 | |
| Broadcast area | Bennettsville, South Carolina Laurinburg, North Carolina Rockingham, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1550kHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Defunct |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | June1947 |
Call sign meaning | WBennettsville,SouthCarolina |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 5214 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 10,000Watts daytime 5,000Watts nighttime |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°40′52.0″N79°42′4.0″W / 34.681111°N 79.701111°W /34.681111; -79.701111 |
WBSC (1550AM) was acommercialradio station licensed to serve thecommunity ofBennettsville, South Carolina. WBSC was last owned and operated by D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc.[1] The station, established in June 1947, fellsilent in October 2011 and had itsbroadcast license revoked by theFederal Communications Commission in November 2012.[1]
The stationbroadcast from a transmitter site north ofBennettsville, South Carolina and servedMarlboro andChesterfield County inSouth Carolina, andRichmond andScotland County inNorth Carolina, including the cities of Bennettsville, South Carolina,Laurinburg, North Carolina, andRockingham, North Carolina. The station ran 10,000 watts during the day from a 1 tower omni-directional array, and 5,000 watts at night from a 5 tower array with a directional pattern to the southeast.[2][3]
In June 1947, WBSC took to the airwaves for the first time under the ownership of Loys Marsden Hawley,[4] with programming from theMutual Broadcasting System.[5] Initially, WBSC broadcast on 1400 AM, but changed to 1550 AM sometime between 1951 and 1952.[6][7]
In 1949, Loys Marsden Hawley sold WBSC to Bennettsville Broadcasting Company for an unknown sum.[8] In 1956, WBSC was again sold, this time to the Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company.[9] WBSC would change hands again on September 23, 1962, this time being sold to Big Bend Broadcasting.[10] At the time of the sale, WBSC was carrying aCountry format.[10]
By 1970, WBSC was airing a mix ofGospel andcountry music, along with the normal fare from theMutual Broadcasting System.[11] In 1973, the station dropped its Gospel and Country format for a contemporary one (what today would be consideredOldies).[12] By 1980, the station was airing avariety format, with contemporary, Gospel, and country music being heard.[13] The station would revert to a Gospel and country format in 1984.[14]
In 1990, WBSC would change formats again, this time tooldies and would drop Mutual Broadcasting System for theSatellite Music Network, the predecessor of theABC Radio Network.[15][16][17] In April 1995, Big Bend Broadcasting sold WBSC to D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc.[18] At the time of the sale, WBSC was still airing anOldies format.[18] In 1997, the new owners, D-Mitch Broadcasting, tweaked the station's format, adding Gospel music along with the oldies.[19]
On June 27, 2008, the station was fined $12,000 for "failure to maintain operational Emergency Alert System ("EAS") equipment and failure to maintain and make available a complete public inspection file."[20][21]
A lawsuit was filed against D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc. on March 4, 2010 to collect the $12,000 fine from 2008.[22] On May 12, 2010, D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc. was ordered by the court, in default, to pay the $12,000 fine, plus $370.00 in court costs.[23][24] The defendants, D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc., "failed to appear, plead, or otherwise defend as provided in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure" according to the Default Judgement.[24]
In the station's November 29, 2011 License Renewal Application, the station had been off the air "due [to] lack of funds" since October 6, 2011.[25] It was also noted that the station'sEmergency Alert System equipment was not working, but was to be replaced, while the public inspection file was updated.[25] In January 2012, the station's former engineer told theHuffington Post that he was let go when the station "went under" in October 2011.[26]
On May 9, 2012, D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc. was notified that they had neglected to file a "Special Temporary Authority" application declaring WBSC silent under FCC rules.[27] D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc. was given "until 12:01 a.m., on October 7, 2012" to return to the air or their license would "automatically expire as a matter of law".[27]
On November 29, 2012, the FCC had not received a reply to their May 9 letter to D-Mitch Broadcasting, Inc. and "based on the lack of a response to [the FCC's] status inquiry letter" the FCC declared that WBSC had been off the air for more than 12 months.[28] Under the terms of theTelecommunications Act of 1996, as a matter of law a radio station'sbroadcast license is subject to automatic forfeiture and cancellation if they fail to broadcast for one full year.[29] The FCC cancelled WBSC's license and deleted the WBSC call sign from the database.[28][29] Additionally, the station's November 29, 2011 License Renewal Application was dismissed. The November 29, 2012 letter was sent back to the FCC on January 22, 2013, with a "Return to Sender" label on the original envelope.[30]
In October 2008, WBSC was a focus of theSouth Carolina Educational Television documentaryLosing Their Voices about the plight of local radio stations in an era of automation and group ownership.[31][32][33]