WBTS

Infobox Radio Station


name = WBTS
airdate = March 1969
frequency = 95.5 MHz HD Radio
95.5 HD-2 for Top 40
area = Atlanta metropolitan area
city = Doraville, Georgia
format = Rhythmic
owner = Cox Radio
sister_stations = WALR, WSB, WSB-FM, WSRV
"part of Cox cluster with WSB-TV and "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"'
erp = 74,000 watts
haat = 340 meters
branding = 95.5 The Beat
slogan = Atlanta's New #1 for Hip Hop"
class = C1
facility_id = 11710
former_callsigns = WGAU, WNGC, WYAP
webcast = [http://uni6.cox.streamaudio.com/WBTS_FM Listen Live]
website = [http://955thebeat.com 955thebeat.com]
callsign_meaning = BeaTS

WBTS ("95-5 The Beat") is an Atlanta radio station that plays Rhythmic Top 40 music. The Cox Radio outlet broadcasts at 95.5 MHz with an ERP of 74 kW. The station's city of license is Doraville, Georgia.

History

95.5 has a long history. It began in Athens on May 1st, 1948 as WGAU-FM on 99.5, broadcasting at 3600 watts (simulcating sister station WGAU-AM). In 1956, the station moved to 102.5. This was because when channel 11 came on the air in Atlanta, it created a second harmonic. During 1962, WGAU-FM broadcasted in stereo for 6 hours,the second station in Georgia to do so. Also in 1962, WGAU-FM moved to 95.5 because when Channel 8 came on, it created a "beat-frequency" with Channel 5 in the Athens Area.

In March of 1968, WGAU-FM became WNGC-FM. The next year, WNGC became North Georgia's FIRST full-time country music station, also one of the first in the nation to program country music full-time. WNGC went 24 hours a day, and began broadcasting at 100,000 watts from a tower located in Neece, Georgia in 1976.

In 1999, the owners of WNGC (Clarke Broadcasting) wanted to sell their Athens properties. They sold the 95-5 frequency to Cox, and then became top 40 WBTS. WNGC merged with and moved to an existing country station at 106.1 (WSTE-FM). Its city of license stayed Athens, Georgia in Clarke County, though as a move-in (done in 1999) it now transmits from the western Barrow County and eastern Gwinnett County line, about halfway to Atlanta, in northeast metro Atlanta. The station changed its city of license to the Atlanta suburb of Doraville and now has an application to downgrade to a C2 and put its tower a lot closer to the city in order to provide a better metro-wide signal. WBTS's engineer was John Talbert, who passed away while working at the Bethlehem GA transmitter site one hot afternoon.

When it was signed on with host Stick On The Radio in 1999, its direction focused on mainstream Pop, Dance, and Rock product even though it had a Rhythmic lean. But by 2000 they would evolve more towards Rhythmic product, thus resulting in the station dropping all mainstream Rock/Pop product and going Rhythmic 24/7. It would be this move that would pay off big time in the ratings, putting them among the top 10 stations in Atlanta. With the hip hop lean, WBTS competes with WVEE and WHTA, while on the Top 40 side it competes with WWWQ and WSTR.

In October 2005, the station switched its slogan from "Atlanta's New #1 Hit Music Station" to "Atlanta's New Number #1 for Hip Hop." Despite the shift, Cox is still billing the station as a Rhythmic Top 40 and continues to report to R&R's Rhythmic reporting panel.

In August 2006, the station tapped on-air personality Murph Dawg from WHZT, a Cox station in Greenville to host a new morning show with 6-year Atlanta veteran Stacy C, billing it as "Murph Dawg in the Morning with Stacy C." The alliance was short-lived, and after only a few months, Murph Dawg found himself solo.

In May 2007, 95-5 The BEAT pulled a coup by hiring a member of WHTA's "The A-Team" morning show, CJ. The newly created morning show "Murph Dawg & CJ in the Morning" has continued to rise in its 18-34 demographics.

In the Spring 2008 Book, 95-5 The BEAT hit its highest numbers in station history, with a 6.5 share in its 18-34 demographics. "Murph Dawg & CJ in the Morning" hit 5th place, with later dayparts reaching the Top 2 and Top 3 ranks.

In August 2008, 95-5 The BEAT again pulled a personality from across the street at WHTA, tapping overnight jock and mixer Mami Chula to fill the Night Show position that had been vacant since former night host Austin left in November 2007 for a gig in Indianapolis.

WBTS HD2

On April 25, 2006, Cox announced that WBTS' HD2 subchannel will carry a format focusing on "Pop Top 40" hits.

External links

* [http://955thebeat.com Station website]
*FMQ|WBTS
*FML|WBTS
*FMARB|WBTS
* [http://www.doraville.com Doraville's website - Doraville is home of the 95.5 Thea Beat]