WBAV-FM

Infobox Radio Station
name = WBAV


city = Gastonia, North Carolina
area = Charlotte/Metrolina
branding = "V101.9"
slogan = The Best Variety of Hits and Oldies
airdate = 1993
frequency = 101.9 (MHz)
format = Urban Adult Contemporary
erp = 99,000 watts
class =
owner = CBS Radio
website = [http://www.v1019.com/ http://www.v1019.com/]
callsign_meaning = The V from WBAV is used in branding: V101.9
Best Adult Variety (reflecting slogan and format)
sister_stations = WBAV, WFNA/WFNZ, WKQC, WNKS, WPEG, WSOC-FM

WBAV (V101.9) is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station serving the Charlotte market broadcasting at 101.9FM. The station was launched in 1993. Syndicated programs include Steve Harvey in mornings, and Michael Baisden in afternoons. Tom Joyner used to be in mornings until Radio One acquired his show, and is now broadcast on WQNC-FM 92.7 (Q92). WBAV can be heard throughout the Piedmont and Foothills, including the Greenville-Spartanburg, SC market.

On Sundays, its mid-day programming consists of the Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch, featuring performers such as Grover Washington, Jr. and David Sanborn. This musical style has long been popular in Charlotte, as it was the dominant music genre for NPR affiliate WFAE prior to its switch to a mostly news-talk format on July 1, 1996 and in the mid-1990s for upstart FM station WCCJ (which is now urban contemporary WQNC).

WBAV competes with sister station, longtime heritage Urban station WPEG (Power 98) and its current Urban AC rival, WQNC.

History

The roots of the station at 101.9 MHz in Charlotte begins in 1947 with the sign-on of WGNC-FM in Gastonia. It was locally owned by the McSwain Family. The station was a 100% duplication of co-owned WGNC-1450 AM and was the only FM station ever licensed to Gastonia. The station normally ran a broadcast day of 5:00am to 12:00 midnight until the late 1970s when it began operating 24 hours daily.

In 1975, the FM programming was separated from the AM, and ran an Adult Contemporary "soft rock" automated format. The call letters were changed to WZXI in 1978. The station was one of three soft adult contemporary stations in the Charlotte market. Protests over the programming change by WEZC led WZXI to change to beautiful music.

In 1987 WZXI became WLIT and later switched to satellite-delivered MOR.

In the late 80s WLIT became WCKZ "Kiss 102", a churban station similar in style to what is known today as Rhythmic CHR. The current name and format were adopted in 1994.

The WBAV call letters were assigned in 1993 to a co-owned station formerly known as WGIV at 1600 AM. Following a format change, the AM station returned to the WGIV call sign in late 1994.

References

External links

* [http://www.v1019.com WBAV]
*fmq|WBAV