official", The Charlotte Observer, June 12, 1989, p. 8D.
- ^ Nancy Nyland, "Twice A Year, Her Majesty's Got This Little List", The Charlotte Observer, December 30, 1978, p. 18B.
- ^ Ron Alridge, "WBT Hires Greensboro DJ For Late-Night Talk Show", The Charlotte Observer, August 30, 1979, p. 13C.
- ^ Jeff Borden, "Larry King Dethroned by WBT", The Charlotte Observer, October 1, 1987.
- Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- ^ "WBT contract extended". National Basketball Association. October 4, 2001. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- ^ Tim Funk, "WBT Pair Lose Jobs in Shakeup", The Charlotte Observer, December 7, 1990.
- ^ Tim Funk, "WBT Radio Lineup Seeks Change of Image", The Charlotte Observer, Tuesday, December 11, 1990.
- ^ Tim Funk, "Listen Up: From 'Radio Free Bubba' to 'The Shadow,' Area Radio's Ready to Turn You On", The Charlotte Observer, July 12, 1991.
- ^ Diane Suchetka, "Rush Limbaugh's Replacing McKays on WBT Talk Show", The Charlotte Observer, September 2, 1991.
- ^ a b Tim Funk and Blair Skinner, "Family Sells Off WBZK FM", The Charlotte Observer, February 2, 1995.
- Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- ^ Betts, Jack (November 30, 2006). "They miss WBT up in Maryland". This Old State. CharlotteObserver.com. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ "Live, Local, & Legendary: WBT Radio in Charlotte". Radio Ink. October 5, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Washburn, Mark (June 8, 2012). "Krantz replacing Coakley on WBT". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ^ "State dedicates historic marker to memorialize NC's oldest broadcast station". Charlotte, North Carolina: WBTV. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. Archived from the originalon April 13, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ Beasley Acquires Greater Media
- ^ Entercom Acquires Beasley Charlotte Spinoffs
- ^ Entercom To Swap Charlotte Stations To Radio One For WPHI, WTEM and St. Louis Duo
- ^ Fybush, Scott. WBT, Charlotte, North Carolina. May 15, 2003
- ^ Washburn, Mark (June 23, 2011). "Vince Coakley takes afternoon spot at WBT". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "WBT parts ways with Keith Larson as station changes owners" by Mark Washburn, Charlotte Observer, October 31, 2016.
- ^ "Media Movers" by Mark Washburn, Charolotte Observer, January 25, 2017.
External links
- Official website
- WBT in the FCC AM station database
- WBT in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- FCC History Cards for WBT (covering 1927-1981)
- "BT Memories" by Reno Bailey (btmemories.com)