| Broadcast area | Hampton Roads |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 850kHz |
| Branding | TalkRadio 96.5 & 850 WTAR |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk radio |
| Network | CBS News Radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | November 30, 1947 (77 years ago) (1947-11-30) |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies | 860 kHz (1947–1950) |
Call sign meaning | derived from olderWTAR; sequentially assigned |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 60472 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 37°3′36.5″N76°41′24.8″W / 37.060139°N 76.690222°W /37.060139; -76.690222 |
| Translator | See§ Translators |
| Repeater | 106.1 WUSH-HD2 (Poquoson) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WTAR (850AM) is acommercial radio stationlicensed toNorfolk, Virginia, and serving theHampton Roads (Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News)radio market.[2] It is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc., with studios and offices on Waterside Drive in Norfolk.[3] WTAR broadcasts atalk radioformat as "TalkRadio 96.5 & 850 WTAR".[4]
The station'stransmitter site is off Track Lane inSmithfield, Virginia.[5] WTAR uses adirectional antenna at all times. It runs at 50,000 watts by day, the highest power permitted by theFederal Communications Commission for AM stations. At night, to reduce interference to other stations on850 AM, mainly Class AKOA inDenver, WTAR reduces power to 25,000 watts, concentrating the signal in Norfolk,Virginia Beach, Hampton andNewport News.
WTAR programming is also heard onHD Radio over 106.1WUSH-HD2 and onFMtranslator stations W243DJ at 96.5 MHz in Norfolk and W243EK at 96.5 MHz in Hampton.[6]
The stationsigned on the air on November 30, 1947. It originally broadcast on 860kilocycles and thecall sign was WCAV. It was owned by the Cavalier Broadcasting Company with studios in the Helena Building.[7]
In 1954, owners of another Norfolk radio station, WRAP on 1050 kHz, acquired WCAV, moving it to 850 kHz. They changed the call letters to WRAP, adopting ablack-oriented format. On this new frequency, WRAP programming could broadcast around the clock after it was restricted todaytime only on 1050 kHz. The daytime power was increased to 5,000 watts and the nighttime power was set at 1,000 watts.[8]
WRAP was programmed to Norfolk's African-American community. Its call sign used the word "RAP", anAfrican-American English word for "talk" or "discussion". (It would be several decades before "rap" began referring to a musical style.) An advertisement in the 1957 edition ofBroadcasting Yearbook, using the descriptions of the era, said "Survey figures show the mostNegroes in the Norfolk area listen most to WRAP". It added that WRAP was "the only all-Negro station in Norfolk".
In 1987, WNIS on AM 1350 was acquired by local cable TV company Clinton Cablevision (later Sinclair Telecable).[9] The new owner flipped the format to talk. A swap was made with AM 1350, which moved the WNIS call sign to this station, and transferred the WRAP call letters, with its associated black-oriented format, to AM 1350.[10]
WNIS, meaning "News and Information Station", picked up programming fromABC Talkradio,NBC Talknet and theMutual Broadcasting System'sLarry King Show.
On July 15, 1997, WNIS and itssister station on AM 790, WTAR, exchanged call letters, withAM 790 becoming WNIS, while WTAR was moved to 850 kHz.[11][12] 850 has the stronger signal, broadcasting at 50,000 watts by day, the highest power authorized for AM stations by theFederal Communications Commission. At night it runs 25,000 watts, while 790 kHz transmits 5,000 watts day and night. Both stations had talk formats. With the switch, 850 AM inherited the legacy of Virginia's oldest radio station; WTAR had signed on in 1923.
WTAR flipped from talk radio to anall-sports format on February 5, 2006.[13] On September 15, 2017, WTAR began simulcasting onWUSH-HD2 andFMtranslator station W243DJ at 96.5 MHz in Norfolk.[6] The move allows WTAR listeners to hear the station on either AM or FM, although the FM translator signal is limited to Norfolk and surrounding communities due to its low power of 120 watts.[14] The station also signed on another low-powered FM translator, W243EK in Hampton (on the same frequency of W243DJ), to improve its nighttime signal on theLower Peninsula and theHampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel's AM/FM rebroadcast system.
On September 1, 2022, WTAR dropped its sports format and beganstunting with a loop ofJustin Timberlake's "SexyBack" (as well as construction sound effects). (However, on September 3, WTAR broke from the stunt to air a University of Virginia football game against Richmond; the 96.5 translators remained on the stunt during that time). On September 6, WTAR and its translators flipped tohot adult contemporary, branded as "96.5 Lucy FM", modeled after itssister station in Austin, Texas. The 850 AM signal continues to break away from "Lucy FM" programming for the University of Virginia broadcasts.[15]
Until September 1, 2022, the station aired a sports radio format. It carriedFox Sports Radio most of the day, with a local afternoondrive time show. ThesyndicatedDan Patrick Show was heard in late mornings. WTAR was part of theWashington Commanders Radio Network.
On March 20, 2023, WTAR flipped toadult album alternative (AAA), calling itself "96.5 The Coast". The format change returned the "Coast" branding to the market for the first time sinceWKOC's flip in 2003.[16]
On September 3, 2024, the station's owner, Sinclair Communications, announced that it would flip WTAR and its two translators toconservative talk radio "Talkradio 96.5/850" on Monday, September 16.[17] It added a local talk and interview morning show, along with syndicated conservative hosts the rest of the day.
Weekdays begin withKerry and Mike, a local talk and interview show hosted by Kerry Dougherty and Mike Imprevento.[18] The rest of the weekday schedule isnationally syndicated conservative shows:The Glenn Beck Radio Program,Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla,The Guy Benson Show,The Jesse Kelly Show,The Michael Berry Show,Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb andThe Other Side of Midnight with Lionel.
Weekends feature specialty shows on money, technology, home repair and religion. Syndicated weekend shows include:Rich DeMuro on Tech,The Larry Kudlow Show,The James Golden Show,The Weekend with Michael Brown,The Judge Jeanine Pirro Show,At Home with Gary Sullivan,The Brett Baier Show,The Jesus Christ Show with Neil Saavedra andSomewhere in Time with Art Bell. Most hours begin with an update fromCBS News Radio.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W243DJ | 96.5 FM | Norfolk, Virginia | 141072 | 120 | 131 m (430 ft) | D | 36°49′44″N76°12′26″W / 36.82889°N 76.20722°W /36.82889; -76.20722 (W243DJ) | LMS |
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W243EK | 96.5 FM | Hampton, Virginia | 203167 | 165 | 119 m (390 ft) | D | 37°4′42″N76°26′47″W / 37.07833°N 76.44639°W /37.07833; -76.44639 (W243EK) | LMS |
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