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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 1550kHz |
| Branding | The Buzz |
| Programming | |
| Format | WasSports |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | August 1962 (1962-08) (as WNOH) |
Last air date | January 31, 2025 (2025-01-31) |
Former call signs |
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| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 51262 |
| Class | D |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 35°45′37.55″N78°39′25.01″W / 35.7604306°N 78.6569472°W /35.7604306; -78.6569472 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WCLY (1550AM; "The Buzz") was a radio station licensed toRaleigh, North Carolina owned byCapitol Broadcasting Company along with sister radio stationsWRAL-FM,WCMC-FM andWDNC, and television stationsWRAL-TV andWRAZ-TV. Its studios were located in Raleigh, and the transmitter tower site was just south of downtown Raleigh. Established in 1962 as WNOH, WCLY last broadcast asports radio format, simulcasting sister stations WDNC and WCMC-FM HD2; it was closed in 2025.
WCLY began broadcasting in August 1962 as WNOH, acountry station founded by N.O. Harris, owner of Harris Wholesale, a local beer distributor. WNOH's original antenna was close to where present-dayInterstate 40 crosses Lake Wheeler Road, and its studios were located in the Jack Wardlaw Building on Hillsborough Street. WNOH switched toTop 40 as WYNA in 1966, only to return to country under formerWKIX owner Hugh Holder. As country music began taking root on the FM dial, WYNA became Top 40 again as WRZR "The Rock of Raleigh" in 1982.
The Top 40 format did not last long, and the station became WSES in 1983 and switched toblack gospel. Construction of I-40 through southern Raleigh forced the station to move their antenna to Maywood Avenue, where it shared a tower with WLLE (nowWQDR). By 1987, the final calls, WCLY, were adopted. In the late 1990s, both WCLY and the former WLLE (which was WDTF at the time) were bought byCurtis Media Group.
It was announced, on August 10, 2009, that Curtis Media would sell WCLY andWDNC toCapitol Broadcasting Company in exchange for theNorth Carolina News Network.[2] WCLY later switched to Spanish languagesports radio fromESPN Deportes Radio in October.[3]
OnApril 16, 2011, a tornado felled the Maywood Avenue tower shared by WCLY and what was then known as WFNL (nowWQDR). While WFNL would leave this site to diplex from sister station WPTF's transmitter site, WCLY eventually returned to the air from a new tower at this same site. During its construction, WCLY returned to the air via a temporary long wire antenna.[4]
On February 29, 2016, WCLY relaunched as an English-language sports station, "1550 the Ticket". The station featured a mix of sports programming fromESPN Radio,CBS Sports Radio, andFox Sports Radio, which also aired onWCMC-FM 99.9-HD3. ESPN Deportes continued to air on 99.9-HD4.[5]
On February 1, 2017, WCLY signed on an FM translator at 95.7 FM and changed its moniker to "95.7 the Ticket".[6] The translator on 95.7 FM broadcast with aneffective radiated power of 250 watts with a directional signal (towards the north) from theWDCG tower. In addition, WCLY also broadcastAppalachian State football,NASCAR, andNorth Carolina FC soccer.
On May 1, 2018, WCLY changed its format to adult album alternative, branded as "That Station". The "Ticket" sports format moved to WDNC.[7] Musical styles ranged fromroots,Americana,bluegrass,rhythm & blues,rock andcountry. Artists includedJason Isbell,Nathaniel Rateliff,Avett Brothers,The Decemberists andRyan Adams.[8] Capitol Broadcasting ran a contest in which listeners were invited to submit ideas for a permanent name, but the vast majority of the nominations were to keep the name "That Station".[9]
On July 31, 2022, WCLY flipped back to sports, branded as "The Buzz", simulcasting sister stations WDNC and WCMC-FM HD2. The adult album alternative format continued on 101.5WRAL-HD2 and translator 95.7 W239CK.[10]
On February 5, 2023, the station went off the air.
On January 30, 2025, the station filed aspecial temporary authority request to go off the air as of January 31, "for technical and financial reasons... for more than 30 days", which was granted by theFederal Communications Commission.[11] It never returned to the air; Capitol Broadcasting surrendered the WCLY license in January 2026.[12] The license was cancelled on February 5, 2026.[13]