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| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 820kHz |
| Branding | News/Talk 820 WBAP and on FM 93.3 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | News/talk |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | May 2, 1922 (103 years ago) (1922-05-02) |
Call sign meaning | sequential; "We Bring A Program"[1][2] (backronym) |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 71200 |
| Class | A |
| Power | 50,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | |
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| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast |
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| Website | www |
WBAP (820kHz) is anAMnews/talk radio stationlicensed toFort Worth, Texas, and serving theDallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. WBAP is owned byCumulus Media and broadcasts with50,000 watts from atransmitter site in the northwest corner ofMansfield. Its programming is also simulcast onWBAP-FM (93.3) inHaltom City.
WBAP is aClass Aclear-channel station, using anon-directional antenna. It is one of two clear-channel stations in the Metroplex, along withDallas-basedKRLD. Its nighttime signal can often be heard throughout the Southern, Central, and Midwestern states and Northern Mexico, while its daytime signal provides at least secondary coverage fromOklahoma City toAustin. WBAP is one of the oldest radio stations in Texas, dating back to1922, when stations in Texas were still givencall signs beginning with "W" instead of "K".
WBAP and sister stationKSCS are responsible for activation of theNorth TexasEmergency Alert System whenhazardous weather alerts,Disaster area declarations, andchild abductions are issued.[4]
During a severe weather event on October 10, 2021, WBAP lost power along with much of its listening area. Brad Barton and several spotters had to broadcast its EAS and coverage via their 4G phones.
WBAP began broadcasting May 2, 1922. It transmitted at a wavelength of 360 meters (about 833 kHz).[5] It changed to 400 meters (750 kHz) in August 1922.[6] The station shared time with Dallas stations WFAA andWRR. It was the first station in the United States to have an audible logo signal similar to theNBC chimes, the WBAPcowbell.[2] According to PresidentHerbert Hoover, the station's call letters stood for "We Bring A Program", although in reality, the call letters were assigned sequentially, without any special meaning.[7]
On May 15, 1923, the Federal Radio Commission expanded the broadcast band, and WBAP and WFAA moved to 476 meters (about 630 kHz).[8] Another expansion moved WBAP to 600 kHz effective June 15, 1927,[9] and this frequency was shared withWOAI inSan Antonio. OnNovember 11, 1928, WBAP moved to 800 kHz, and on June 1, 1929, WFAA also moved to 800 kHz, sharing time (andNBC Red Network affiliation) with WBAP.[8] Station ownerAmon G. Carter was unhappy with having to share time on 800 kHz with WFAA. Carter Publishing purchased KGKO inWichita Falls (570 kHz) and moved it to Fort Worth as an affiliate of theNBC Blue network (which becameABC), and more importantly as a second frequency to be used when 800 kHz was not available.[10] The sale was approved by theFederal Communications Commission September 24, 1935.[11] On March 29, 1941, as a consequence of theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), WBAP and WFAA moved one last time, to 820 kHz.[12]
Carter eventually sold half of KGKO toA. H. Belo, owners of WFAA and theDallas Morning News. On April 27, 1947, KGKO was replaced by a second shared frequency between WBAP and WFAA.[13][14]
On September 29, 1948, WBAP pioneered television service in Texas with the opening of the state's first video outlet,NBC-TV network affiliate WBAP-TV on channel 5. A year later, WBAP added an FM station on 100.5, WBAP-FM. It moved to 96.3 MHz in 1955 and today is co-ownedKSCS.
The dual frequency sharing arrangement between WBAP and WFAA continued through the 1950s and 1960s, with the stations switching frequencies several times a day. When WBAP changed frequencies, it signaled the change with a cowbell, which became widely associated with the station. Even though the stations swapped frequencies several times each day, the network affiliations remained constant: NBC network programming stayed on 820 kHz and ABC network programming stayed on 570 kHz. This frequently proved confusing for announcers and listeners alike.
On May 1, 1970, the unique dual split-frequency lives of WBAP and WFAA ended when WBAP paid $3.5 million to WFAA in exchange for sole occupancy of 820 kHz (and the NBC affiliation). WFAA took on 570 kHz (and the ABC affiliation), but with only 5,000 watts full-time.[14] Once the frequency-sharing with WFAA ended in 1970, both stations were free to program musical formats, and WBAP began programming afull servicecountry music format. It also gained the added benefit of 820's clear-channel signal; previously WFAA controlled it during these prime nighttime hours.
