Call sign to be flipped to WFOA per DCRTV. Noticed it was off last night, guess getting the new station up. Can’t find a web presence yet, so far just music on-air. This may be Baltimore’s first full time Spanish language station?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
WRBS 1230 Baltimore now Spanish
- Thread starter DXingRadio
- Start date
If you don't count El Zol, which is geard towards Washington, but I understand has a good signal in Baltimore.
And... Zol is rather seriously focused on the huge Salvadoreño community in the DC area, which does not have the same tastes as the Baltimore population.
I recall Annapolis' WYRE, then with a Spanish language format, had an application around 2005 to move to Baltimore at 860's site. Obviously didn't happen, but it was an attempt.
I also faintly recall WJRO 1590 (today WFBR) may have been Spanish at some point. It's a Glen Burnie signal that maybe covers 40% of the Baltimore area if the winds blow right.
I also faintly recall WJRO 1590 (today WFBR) may have been Spanish at some point. It's a Glen Burnie signal that maybe covers 40% of the Baltimore area if the winds blow right.
Sounds like the station is imaging as "La Prima Baltimore".
Think it could be an ad for the local grocery store in the area? Or a lease between the grocery store and the station?
That may be the case, listening again it was "Maxima" including ID of the 94.3 translator.
Also a website maxima943fm.com
We should note that WRBS 1230 had been a Christian talk and teaching station, while 95.1 WRBS-FM is Christian Contemporary. They are both owned by a non-profit religious broadcasting organization. According to Wikipedia, WRBS had a line up of national media evangelists, including David Jeremiah, John MacArthur and Alistair Begg. And it also ran Dave Ramsey. He is sometimes picked up by Christian stations if he isn't airing on a secular talk station in the market.
Many years ago, 1230 was WITH, an AM beautiful music station. So I guess 1230 and its 94.3 translator were sold to a Latino broadcaster?
Many years ago, 1230 was WITH, an AM beautiful music station. So I guess 1230 and its 94.3 translator were sold to a Latino broadcaster?
That is correct. The former Christian talk format can still be heard on 95.1 HD2 and online.
Home
Listen Here LETTER FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER: WRBS-AM PROGRAMS CONTINUE Daily Encouragement For Your Life. WRBS-AM is your place
wrbsam.com
There was a full-time Spanish-language FM station in Washington DC in the 1970s, WFAN 100.3. It had a Tropical music format. Of course, that was when not everyone had an FM radio. WFAN was co-owned with R&B station 1340 WOOK. As FM became more popular, the formats were swapped in 1976. The black format went on FM and the Hispanic format went on AM. The station today is Classic Rock WBIG, owned by iHeart.
WFAN was owned by Richard Eaton; Eaton was my first employer at R&B WJMO and Jazz WCUY in Cleveland.
Eaton lost his license to WOOK because one of the religious shows used bible verse references for an illegal lottery game. He then lost WFAB in Miami, a Cuban refugee targeted station, due to "double billing" on co-op accounts. And he lost a Boston area UHF TV license for other nasty processes.
One of my first tasks was to make Tee-Pee runs to the nearby market. Eaton had his own company that provided cleaning and sanitary supplies, and they always arrived too late and too little. So we did office pools to by stuff.
Eaton also had his own insurance company for the staff. His very good GSM in Miami got cancer, so he was fired so as not to pay the medical costs. Like that there are hundreds of stories.
In 1962 I used some savings from work to visit WFAB. The staff was just wonderful, showing me the growing 8th Street "Little Havana" and taking me to dinner at Cuban restaurants and even letting me run the board for a few hours! I knew basic Spanish and they had fun teaching me all the Cuban dirty words as well as radio terms. After that, I worked to get an internship in Mexico... great people but a horrible owner.
WFAN was more an MOR station than anything else. It played a lot of rhythmic material, but most was the pop and hit boleros from that era. When I briefly worked for Art Kellar and EZ Communications (before they gave it that name) I used to listen to it a lot as it was the only station in the market playing at least some of the music I liked.
He must have had listeners who played 316 every week, then wondered why it was never the winning number.
I did a term paper on the WOOK case in my senior year at the U. Of MD. Spent several days poring over volumes at the FCC.
Do you have that paper now? I'd love to have it for WorldRadioHistory.
Well, yes and no. I actually have the document but years ago, I had a flood in my basement and removed it from the water. The pages are brown and frayed at the edges, but . . . it’s still readable. However, it would have to be completely retyped to be in shape to be placed on WorldRadioHistory. If you still want it after reading this, message me and I’ll be happy to mail it to you.
I have to say, the playlist is all over the place. The Regional Mexican fans aren't going to like the tropical music and vice versa. And then you add reggaetón to that, and it's a mess.
This seems to be a problem with translators. There's a station in Milwaukee that does this, but even they don't sound as all over the place as Máxima does.
This seems to be a problem with translators. There's a station in Milwaukee that does this, but even they don't sound as all over the place as Máxima does.
New owner trying to find their programming niche? Or does Baltimore have a population that this mix would appeal to?
- Status