 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 101.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 101.1 The Beat |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Mainstream Urban |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WLAC,WNRQ,WRVW,WSIX-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February 27, 1965; 60 years ago (1965-02-27) |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies | 92.1 MHz (1965–1974) |
Call sign meaning | For "The Beat" format |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 34387 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 47,000 watts |
| HAAT | 393 meters (1,289 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°31′36″N86°41′14″W / 36.52667°N 86.68722°W /36.52667; -86.68722 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | 1011thebeat |
WUBT (101.1FM, "101.1 The Beat") is an Americanmainstream urban radio station broadcasting in theNashville, Tennessee market, under ownership ofiHeartMedia. Though the station is licensed toRussellville, Kentucky, its studios are located in Nashville'sMusic Row district and the transmitter site is inWhite House, Tennessee.
On September 16, 1964, theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized South Kentucky Broadcasters, owner ofWRUS (610 AM), to build a new FM radio station at 92.1 MHz, to broadcast with 3,000 watts, in Russellville.[2] The station debuted as WRUS-FM February 27, 1965, as a full-time simulcast with its AM sister station.[3]
In 1974, the FCC approved WRUS-FM to increase its effective radiated power to 100,000 watts on 101.1 MHz, giving it much wider regional coverage. When the upgraded facility went into effect on December 10, 1974, the station changed its call sign to WAKQ and adopted a separateTop 40 format.[4][5]: 143 One result of the new format was that WRUS-FM's extensive coverage of local and regional sports was curtailed.[6] With signal coverage available fromBowling Green to Nashville, the station was listened to by some Nashville sports fans, such as those who wanted to hear coverage ofKentucky Wildcats men's basketball.[7]
After a sale of WRUS and WAKQ in 1978 fell through,[8] the stations were purchased five years later by longtime WRUS-WAKQ sports director Lon Sosh, already a 50 percent partner in the ownership group.[9] The next year, citing health reasons, Sosh sold both stations to Keymarket Communications, a consortium headed by Paul Rothfus ofAiken, South Carolina.[10] The new owners retained Sosh as sports broadcaster and proceeded with the erection of a new, 1,000-foot (300 m) tower to increase the FM's coverage area. One bigger change came from the Rothfus group in the summer of 1984 when the station flipped to country as "The Beaver". Along with this change, the station's callsign was changed to WBVR-FM.[11]
Keymarket later became Target Communications, headed by Donald Alt, who also served as a vice president of the Keymarket group. In 1990, the Amaturo Group purchased WBVR for $6 million (half of that in cash and half in assumption of liabilities), splitting it from WRUS for a time.[12] Meanwhile, Target purchased WCBZ (96.7 FM) in Bowling Green in 1991.[13] Keymarket then bought back WRUS and WBVR in early 1994 for a nominal value of $10.[14]
In July 1994, the Beaver brand and format moved to WMJM (the former WCBZ), which became the newWBVR-FM, and to a second station,WVVR inHopkinsville.[5]: 144 [15] Keymarket had simultaneously acquiredWLAC andWLAC-FM in Nashville, and the Beaver move freed up the 101.1 facility to gear itself toward Nashville as R&B-formatted WJCE-FM, "The Juice".[16] Keymarket was then purchased byRiver City Broadcasting in 1995,[17] andSinclair Broadcast Group then acquired River City in 1996.[18]
The "Juice" format was dropped in December 1996, with the station stunting withChristmas music for the holiday season before flipping tosmooth jazz as "Jazzy 101.1" at the start of 1997. With this switch, the station's callsign was changed to WJZC.[19] Sinclair then sold the three Nashville radio stations it had acquired from River City and toSFX Broadcasting in 1997.[20]
After AMFM Inc. acquired SFX, it flipped WJZC from its satellite-delivered jazz to acontemporary Christian music outlet, branded as "The One" and with the call sign WZTO, on October 1, 1999.[21]
On October 12, 2001, the station's call letters were changed to the current WUBT as the station adopted its presentmainstream urban format, using the moniker "101.1 The Beat Jamz" (revised to "101.1 The Beat" in 2014), as the CCM niche in the market was over-served by non-commercial operations, with few advertisers as WZTO.[22] It was one of the first stations owned by Clear Channel/iHeart to take the now-common branding of "The Beat". WUBT has served as the market's home for theSteve Harvey Morning Show since July 2007.[23]