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WWBC
Broadcast areaMelbourne
Frequency1510 kHz
BrandingThe Talk To Me Radio Network, WMEL
Programming
FormatTalk
Ownership
OwnerAstro Enterprises, Inc.
OperatorJohn Harper
WMIE-FM
History
First air date
July 11, 1964 (1964-07-11)
Call sign meaning
"Wonderful World of Brevard County"[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID3071
ClassD
Power50,000 watts day
25,000 watts critical hours
Transmitter coordinates
28°21′12.00″N 80°46′45.00″W / 28.3533333°N 80.7791667°W / 28.3533333; -80.7791667
Translator(s)See § Translators
Links
Public license information
Website1510wwbc.com

WWBC (1510 AM), is a radio station licensed to Cocoa, Florida, United States. The station is currently owned by Astro Enterprises, Inc. and is leased out to John Harper, branded as "WMEL" and the "Talk To Me" Radio Network.[3]

For most of its history, WWBC was a Christian radio station; it has been leased out since 2016.

History

The Blue Crystal Broadcasting Corporation, owned by William Earman, received a construction permit on January 27, 1964,[4] to build a new daytime-only radio station on 1510 kHz in Cocoa. The station signed on July 11, with the transmitter mounted in the water in the Indian River at the Island Point Marina, and studios on Forrest Avenue.[5] The station broadcast a pop music format.[1]

Two years after building the station, Earman sold WWBC in order to become general manager of the Cocoa chamber of commerce. The new owners, Astro Enterprises, mostly consisted of employees of another station in town.[6] Under Astro, WWBC began broadcasting a modern country music format.[7] Ownership in Astro Enterprises completely turned over in 1975, when the company was sold to a group headed by Raymond A. Kassis of Baltimore.[8] The station had already carried some religious programs, but under Kassis, a born-again Christian, WWBC shifted to a primarily religious format, airing local and national fare, along with some country music.[9]

Kassis announced in 1977 his intention to apply for television channel 52 for a station focused on family programming.[10] His bid opened the door for other applicants to file; one, Good Life Broadcasting, proposing a similar service, prompted Kassis to claim that the competitor had "blundered" by "taking a brother to court".[11] The two parties would settle in late 1980, with The Good Life winning a construction permit for WTGL.[12] Kassis would later start the National Christian Network from facilities shared with WWBC in Cocoa,[13] which were also rented for use as an uplink facility by Sheridan Broadcasting Networks.[14]

Four years after the Kassis purchase, the station was approved to increase daytime power to 1,000 watts.[4] On December 2, 1984, Kassis started WMIE-FM 91.5, a noncommercial station oriented to the Black community.[14]

WWBC was required to relocate its transmitter from the Island Point site when it was sold to condominium developers in the early 2000s.[15][16]

Kassis died in 2016.[17] The intellectual unit of WMEL, which had moved among several stations in the Melbourne–Cocoa area, began broadcasting on WWBC and its translators on November 1, 2016, as John Harper leased out the station.[3]

Translators

Broadcast translators for WWBC
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class FCC info
W234BI 94.7 FM Cocoa, Florida 156428 125 76 m (249 ft) D LMS
W260CL 99.9 FM Cocoa, Florida 146519 250 56 m (184 ft) D LMS
W264AS 100.7 FM Melbourne, Florida 144128 250 141 m (463 ft) D LMS

References

  1. ^ a b "Listen Tomorrow at 10 A.M. for "Brevard's Newest and Finest": WWBC". Orlando Sentinel. July 10, 1964. p. 3-A. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WWBC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ a b Gaffey, Mike (December 1, 2016). "WMEL moves up the AM dial, adds 3 FM stations". Viera Voice. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  4. ^ a b FCC History Cards for WWBC
  5. ^ "Station WWBC Signs On Tomorrow". Orlando Sentinel. July 10, 1964. p. 6-A. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Cocoa Radio Station Sold". Orlando Evening Star. June 1, 1966. p. 1A. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  7. ^ Brooks, Diana (October 24, 1966). "Behind the Mike". Orlando Sentinel. p. 7.
  8. ^ Myers, Tom (December 12, 1975). "Harris Projects Profit Upswing". Florida Today. p. 12C. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Cogdill, Oline (May 21, 1976). "WWBC: Sending The Sound Of Gospel". Florida Today. p. 1D. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  10. ^ Murray, Don (June 25, 1977). "New Television Station Planned". Florida Today. p. 2B.
  11. ^ Dearing, Bob (March 3, 1978). "TV Applications Straining Brotherhood". Florida Today. p. 1A. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  12. ^ FCC History Cards for WTGL
  13. ^ Straner, June (August 13, 1983). "Kassis has plans to 'use the best for God's work'". Florida Today. p. 1D. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Jennings, Veronica T. (February 15, 1985). "WMIE radio station blazing new trails". Florida Today. p. 10. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  15. ^ Kassis, Raymond (September 23, 2002). "Proposal to the City of Cocoa, Florida for WWBC Radio Station Tower Relocation". Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  16. ^ Schweers, Jeff (April 4, 2004). "Regulations menace liveaboard lifestyle". Florida Today. pp. 1A, 4A. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "Southern Florida Assistant Section Manager Ray Kassis, N4LEM, SK". ARRL. November 17, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
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