WBIN (Tennessee)

The call sign used in this page title, WBIN (Facility ID: 63492), references the last one employed while the station was actively broadcasting. However, official FCC records use the station's final call letters at the time of its deletion, WWRO, which were assigned while the station was silent and never used on the air.
WBIN
Frequency1540 kHz
BrandingThe Light
Programming
FormatDefunct (was Religion)
Ownership
OwnerGeorge C. Hudson, III
WCPH, WENR
History
First air date
May 18, 1977; 47 years ago (1977-05-18)[1]
Former call signs
WWRO (2020)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID63492
ClassD
Power1,000 watts day
500 watts critical hours
4 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
35°10′50.00″N 84°38′34.00″W / 35.1805556°N 84.6427778°W / 35.1805556; -84.6427778
Links
Public license information

WBIN (1540 AM) was a radio station licensed to Benton, Tennessee, United States. The station was last owned by George C. Hudson, III.[3][4] The station went silent on September 19, 2019; its license was surrendered to the Federal Communications Commission on September 8, 2020, and cancelled on September 15, 2020 as WWRO, although this call sign was never used on the air.

History

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The station signed on May 18, 1977,[1] as WBIN, a 250-watt daytimer owned by Stonewood Communications Corporation. It increased its power to 1,000 watts in 1979.[5] By 1989, the station was programming southern traditional gospel.[6] A $197,000 sale of WBIN and the construction permit for WBIN-FM (93.1) to Family Communications was announced in 1995;[7] for a period, WBIN shifted to a general religious format, but returned to southern gospel in December 1996.[8]

Stonewood sold WBIN and WBIN-FM to BP Broadcasters for $265,000 in 1998.[9] Upon taking over under a local marketing agreement that April, BP began simulcasting WBIN's southern gospel programming on WBIN-FM, replacing a contemporary Christian format;[10] the simulcast ended in July, when the FM station became adult contemporary station WOCE.[11]

BP Broadcasters sold WBIN to John and Jane Sines for $79,000 in 1999.[12] The Sines programmed WBIN as a religious station;[13] by 2003, the station was affiliated with the Three Angels Broadcasting Network.[14]

The Sines donated WBIN to Pioneer Health and Missions in 2019.[15] On September 19, 2019, WBIN went silent following the loss of its transmitter site; in applying for silent authority, Pioneer disclosed that it was in the process of selling the station.[16] WBIN was acquired by George C. Hudson, III, effective June 2, 2020 for $2,500.[17] The call sign was changed to WWRO on July 6, 2020,[18] to allow the WBIN call letters to be transferred to a station in Atlanta. The Benton station never returned to the air as WWRO.

References

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  1. ^ a b Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 (PDF). 2010. p. D-496. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "WWRO Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ "WBIN Station Information Profile". Nielsen Audio.
  5. ^ "WBIN (WWRO) history cards". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  6. ^ The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990 (PDF). 1990. p. B-283. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "Spring Broadcasting Submits Winning Bid For Six H&D Stations" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 28, 1995. pp. 6–8. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  8. ^ "Format Changes & Updates" (PDF). The M Street Journal. December 11, 1996. p. 2. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  9. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. March 23, 1998. p. 82. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  10. ^ "Format Changes & Updates" (PDF). The M Street Journal. April 29, 1998. p. 2. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  11. ^ "Format Changes & Updates" (PDF). The M Street Journal. June 3, 1998. p. 2. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  12. ^ "NextMedia Multiplies In Erie With Purchase Of Jet" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 26, 1999. pp. 6–8. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2005 (PDF). 2005. p. D-470. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  14. ^ "3ABN Radio Affiliates". Three Angels Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on June 8, 2003. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  15. ^ "North Carolina AM-Translator Combo Sold". All Access. May 2, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  16. ^ Akens, Raquel (September 24, 2019). "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  17. ^ "Deal Digest: Loud Media Turns Up Volume In Knoxville". Inside Radio. 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  18. ^ "Call Sign History (WWRO)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
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