| Broadcast area | Canada, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa[1] |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 5.085MHz |
| Branding | Scriptures for America |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Religious |
| Affiliations | Scriptures For America |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | February 19,2010 |
Former call signs | WBWW (during construction) |
Call sign meaning | WeTransmitWorldWide |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | IHFC/P-20080122 |
| Class | HF Broadcasting |
| Power | 100,000watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°16′35″N86°5′58″W / 36.27639°N 86.09944°W /36.27639; -86.09944 |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | WTWW.org |
WTWW is ashortwave station located inLebanon, Tennessee. It is officially licensed to Leap of Faith, Inc. and leased mostly to Scriptures for America, a service produced byLaPorte Church of Christ. The station has sporadically operated since 2023 on three frequencies: 5.085, 9.475, and 9.93 MHz due to frequent equipment failures, a persistent problem throughout the station's history.
Until 2022, WTWW had also carried anoldies/classic hits format operated by the station's then-lead engineer Ted Randall, who also appeared on several programs on the station, and his wife Holly on the 5.085 MHz and 9.94 MHz frequencies.[2] WTWW went off-air November 10, 2022, with Randall taking the oldies format toWRMI; the station returned to the air sporadically in December solely carrying Scriptures for America.
WTWW, according to the FCC,[3] was originally licensed a construction permit asWBWW on June 30, 2009. Testing began in January 2010 and ending mid-February 2010. Testing frequencies used were 5.755MHz and 9.48 MHz, and recorded by several listeners who uploaded the audio toYouTube.[citation needed] WTWW broadcast throughout its existence via a heavily-used transmitter donated byKNLS, after that station upgraded to a new transmitter.
WTWW officially signed on at 15:00UTC on Friday, February 19, 2010 using the 9.48 MHz frequency with low power and streaming[1][permanent dead link] with programming from theScriptures for America broadcast network, part of along-term leasing agreement that has continued throughout WTWW's existence.[citation needed] Both the frequencies 5.755 MHz and 9.48 MHz and their transmitters were previously used by Christian shortwave outletKAIJ inDallas,Texas.
In January 2010, WTWW (as WBWW) was licensed to operate at 100kilowatts with anazimuth of 40 degrees, every day, on 5.755 MHz from 00:00 to 07:00 UTC and on 9.48MHz from 12:00 to 19:00 and 22:00 to 24:00 UTC, targetingCIRAF zones 4 and 9 (eastern Canada); 18, 27, & 28 (Europe); 37, & 38 (north Africa), 39 (theMiddle East); and 46 & 47 (western and central Africa).[1]
In 2015, WTWW briefly served as the terrestrial broadcast home ofArt Bell's overnight radio programMidnight in the Desert.[4]
From August 2018 to 2022, WTWW's lead engineer Ted Randall operated a locally originated personalityoldies format on the 5.085 MHz signal in the evenings, with veteran disc jockeys and voiceover artists to host the programming. Among its hosts was famed sound engineerBob Heil, who hosted an hour of "Live Theater Organ from the Ozarks."[5] WTWW disc jockeys worked unpaid for the station, broadcasting remotely from their homes.[6][7] In a 2017 interview withThe Spectrum Monitor, Randall described his arrangement with WTWW as a barter agreement with its owners, providing engineering services in exchange for the right to use the WTWW transmitters for music and ham radio programming as he saw fit, akin to alocal marketing agreement.[8]
On November 9, 2022, Randall announced his departure from the station, eventually taking the station's programming to aWRMI transmitter five days later. The station briefly shut down after Randall's departure.[9][10] WTWW sporadically returned to the air December 22, carrying Scriptures for America on the 5.085 (and eventually 9.475) frequencies.
As of January 2025, WTWW's 5.085 and 9.475 frequencies were off the air, according toGlenn Hauser, whose syndicatedWorld of Radio was re-added after Randall's departure; Hauser did record operations on 9.93 carrying repeats ofBrother Stair.[11]
Randall died May 11, 2025.
Scriptures for America operates primarily as an outlet for the pre-recorded sermons of LaPorte Church of Christ founderPeter J. Peters (who died in 2011 shortly after the station began broadcasting) and his successors.[12] TheAnti-Defamation League has identified Peters's programs as "bigoted pseudo-religiousChristian Identity (and)antisemitism" and had attempted to take stations that had carried the program at the time (before WTWW had signed on) to be subjected to FCC investigations for broadcasting to domestic audiences, as the ADL argued such programs had no relevance outside the United States.[13]
LaPorte had also previously offered The Bible Worldwide, which offeredaudiobook broadcasts of the Holy Bible in various languages (with theKing James Version being used for English readings), when WTWW had an additional frequency to spare.[14] During his time with the station, Randall commented that the transmitter carrying The Bible Worldwide worked properly almost all of the time while the ones carrying Scriptures for America frequently malfunctioned, which Randall mused could have been a case ofdivine intervention.[8]
As of October 2023, WTWW began accepting programming from other religious broadcasters under the guidance of Bob Biermann, including Biermann's talk show Truth2Ponder, which originates from WRMI.[15] Beginning in July 2025, WTWW became the lone remaining affiliate of the Overcomer Ministry radio service, which was founded by the late Brother Stair; McClintock stated that his "understanding is that they will not be renewing contracts, presumably expiring on different dates at different stations" and that he was negotiating to keep the program on WTWW.[16]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Pastor Pete Peters, a leading figure in the bigoted pseudo-religious "Christian Identity" movement, preaches anti-Semitism on his show, "Truth for the Times," on WRNO and WWCR.
Shortwave radio stations located in the United States  | |
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| Government stations | |
| Private stations | |
| Defunct stations | |
| See also | |
