WBIX

Infobox Radio Station
name = WBIX


city = Natick, Massachusetts
area = Boston, Massachusetts
branding = "AM 1060 WBIX"
slogan = "The Business Station"
airdate = 1969
frequency = 1060 (kHz)
format = Business talk
power = 40,000 watts (daytime)
22,000 watts (critical hours)
2,500 watts (nighttime)
coordinates = coord|42.288056|N|71.431944|W|type:landmark (daytime/nightime site)
and
coord|42.247222|N|71.425278|W|type:landmark
(critical hours site)
class = B
owner = Alex Langer
website = [http://www.wbix.com/ www.wbix.com]
callsign_meaning = BIX = Business

WBIX is a business talk radio station in the Boston market. The station is owned by Alex Langer and is licensed to Natick, Massachusetts. WBIX offers a simulcast, for non-cable viewers of the Boston area, of local cable news station NECN from 8-10 PM.

History

The station first began operation in 1969 as WGTR, owned by John Garabedian. Originally a full service daytime station for Natick and MetroWest programming top-40 music, WGTR expanded to 24 hour-a-day broadcasting and later adopted all-news, the Stardust adult-standards service (as WSTD), and talk (as WTTP) as Garabedian turned his focus on his WGTF FM radio station on Nantucket and music videos WVJV channel 66 in Marlborough. The station was taken over by religious operators in 1987, becoming WBIV and a Spanish language religious station. The station swapped ownership with the permit for WBMA in Dedham in 1994, eventually moving its programming onto 890 later that year.

Alex Langer bought the WBIV license in 1995, and returned it to the air two years later as WJLT, a daytime religious station. After swapping formats with talk WRPT, the station became WMEX before taking on its current business format and WBIX callsign.

Brad Bleidt bought the station in 2004 (but had operated the station since the 2001 debut of WBIX), who invested money on night power and attempted to sell the station before confessing to the SEC that he had stolen this money (after a party celebrating the start of nighttime operations), sending WBIX into the receivership of David Vicinanzo before Langer reclaimed ownership in 2006.

External links

* [http://www.wbix.com/ Official website]
*amq|WBIX
*aml|WBIX