WBZK

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WBZK
City of license York, South Carolina
Broadcast area Charlotte/Metrolina
Branding Praise 980
Frequency 980 kHz
Format Christian talk
Power 3,000 watts (day)
167 watts (night)
Class D
Facility ID 74380
Transmitter coordinates 34°54′11″N 81°05′33″W / 34.90306°N 81.09250°W / 34.90306; -81.09250
Owner 960 AM, Inc.

WBZK (980 AM) is an American radio station licensed by the FCC to serve the community of York, South Carolina. The station license is currently owned by 980 AM, Inc.[1]

WBZK airs various forms of religious programming, consisting largely of talk shows. Its programming is a simulcast of the programming airing on WCRU of Dallas, North Carolina.

History [edit]

Curtis Sigmon signed on WYCL at 1580 AM April 19, 1956, with 250 watts. The station later moved to 980 AM, increased power to 1000 watts, and became WBZK.[2] WDZK, at 99.3 FM in Chester, signed on in 1969.[3]

For five years prior to the 1986-87 season, WDZK aired Winthrop men's basketball.[4]

On January 20, 1988, after 31 years as a daytime-only station, WBZK broadcast at night for the first time, reducing its power after dark from 1000 watts to 290 watts. This meant better coverage of local government and sports, which included Clemson Tigers basketball and York Comprehensive High School football. The station continued to simulcast the adult contemporary music of sister FM WDZK except for Sunday morning religious programming.[5] York High games had aired the next day on tape; WDZK had aired Chester High School football for 20 years.[6]

In 1990, WDZK moved from a tower three miles south of Chester to a 495-foot tower, the highest in the area, 10 miles north of Chester. WDZK also increased its power from 3000 to 6000 watts. WBZK also moved to two new towers south of Rock Hill and increased power to 3500 watts, giving the station six times as many listeners.[2]

In 1993, WBZK and WDZK aired several Clemson women's basketball games, the first area stations to do so.[7] Also that year, WDZK aired Charlotte Knights baseball.[8]

In 1995, the Sigmon family sold WBZK-FM to the owners of WBT in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina after owning the station for 26 years. The family kept the AM, which played oldies and beach music.[9]

In July 2000, Carolina Metro Radio LLC (Edward A. Baker, managing member/33.33% owner) reached an agreement to purchase WBZK from York Clover Broadcasting Co. (C. Curtis Sigmon, president) for a reported sale price of $500,000.[10] At the time of the sale, WBZK broadcast a beach music format.[10]

At one time, WBZK aired Spanish Christian programming.

Osiris Collazos hosted the "Amanecer en America" ("Wake Up America") morning show on "La Maxima".[11]

980 AM Inc acquired WBZK in September 2008. According to the documention of the sale, 980 AM Inc was owned by Michael B. and Dara Glinter. WBZK was exchanged for station WPYR in Louisiana with no money changing hands, according to the agreement filed with the FCC.[12]

Prior to its switch to Christian talk, WBZK's programming consisted largely of Contemporary Christian music. The music was programmed on an automated basis rather than featuring live-on air personalities. WBZK featured relatively few interruptions between songs for commercials or other non-musical items. Songs were often played back-to-back with no bumpers in-between.[citation needed]

According to industry reports, the Glinters have relocated to South Carolina from Florida and wanted to operate a radio station near their new home. Truth Broadcasting paid $400,000, minus a security deposit and credit for the tower lease, for WBZK and began operating the station August 16, 2010, airing the same programming as WCRU in Dallas, North Carolina.[13]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "WBZK Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. 
  2. ^ a b Dan Huntley, "2 Stations Preparing for Boost," The Charlotte Observer, March 15, 1990.
  3. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook, 1994.
  4. ^ Will Parrish, "Winthrop on Rock Hill Station," The Charlotte Observer, October 25, 1986.
  5. ^ Mike Wynn, "WBZK Begins Night Broadcasts: York AM Radio Station Continues Adult Contemporary Music Format," The Charlotte Observer, January 29, 1988.
  6. ^ Will Parrish, "Fans Win Big with Football Coverage," The Charlotte Observer, June 8, 1988.
  7. ^ Steve Wiseman, "Clemson Women's Basketball on Radio," The Charlotte Observer, January 16, 1993.
  8. ^ Steve Wiseman, "What Else Is New? More Places to Park, Buy Food and Drinks," The Charlotte Observer, April 8, 1993.
  9. ^ Tim Funk and Blair Skinner, "Family Sells Off WBZK FM," The Charlotte Observer, February 2, 1995.
  10. ^ a b "Changing Hands - 7/10/2000". Broadcasting & Cable. 2000-07-10. 
  11. ^ Franco Ordoñez, "Latinos' Anti-DWI Efforts a Tough Sell," The Charlotte Observer, January 15, 2006.
  12. ^ "Facilities Exchange Agreement". Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
  13. ^ "Truth coming to WBZK-AM in Charlotte market". 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 

External links [edit]


Radio stations in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia-Rock Hill market
By FM frequency
By AM frequency
NOAA Weather Radio frequency
By callsign
Defunct
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