Also around this time, the FCC began to scrutinizeownership of broadcast stations and print media in the same market with the tightening of its rules, which disallowed new radio and/or television combinations with newspapers while grandfathering existing instances. Carter Publications' ownership of theFort Worth Star-Telegram and WBAP-AM-FM-TV was one of three which existed in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. However, Carter voluntarily ended the cross-ownership issue in January 1973, when it announced the sale of all its Fort Worth media interests. WBAP and its FM sister (now known asKSCS), and theStar-Telegram were packaged toCapital Cities Communications for $64.5 million.LIN Broadcasting paid $35 million to acquire WBAP-TV, whose call letters were changed toKXAS-TV.[15] The sales became final in the summer of 1974.
After a series of network affiliation changes in the late 1970s among WBAP, KRLD and WFAA, WBAP switched affiliations toABC.
WBAP changed to annews/talk format on October 25, 1993, calling itself "News/Talk 820".[16] It was also the radioflagship radio station of theTexas Rangersbaseball team, airing the play-by-play, pre-game and post-game broadcasts.
Morning show host Hal Jay celebrated his 25-year anniversary with WBAP by organizing a charity fund-raising event for Cook Children's Hospital ("Hal Jay's Celebrity Roast"). Among those who attended wereBaseball Hall-of-FamerNolan Ryan and syndicated radio talk show hostSean Hannity.
On June 12, 2007, WBAP was one of manyDisney/ABC Radio stations sold toCitadel Broadcasting. That same year, WBAP transmitted iBiquityHD Radio (digital) during the daytime and when not airing sports programming, until abruptly ending the "HD" digital transmission in early December 2008. Because the license to broadcast digital "HD Radio" is perpetual, the station could resume digital broadcasts at any time.
For many years, WBAP was the flagship station forDallas Starshockey team, but relinquished the rights beginning in the 2009–2010 season, as on January 16, 2009, the Dallas Stars namedKTCK as its new flagship station for the next 5 years.[17] With Cumulus Media's 2011 acquisition of Citadel, WBAP and KTCK becamesister stations.
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Sister station KPMZ (later WBAP-FM, nowKTCK-FM) startedsimulcasting WBAP on 96.7 FM, March 15, 2010.[18] Although broadcasting on arimshot signal, management said that WBAP-FM provides "crystal-clear FM fidelity" for their listeners within 96.7's coverage area.
On October 7, 2013, Cumulus announced the discontinuation of the WBAP simulcast on 96.7 FM. It switched call letters to KTCK-FM as a simulcast of thesports radio programming on co-owned KTCK. Dan Bennet, the vice president/market manager of Cumulus, said he had "seen no ratings increase since adding the FM". Bennett added, "WBAP at 820 AM still covers 114 counties in the day and has been heard in up to 38 states at night and early morning before the sun comes up. WBAP at 820 is one of the biggest radio signals in America." The WBAP simulcast moved to the second HD Radio channel ofKPLX.[19]
In 2015, WBAP ended decades ofABC News Radio affiliation and changed its national news feed toWestwood One News.[20] On August 31, 2020, after the shutdown of Westwood One News, WBAP switched its national news affiliation toFox News Radio.[21]
WBAP's programming returned to FM on January 3, 2024, when the station began simulcasting onKLIF-FM 93.3, replacing the 1990s/2000s hits-formatted "Hot 93.3".[22]
WBAP-AM-FM air both local and nationallysyndicated shows. Weekdays begin with theWBAP Morning News anchored by Ernie Brown, Carla Marion and Hal Jay. That's followed by Casey Bartholomew in late mornings and Texas native James Parker in afternoondrive time. In early evenings,The Mark Levin Show fromWestwood One airs.The Joe Pags Show, fromCompass Media Networks, took over the late weekday evening time slot in February 2025.
Weekends include syndicated programs fromChris Plante, Rich Valdés andBen Ferguson, along with shows on money, cars, home improvement, real estate, hunting and the outdoors. Paidbrokered programming also airs. Most hours on weekdays start with local news at the top of the hour, while nights and weekends, an update fromFox News Radio is heard.
WBAP is theflagship station of Westwood One's nationally syndicated overnight programRed Eye Radio (formerlyMidnight Trucking Radio Network), that traces its roots toBill Mack's overnight show from 1969. Hosts Eric Harley and Gary McNamara are heard live locally weeknights, with "Best Of" programs heard weekend overnights.
Prior to Citadel's takeover of the station in August 2007, talk show hostMark Davis's program was a full three hours, (9 A.M. to Noon). As a result,Rush Limbaugh,Sean Hannity and Mark Levin were all forced to air on a one-hour tape delay. However, with Citadel's ownership of the station, Davis's show was both cut in length and shifted back by a half-hour, to carry the top-rated talkers live. Davis departed the station in March 2012 when a contract agreement could not be reached.
In the fall of 2010, WBAP began an agreement withTexas Christian University to air live play-by-play ofTCU Horned Frogs football andTCU Horned Frogs men's basketball. The station carried every game of theundefeated football team in that first season.