 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 96.3MHz |
| Branding | Talk 96.3 & 103.7 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk radio |
| Network |
|
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WNBU,WNCT-FM,WRHD,WTIB | |
| History | |
First air date | December 20, 1972; 52 years ago (1972-12-20) (as WMBL-FM at 95.9) |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies | 95.9 MHz (1972–1990) |
Call sign meaning | "Hot" (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 18296 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 150 meters (490 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
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WRHT (96.3MHz) is acommercialFMradio station broadcasting atalkradio format. It islicensed toMorehead City,North Carolina, and it serves theNew Bern andJacksonville areas ofEastern North Carolina. It is owned by Inner Banks Media, withstudios and offices on West Arlington Boulevard in Greenville. Most WRHT programming issimulcast withsister stationWTIB (103.7 FM) inWilliamston.
WRHT has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts, the maximum for most FM stations in the U.S. Thetransmitter is on Landfill Road at Hibbs Road inNewport.[2]
Weekday mornings on WRHT and WTIB begin with a local wake-up show,Talk of the Town with Henry Hinton and Patrick Johnson. (Hinton owns the stations.) In afternoondrive time, a local hour of talk airs at 5 p.m. with Tom & Bernie. The rest of the weekday schedule isnationally syndicated talk shows, includingThe Glenn Beck Radio Program,The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,The Sean Hannity Show,The Mark Levin Show,The Dana Loesch Show andCoast to Coast AM withGeorge Noory.
Weekends feature programs on health, money, guns, farming and religion. Weekend syndicated shows includeThe Chris Plante Show,The Weekend with Michael Brown,The Ben Ferguson Show andGun Talk with Tom Gresham as well as repeats of weekday shows. Most hours begin with an update from NCN News, with reports fromCBS News Radio.
The stationsigned on the air on December 20, 1972.[3] Its originalcall sign was WMBL-FM and the frequency was 95.9 MHz. It was the FM counterpart toWMBL (740 AM), both owned by Carteret Broadcasting. WMBL-FM was powered at 3,000 watts, a fraction of its current output. In their early years, the stationssimulcast afull service,middle of the road (MOR) format of popular adult music, news and sports.
In 1981, WMBL-FM changed its call letters to WMBJ as "J-96" and later "Sunny 95.9". In the mid 1980s, WMBJ moved to 96.3 and became "Sunny 96.3". In the late 1980s, 96.3 changed its call sign to WRHT and became aTop 40 (CHR) music station as "96.3 The Hot FM".
In the early 2000s, WRHT/WCBZ were known as "Hot 96 and 103-7".[citation needed]
In 2003, Archway Broadcasting Group, LLC, announced its acquisition of WRHT, WCBZ, and two other Greenville market stations--WNBR andWZBR—from Eastern North Carolina Broadcasting Company, Inc. The price tag was $6.5 million. Also that year, Archway boughtWGPM andWCZI.[4]
In January 2004, WCBZ changed its call sign to WRHD. That same year while under ownership of Archway Broadcasting, the station's studios moved toNew Bern. In September 2005, both stations became "The HOT FM" again as part of their 15th Anniversary.[citation needed]
Inner Banks Media LLC bought WRHT and WRHD as part of a cluster of stations from Archway for $4.5 million in March 2007.[5]
On April 25, 2007, HOT FM moved to the weaker frequencies of WWHA-FM 94.1 (formerly WNBR) inOriental and WWNK-FM 94.3 (formerly WGPM) inFarmville. Both were the home of country "94 HANK-FM". The Country format moved to the stronger 96.3/103.7 frequencies. They became known as "Thunder Country".[citation needed] On March 15, 2010, Thunder Country andWTIB-FM traded frequencies.
On May 3, 2010, WRHD split from the "Thunder Country" simulcast and changed its format toadult contemporary. The station was branded as "Star 94.3".
On November 5, 2018, WRHT ended its country format, which moved toWNBU 94.1 FM inOriental. The new format was talk radio, branded as "New Talk 96.3".[6]
WRHT was teamed with WTIB 103.7 FM in Williamston. The two co-owned stations, covering different sections of Eastern North Carolina, began simulcasting a mix of local talk in the morning and syndicated conservative talk the rest of the day.
Air personalities previously heard on the station include Grizz Lee, Miles Brooks, Charlie, Jenny Cruz, Chase, Dylan McKay, Chris Brooks, Mad Dawg, Jazz, Clark Willis, Heather Davis, and Cody.[7]
34°45′07″N76°52′55″W / 34.752°N 76.882°W /34.752; -76.882