defunct West Virginia radio stations

[wrsg915fm]

I mean ones whose license was sent back to the FCC, not call letter changes. For example, the former 1470 in Wheeling, which I never heard, so I can't remember the calls.

 

[secondchoice]

I think Clarksburg lost an AM not sure but didn't they have a 1400 at one time?

 

[wrsg915fm]

They sure did-WOBG. That area should have been the genesis of this topic, but strangely wasn't. Ironically, it again started with a station I've never listened to. Go figure. I'm also wondering about 1340 in C'burg as well. Perhaps they're no more.

Is the relative lack of dark stations in West Virginia a testimony to astute owners simply knowing and meeting market need, or is a smidge of luck somehow still needed? Surely keeping an eye down the road for changing trends has to be a factor, along with necessary facility upgrades. Undoubtedly, they have to BELIEVE in their station, or it would all come to naught.

It may be hard for some to believe outside our borders, but MAYBE this is something we do relatively well, compared to, say, Florida? Not that long ago, I noted a large number of dark stations.

 

[eacalhoun1]

In Welch, WXEE (AM 1340) has been dark for at least 15 years. Here's some history on that station:

http://jeff560.tripod.com/wbrw.html

I was in Welch several years ago, and the old mobile home that housed the studios was still there - vacant, overgrown, and in poor shape. I think there was old dish with the WXEE calls still visible through the weeds. This is located on US 52 as one is headed north out of Welch. Ironically, at the end of this long hill climb is Welch's only remaining station 1150 WELC. The FM (102.9) left a couple of years ago, license moved to Pocahontas, VA - I think the studios are in Bluefield.

Eric

 

[NeilRattigan]

I think 1470 AM in Wheeling was WHLL.

There was also a 1080 AM in Hurricane that is no longer on the air. It was WZTQ around the time I left Charleston.

 

[cingram]

WOBG. That area should have been the genesis of this topic, but strangely wasn't. Ironically, it again started with a station I've never listened to. Go figure. I'm also wondering about 1340 in C'burg as well. Perhaps they're no more.

The last time I heard 1340 (which bears the WXKX call letters used in Pittsburgh about 30 years ago)
they were running satellite all-sports over a bad-sounding telephone line.

If you go back far enough, 1400 was WPQZ, WBBN, WBOY and WBLK. Channel 12 originally had the
call letters WBLK-TV, but changed to WBOY-TV before signing on the air.

C.

 

[cingram]

A search of the FCC database turned up two more deleted radio stations:

WLOG 1230 Logan
WZAC 1450 Madison

There also was WBDY 1190 Bluefield, technically licensed to the VA side, which was deleted just a few
years ago.

C.

 

[wrsg915fm]

Thanks for all the information, gentlemen!

 

[stereolane]

In Welch, WXEE (AM 1340) has been dark for at least 15 years. Here's some history on that station:

http://jeff560.tripod.com/wbrw.html

I was in Welch several years ago, and the old mobile home that housed the studios was still there - vacant, overgrown, and in poor shape. I think there was old dish with the WXEE calls still visible through the weeds. This is located on US 52 as one is headed north out of Welch. Ironically, at the end of this long hill climb is Welch's only remaining station 1150 WELC. The FM (102.9) left a couple of years ago, license moved to Pocahontas, VA - I think the studios are in Bluefield.

Eric

I recall seeing WXEE, but at no point does U.S. 52 head NORTH out of Welch... So, is the old trailer east or west of town? Is the tower still standing?

 

[wrsg915fm]

I think 1470 AM in Wheeling was WHLL.

Neil, I discovered that 1470's calls were WBZE. WHLL was one of the many calls for 1600.

 

[eacalhoun1]

In Welch, WXEE (AM 1340) has been dark for at least 15 years. Here's some history on that station:

http://jeff560.tripod.com/wbrw.html

I was in Welch several years ago, and the old mobile home that housed the studios was still there - vacant, overgrown, and in poor shape. I think there was old dish with the WXEE calls still visible through the weeds. This is located on US 52 as one is headed north out of Welch. Ironically, at the end of this long hill climb is Welch's only remaining station 1150 WELC. The FM (102.9) left a couple of years ago, license moved to Pocahontas, VA - I think the studios are in Bluefield.

Eric

I recall seeing WXEE, but at no point does U.S. 52 head NORTH out of Welch... So, is the old trailer east or west of town? Is the tower still standing?

US 52 is signed either "North" or "South", though. But, to clarify your point, the old studios are on US 52 (on the right) heading out of town toward Iaeger - as opposed to Bluefield. WV Rt 16 is also co-signed with this stretch of US 52 before it splits off toward War. I also thought of a great way to show this old station - Google Street view. Just click this link http://goo.gl/maps/vqJwa and move the image to where you are looking to your immediate right. You will see two large dishes and can barely make out the WXEE calls on the side of the trailer - or it might be a doublewide. And I have no idea of the tower's location or if it's even still standing.

 

[Don Niles]

WOBG. That area should have been the genesis of this topic, but strangely wasn't. Ironically, it again started with a station I've never listened to. Go figure. I'm also wondering about 1340 in C'burg as well. Perhaps they're no more.

The last time I heard 1340 (which bears the WXKX call letters used in Pittsburgh about 30 years ago)
they were running satellite all-sports over a bad-sounding telephone line.

If you go back far enough, 1400 was WPQZ, WBBN, WBOY and WBLK. Channel 12 originally had the
call letters WBLK-TV, but changed to WBOY-TV before signing on the air.
C.

WHAR 1340 was the dominant top 40 station in Clarksburg from the early 60's to the early 80's...In the early 80's 1400 WPQZ went top 40 and may have beat WHAR in a book or two...After Fairmont's 97.9 WFGM became top 40(The Great 98) in about 1984,both AM's in Clarksburg pretty much became dead in the water...In about 1988,WHAR moved the top 40 to FM- 92.7 WVHF,but with an inferior signal was not able to really compete with WFGM.

 

[Don Niles]

Adding to my last post,Clarksburg 1400 regained life again in the late 80's as an Oldies station(WOBG)..In the early 90's they purchased the Salem FM 105.7 allocation(WXKI at the time) to get a foothold outside Clarksburg city proper at night and Harrison County by day.