WVAB

Infobox Radio station
name = WVAB


city = Virginia Beach, Virginia
area = Hampton Roads
branding =
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 1550 kHz
format =
power = 1000 Watts
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class = C
facility_id =
coordinates = coord|36|51|29|N|76|09|28|W
callsign_meaning = Viirginia Beach (VA Beach)
former_callsigns =
owner =
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sister_stations =
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WVAB (1550 AM) is a radio station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, and serves the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia.

History

WVAB has had a long history in Virginia Beach, moving from a popular music station to strictly news and finally gospel programming. [http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8027058 WTKR NewsChannel 3: News, Weather and Traffic in Hampton Roads and North Carolina | Two AM Radio Stations Now Silent In Virginia Beach ] ] The late Sidney Kellam, a scion of political and economic power in Princess Anne County and Virginia Beach during mid 20th century, and members of the Kellam family, were the original owner and founders of WVAB. The studio or offices were long-located over the Jewish Mother Restaurant on Pacific Avenue, its headquarters for the first 34 years of its existence. WVAB had been a pop and rock music station, relying on a series of itinerant disc jockeys to purvey their various musical tastes to a limited local audience. Don Beckstrom was a constant figure on WVAB both on the air and as Program Director during this period. Eventually, advertising revenues trickled to a halt at the end of the 1980s. A succession of new owners followed beginning in the early 1990s. [ [http://hamptonroads.com/print/457864 WVAB-AM and sister Beach station off air after tower felled ] ] [ http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1994/vp941030/10280262.htm ]

Current event

As of March 19, 2008, the station was off-the air, following financial problems and an apparent vandalism incident of March 16.

The Norfolk "Virginian-Pilot" newspaper reported that the stations, WVAB-AM (1550), which had carried local gospel programming, and WBVA-AM (1450), both were off the air and there was no word on when or if they will return. [ [http://hamptonroads.com/2008/03/wvabam-and-sister-beach-station-air-after-tower-felled WVAB-AM and sister Beach station off air after tower felled | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com ] ]

According to Virginia Beach police, on March 16, someone felled the stations' 200-foot tower. Margie Long with the Virginia Beach Police Department was quoted in local media as saying "The tower, approximately 200 ft. of it, collapsed to the ground. It appears there were numerous lines, support lines that were cut. We are investigating this as a destruction of property. There are no suspects, he said, but the the investigation is ongoing." The tower stood in the 500 block of de Laura Lane, just off North Witchduck Road and north of Virginia Beach Boulevard. [ [http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=8029341&nav=23ii WAVY TV 10 : Virginia and North Carolina News -Vandals may have targeted radio tower in Va. Beach ] ]

Both stations are currently in bankruptcy and recently sold to Birach Broadcasting Co., based outside Detroit.

References

External links