WLEQ

Infobox Radio station
name = WLEQ


city = Bedford, Virginia
area = Roanoke, Virginia/Lynchburg, Virginia
branding = BOB-FM
slogan = Turn Your Knob to Bob
airdate =
frequency = 106.9 MHz
97.3 MHz (W247AD translator)
format = Oldies
erp = 290 watts
class = A
callsign_meaning = W Lake (former slogan, sounds like 'lake' when spoken)
former_callsigns = WLUB (1993-1996)
WLQE (1996-2001)
WBWR (2001-2005)
owner = Red Zebra Broadcasting
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = http://www.boboldies.com
affiliations =

WLEQ (106.9 FM) is an American radio station broadcasting an
Oldies format under the on-air name BOB-FM. WLEQ is licensed to Bedford, Virginia and serves the Roanoke/Lynchburg radio market. WLEQ's programming is also aired on repeater W247AD (97.3 FM), licensed to Vinton, Virginia, to better serve the Roanoke portion of the market.

WLEQ was owned by Centennial Broadcasting Corp until 2008. Red Zebra Broadcasting, based in Washington, D.C., took over operations of WLEQ effective July 1, 2008. The broadcaster is noted for its primary investor, Daniel Snyder, who is the owner of the Washington Redskins NFL franchise. [http://pressroom.vartv.com/] , VARTV.com Pressroom. Accessed July 3, 2008.]

History

WLEQ signed on in 1993 as WLUB. The station transmitted from Thaxton Mountain in Bedford County, the same location as TV stations WSET and WWCW, and still does to this day.

In 1996, the station flipped to smooth jazz as "The Lake," WLQE, named for its location near Smith Mountain Lake. However, the station has a weak signal in Lynchburg and mountains made reception in Roanoke problematic. W247AD was put on the air in 1999 to help the latter situation, but it was not enough to save the station from going up for sale.

In 2001, the station was sold and became a simulcast of classic rock WBRW in Blacksburg, taking the callsign WBWR. This made the station a direct competitor with WROV.

By 2005, Cumulus had decided to focus the station on Blacksburg, and sold WBWR to Centennial Broadcasting. After simulcasting Oldies "Bob-FM" with co-owned WZZI and WZZU for several days, the station played "lake" sounds before becoming "The Lake" once again, this time broadcasting a standards format with the callsign WLEQ, similar to the old callsign.

That format lasted just over a year before Centennial moved its "Bob-FM" oldies format from WZZI and WZZU in order to launch classic rock "The Planet" on those frequencies.

References

External links

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* [http://www.boboldies.com Official Website]