WBCN (AM)
 | |
| Broadcast area | Fort Myers, Florida |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 770 kHz (HD Radio)
(HD Radio via WXKB-HD3) |
| Branding | WJBX News Talk |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk/Business |
| Affiliations | Fox News Radio BizTalk Radio CBS Radio News |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WJPT, WRXK-FM, WXKB, WWCN | |
| History | |
First air date | December 17, 1983 |
Former call signs | WKZY (1983-1984) WZRZ (1984-1990) WVTI (1990-1991) WRXK (6/1991-7/1991) WWCN (1991-2013) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 4437 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 10,000 watts daytime 630 watts nighttime |
Transmitter coordinates | 26°46′30″N 81°50′51″W / 26.775°N 81.8475°W |
| Translator(s) | See § Translators |
| Links | |
| Website | WJBXnewstalk.com |
WJBX (770 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a talk radio and business talk format. Licensed to North Fort Myers, Florida, United States, the station serves the Fort Myers media market. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC. The station primarily carries nationally syndicated talk and business shows, including This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal, Dave Ramsey, Brian Kilmeade, Todd Starnes and Tom Shillue, the last three from Fox News Radio. Programming from BizTalk Radio is heard nights and weekends. WJBX carries CBS Radio News at the start of each hour.
WJBX broadcasts with 10,000 watts by day. But because 770 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A WABC in New York City, WJBX must reduce power at night to 630 watts to avoid interference. The transmitter is off Huffmaster Road in North Fort Myers and the studios and offices are on South Tamiami Trail in Estero, Florida.[1] In addition to its AM signal, WJBX uses two FM translators to air its programming: 104.3 W282BY in Fort Myers and 101.5 W268AH in Bonita Springs.[2]
Sports Programming
During their respective seasons, WJBX carries Tampa Bay Rays baseball and Westwood One coverage of the National Football League, along with Florida Gulf Coast University basketball. The station has carried Florida Firecats football, Miami Hurricanes football, Florida Gators football and basketball, Florida State Seminoles football, Miami Marlins baseball and Fort Myers Miracle baseball in the past. The station carried Florida Everblades ECHL hockey from their inception to 2009.[3]
WJBX used to broadcast NBA, Major League Baseball, and college football games from ESPN Radio. NASCAR races from Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network moved to the then-WWCN from WCKT in 2006. Miami Dolphins games not aired on WRXK-FM, mostly in the preseason, are heard on WJBX, which carried the team full-time before picking up NASCAR.
History
WJBX first signed on the air on December 17, 1983 as big band station WKZY.[4] In 1987, the station was acquired by Beasley Broadcasting, switching the format to oldies as WZRZ.[5] The station also spent time as a soft adult contemporary outlet and also played active rock for a time.
For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, it used the call letters WWCN, originally as a radio affiliate of CNN Headline News and later as a talk station. On June 20, 2013 WWCN began simulcasting the rock music programming on WJBX 99.3 FM, swapping call letters. (AM 770 became WJBX and FM 99.3 became WWCN.)
On June 28, 2013 WJBX dropped its simulcast with WWCN 99.3 FM and switched to Spanish-language sports radio, with programming from the ESPN Deportes Radio Network.
On June 16, 2016 WJBX changed its format back to talk.[6]
Technology
WJBX enjoys the largest daytime coverage area of any AM radio station in Southwest Florida. As a music station (Transtar Radio Networks' "Format 41" and Citadel Broadcasting's "Z-Rock") the station transmitted in AM stereo, using the C-QUAM system. It now incorporates HD radio technology.
Translators
It was announced on July 2, 2012 that Beasley Broadcasting would purchase the two translators from Reach Communications for $150,000, to serve as rebroadcasters for WWCN's sports radio format (via WRXK-HD2):[7] On June 20, 2013, these translators changed their format to alternative rock, relaying WRXK-HD2. Then in 2016, the translators began simulcasting WJBX's talk radio format.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W282BY | 104.3 FM | Fort Myers, Florida | 139201 | 250 | 92 m (302 ft) | D | LMS |
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W268AH | 101.5 FM | Bonita Springs, Florida | 138952 | 99 | 207 m (679 ft) | D | LMS |
References
- ^ http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wjbx&nav=&x=0&y=0
- ^ http://www.insideradio.com/free/beasley-adds-new-talker-to-southwest-fl-at-wjbx/article_90731c82-345f-11e6-949a-fb6c5f06e1b2.html
- ^ http://www.floridaeverblades.com/news/press/index.html?article_id=521
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1984 page B-57
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1990 page B-71
- ^ Beasley Launches Fort Myers Newstalker Radioinsight - June 16, 2016
- ^ Border Media Sells Austin Pair, Beasley Buys Ft. Myers-Naples Translators, All Access Music Group, July 2, 2012.
External links
- WJBX website
- Facility details for Facility ID WJBX ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Template:FMQ
- W268AH at FCCdata.org
- Template:FMQ
- W282BY at FCCdata.org