WBUK

Infobox Radio station
name = WBUK


city = Ottawa, Ohio
area = Lima, Ohio
branding =
slogan = The Fox
airdate =
frequency = 106.3 MHz
format = Rock
power =
erp = 1,400 watts
haat = 149 meters
class = A
facility_id = 40172
coordinates = coord|40|57|21.00|N| 83|54|42.00|W|region:GB_type:city
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = Citicasters Licenses, L.P.
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = [http://www.1063thefox.com/cc-common/streaming_new/index.html Listen Live]
website = [http://www.1063thefox.com www.1063thefox.com]
affiliations =

WBUK "106.3 The Fox" is a commercial rock FM station at 106.3 MHz licensed to Ottawa, Ohio with studios in Lima and transmitter located near Pandora in southeastern Putnam County north of Bluffton which borders in Allen and Hancock counties. Until January 2008, as "The Big Buck," the station aired a satellite-fed oldies format spotlighting the 1960s/early 70s Top 40 era. In January 2008 the station became the new home of the "Fox" rock format formerly featured on WPFX 107.7 FM North Baltimore, Ohio, which flipped to an adult contemporary format, thus marking the end of "The Big Buck." WBUK is the sister station of WIMA (AM) and WIMT-FM located on West Market Street in Lima.

History

WBUK "The Big Buck" originally broadcast from 1991 to 2002 at 107.5 in the city of license of Ft. Shawnee with studios located on South Metcalf Street near the Ottawa River. It became part of the Lima cluster of Clear Channel Communications in the late 1990s. The 107.5 frequency is now occupied by active rock WZRX-FM.

The 106.3 frequency originally was home to WPNM and was founded in the mid-1970s by Bellefontaine-based Triplett Broadasting which owned the former WTOO AM & FM (now WBLL(AM) and WPKO-FM respectively) and WYNT in Upper Sandusky. Financial difficulties forced Triplett to sell its properties in the 1980s. WPNM's studios were originally located in its city of licesnse of Ottawa which for many years employed a jazz format until 1986 when it became WQTL. The WBUK calls and format moved to 106.3 in 2002.

In September 2008, Clear Channel Communications sold WBUK to the Blanchard River Broadcasting subsidiery of Findlay Publishing Company, which owns and operates WFIN (AM-1330) and WKXA (FM-100.5) in Findlay, Ohio.

WBUK Today

Until 106.3 became the new home of "The Fox", long time Lima area broadcast veteran Spark Simon was the morning personality on "The Big Buck"; the rest of the on-air broadcasts was provided by Jones Radio Networks' Good Time Oldies format. Renee Scott was previously an air personality.

WBUK also simulcasts on translator W283AX at 104.5 FM in Findlay.

As part of a divesture among Clear Channel's small-market radio stations, WBUK was initially sold to Florida based GoodRadio.TV LLC in May 2007, but the deal soon collapsed prior to FCC approval. The most recent proposed deal is by Blanchanrd River Broadcasting,owners of WFIN(AM) and WKXA-FM. Blanchard's purchase of WBUK is awaiting FCC approval according to a WLIO-TV story on September 19,2008. Previously,it was hoped that WBUK and other stations within Clear Channels Lima cluster was to have been sold to banker American Securities under the new name "Frequency Licensing Partners LLC", but it has yet to be completed or approved.

ource

* [http://www.wlio.com/localNews.aspx?NewsID=8422 WLIO story of WBUK's sale to Blanchard River Broadasting]

See also

* Ottawa, Ohio
* Lima, Ohio
* Rock
* List of radio stations in Ohio

External links

* [http://www.1063thefox.com Official WBUK site (with streaming audio)]
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*FMARB|WBUK
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