WPTI
 | This article needs to be updated. (January 2010) |
iHeartMedia, Inc. | |
| WMAG, WMKS, WTQR, WVBZ | |
| History | |
First air date | March 20, 1949 (as WLOE-FM) |
Former call signs | WLOE-FM (1949-1968) WEAF (1968-1980) WSRQ (1980-1984) WWWI (1984–1986) WKLM (1986-1987) WWMY (1987-1991) WMKG (1991–1992) WNEU (1992–1994) WXRA (1994–2001) WWCC (2001–2003) WGBT (2003–2009) |
Call sign meaning | Piedmont Triad (region served) International (IATA airport code) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 55754 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 299 meters (981 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°20′48″N 79°54′30″W / 36.34667°N 79.90833°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 945wpti.iheart.com |
WPTI (94.5
WPTI has an
Programming
Weekdays on WPTI begin with a local news and information show hosted by K.C. O'Dea. The rest of the weekday schedule is made up of
Shows on money, health and technology are heard weekends, some of which are paid brokered programming. Weekend programs include "The Weekend with Michael Brown," Ben Ferguson, "Leo Laporte: The Tech Guy," "Sunday Night Live with Bill Cunningham" and "Somewhere in Time with Art Bell." WPTI is the Triad's FM affiliate of the Tar Heel Sports Network, which broadcasts University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels football and basketball games. National news from Fox News Radio is heard at the beginning of most hours.
History
Beautiful Music and Country
On March 20, 1949, the station first
In 1984, the station increased power to 100,000 watts, relocated its studios to Greensboro, and switched to country music as WWWI "I-95," competing against the market's entrenched and top-rated country outlet, WTQR. Later the name was changed to "I-94.5"[citation needed] to help listeners more easily find the station during the time that digital tuners were replacing traditional analog receivers.
In 1986 the call letters were switched to WKLM "Classy 94.5" when the station returned to beautiful music.[2] Later the name changed to WWMY "My 94.5", though the format remained the same.[3]
Soft AC and Country
WWMY switched to
In 1992, WMKG became WNEU "New Country 94.5", later changing its name to "Cat Country".[4][5]
Alternative Rock, Top 40 and Regional Mexican
The purchase of WNEU by Radio Equity Partners was announced in July 1994 and it was believed the station would become the "rocking country cousin" to
On February 16, 2006, at 5 p.m., after playing "
Talk Radio
At the end of 2009, the
Following controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh regarding Sandra Fluke, WPTI was asked by the university not to promote the Tar Heel Sports Network during The Rush Limbaugh Show.[14]
In November 2010, the station canceled The Morning Rush with Flynn and Pamela Furr (although Furr continued anchoring news for both WPTI and WRDU). After Christmas 2010, Dmitri Vassilaros began hosting the morning show.[15] In 2011, WPTI replaced Vassilaros with K.C. O'Dea.[16]
On May 24, 2013, WPTI dropped its "Rush Radio 94.5" branding, switching to "94.5 WPTI".[17] Limbaugh died of lung cancer in February 2021. WPTI began airing his replacement, Clay Travis & Buck Sexton, that June.
References
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WPTI
- ^ Jeff Borden, "The Readers Write: "'Beautiful Music' Listeners Find Ways to Fill Void After WZXI Format Switch," The Charlotte Observer, April 14, 1986.
- ^ Bradley Johnson, "Aiming for an Audience," Greensboro News & Record, July 20, 1987.
- ^ Sutter, Mark (1991-08-16). "Triad Radio Stations Plan Marketing Staff Mergers". Greensboro News & Record.
- ^ Johnson, Maria C. (1993-05-20). "Radio Stations Fighting for Fans". Greensboro News & Record.
- ^ a b Sprouse, Catherine (1994-09-22). "Rock 'n a hard place". Triad Business News. p. 1.
- ^ Folk, Mark (1994-09-23). "Ex-Country Station Ready to Rock 'N' Roll". Greensboro News & Record.
- ^ "Greensboro's Country WNEU Goes Rock" (PDF). 1994-09-30. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ "WWCC/Greensboro Flips To CHR/Rhythmic" (PDF). 2003-02-28. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ "94.5 FM Becomes La Preciosa". WXII12. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- ^ Rush Radio 94.5
- ^ "Conservative Talkers Moving To FM In Triad". wxii.com. 2009-11-02. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Rowe, Jeri (2010-01-07). "Radio host shifts to the right with a new station". News & Record. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- News & Observer. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
- ^ "Rush Radio Hires New Morning Show Host". WGHP. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ "Ask SAM: Straight Answers". Winston-Salem Journal. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
- ^ "Less Rush for WPTI Greensboro". 24 May 2013.
External links
- WPTI in the FCC FM station database
- WPTI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- FCC History Cards (covering 1949-1981 as WLOE-FM / WEAF / WSRQ)