WBLO

WBLO
Broadcast areaPiedmont Triad
Frequency790 kHz
BrandingLatina 106.9
Programming
FormatSpanish tropical
Ownership
Owner
  • Norsan Broadcasting
  • (WBLO/WIST-FM Operating, LLC)
WIST-FM
History
First air date
September 1947 (77 years ago) (1947-09)
Former call signs
WTNC (1947–2003)[1][2]
WIST (2003–2004)[2]
WFIK (2004)[2]
WZXY (2004)[2]
Call sign meaning
W BaLl O (meaning "The Ball", former station moniker)
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID54552
ClassD
Power10,000 watts day
26 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
35°57′41″N 80°02′13″W / 35.96139°N 80.03694°W / 35.96139; -80.03694
Links
Public license information
WebsiteOfficial website

WBLO (790 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish tropical radio format. Licensed to Thomasville, North Carolina, it serves the Piedmont Triad. The station is owned by Norsan Multimedia.[4]

By day, WBLO is powered at 10,000 watts. But to protect other stations on 790 AM, at night it greatly reduces power to 26 watts. Programming is also heard on FM translator W295CE at 106.9 MHz in Winston-Salem.

History

The station signed on in September 1947, and held the call sign WTNC.[1] It originally ran 1,000 watts, during daytime hours only.[1]

Buddy Poole and other partners bought WTNC and its FM station in 1984, and Poole served as general manager for 18 years.[5]

When the station moved to High Point in the early 2000s, it played southern gospel music. On March 1, 2003, the station's call sign was changed to WIST.[2] It aired an adult standards format along with WIST-FM. Its call sign was briefly changed to WFIK on November 12, 2004, before being changed to WZXY on November 26, 2004.[2] The WBLO letters, the name "The Ball" and the sports talk format were adopted December 14, 2004.

On June 4, 2010, Norberto Sanchez of Norsan Multimedia said that his company would lease WIST-FM and WBLO, with an option to buy. WBLO kept its format until the end of the year.[6]

Translator

WBLO is also heard at 106.9 MHz, through a translator in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class FCC info
W295CE 106.9 FM Winston-Salem, North Carolina 140365 250 111 m (364 ft) D LMS

References

  1. ^ a b c History Cards for WBLO, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WBLO". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ FCC.gov/WBLO
  5. ^ "Poole celebrates 50 years in radio, is grand marshal of Faith parade". Salisbury Post. July 3, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  6. ^ Mark Washburn, "Spanish broadcaster adds 2 stations," The Charlotte Observer, June 5, 2010.