WDBZ
kHz | |
Branding | The Buzz |
---|---|
Programming | |
Format | Urban talk |
Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
WIZF, WOSL | |
History | |
First air date | 1924 (as WFBE at 1330 kHz) |
Former call signs | WFBE (1924–1935) WCPO (1935–1966) WUBE (1966–1981) WMLX (1981–1985) WDJO (1985–1990) WUBE (1990–2000) |
Former frequencies | 1330 kHz (1924–1926) 1290 kHz (1926–1927) 1220 kHz (1927–1928) 1200 kHz (1928–1941) |
Call sign meaning | W D BuZz (former branding) |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 10139 |
Class | C |
Power | 1,000 watts |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | thebuzzcincy.com |
WDBZ (1230
History
WDBZ is one of the oldest Cincinnati radio stations. The station was originally licensed on December 8, 1924, as WFBE, with 20 watts on 1330 kHz to John Van de Walle of the Van De Walle Music & Radio Co. at 208 West Second Street in Seymour, Indiana.[1] The call letters were randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call signs. In late 1926, the station moved to Cincinnati, now owned by the Garfield Place Hotel Co. (Robert A. Casey).[2]
Following the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927.[3] In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard.[4] On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including WFBE, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it."[5] However, the station successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed.
On November 11, 1928, the FRC implemented a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies, as part of a reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40. WFBE was assigned to 1200 kHz.[6] It was the weakest of three stations in Cincinnati.
Scripps-Howard Newspapers (now the E. W. Scripps Company) purchased the station in October 1935, renaming it WCPO after The Cincinnati Post.[7] (Scripps-Howard Broadcasting would later launch sister stations WCPO-TV and WCPO-FM.) In March 1941, most of the stations on 1200 kHz, including WCPO, moved to 1230 kHz, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.
WCPO was Cincinnati's first Top 40/Rock 'n' Roll station, and was in the format from 1956 until it was sold in 1966. WCPO encountered serious competition from the stronger WSAI 1360 when that station entered the Top 40 format in July 1961. WSAI broadcast with 5,000 watts day and night, while WCPO broadcast with 1,000 watts during the day and only 250 watts at night. Some of the DJs on WCPO in the 1960s included Shad O'Shea, Mike Gavin, Bob Keith, Mark Edwards, Gary Allyn, Ron Beach and Gary Cory.
Scripps-Howard sold the station to Kaye-Smith Broadcasting whose principals were entertainer
After partially simulcasting with its FM sister station for years, the station changed to a
In 1984, Schering-Plough divested its radio division and sold the 1230 AM and 105.1 FM frequencies (along with its other seven stations around the country) to DKM Broadcasting headed by former
Until December 15, 1984, the 1230 AM frequency broadcast at 1,000 watts during the day and 250 watts at night, which made its nighttime audience reach extremely limited. On this date, the
On January 1, 1985, the call letters changed to WDJO and the station adopted an oldies format. In 1986, both WDJO and WUBE-FM were sold to American Media Inc.
On January 17, 1990, the station's format changed to a simulcast of sister country station WUBE-FM.[8] The station held on to the WDJO call letters in order to keep them from going to another broadcaster who may have wanted to do an FM oldies format. (An FM oldies station did emerge that month as WGRR.) The WUBE call letters appeared on 1230 AM for the first time in almost ten years on March 16, 1990. During this time, the station aired a few seasons of Cincinnati Cyclones hockey and some other weekend sports programming separate from the FM. In 1991, American Media sold the stations to National Radio Partners, which eventually changed its name to Chancellor Media and was later known as AMFM Inc. AMFM eventually merged with Clear Channel in 2000.
On December 29, 1994, 1230 AM became
On December 4, 2015, WDBZ changed their format from talk to gospel, branded as "Praise 1230".[11]
On January 5, 2017, WDBZ adopted sister
On May 13, 2019, WDBZ changed their format back to urban talk, branded as "The Buzz".[13]
Previous logos
References
- ^ "Radio Service Bulletin no. 69-105 1923-25". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "Radio Service Bulletin no. 106-149 1926-29". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "Radio service bulletin / Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce v.118-141". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "Radio service bulletin / Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce v.118-141". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "Annual report of the Federal Radio Commissionto the Congress of the United States v.1-7 1926/1927-1932/1933". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "Annual report of the Federal Radio Commissionto the Congress of the United States v.1-7 1926/1927-1932/1933". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ISBN 978-0-7385-8864-3.
- ^ "RR-1990-02-02" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "RR-1995-01-06" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "RR-2000-08-25" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "RADIO ONE BRINGS PRAISE TO CINCINNATI". radioinsight.com. December 4, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Radio One Revamps Cincinnati Pair". radioinsight.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "WDBZ Cincinnati Returns to Urban Talk". radioinsight.com. May 13, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
External links
- The Buzz website
- WDBZ in the FCC AM station database
- WDBZ in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- FCC History Cards for WDBZ (covering 1927-1980 as WFBE / WCPO)