![]() |
|
City of license | Boone, North Carolina |
---|---|
Frequency | 1450 kHz |
Format | Local News Talk Information |
Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
Class | C |
Facility ID | 71068 |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°12′59.00″N 81°42′6.00″W / 36.2163889°N 81.7016667°W |
Callsign meaning | WATAuga county |
Affiliations | MRN Radio, PRN Radio, Jones Media, ISP, ABC Radio, Westwood One |
Owner | Curtis Media Group |
Sister stations | WWMY, WZJS, WMMY, WECR, WXIT |
Website | http://GoBlueRidge.net |
WATA (1450 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format.[1] Licensed to Boone, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Curtis Media Group of Raleigh, North Carolina and features programing from MRN Radio, PRN Radio, Jones Media, ISP, and Westwood One.[2]
The station advertises itself as Watauga County's "Heritage Station." It emphasizes local news and announcements and broadcasts Live Play by Play Watauga High School Sports and Appalachian State University football baseball and basketball games.
History
WATA was started by Mr. and Mrs. Roland Potter, owners of WKBC and WKBC-FM in nearby North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. WATA signed on the air in 1950. WATA's studios were originally located above the Boone bus station, at Depot and Rivers streets. The station broadcast live performances by country and bluegrass artists from that location during its early years of operation. Today WATA broadcasts from studios on Blowing Rock Road in Boone.
In the early 1990s the Potters started WZJS100.7FM.
Roland Potter sold both stations in the late 1990s to Highland Communication Associates.
In September 2003 Highland sold WATA, (along with WZJS 100.7FM) to Aisling Broadcasting (Jonathon Hoffman, managing member) for a price of $2.2 million.[3] This added to Aisling's holdings in the High Country, as they had already purchased WECR, WECR-FM, WXIT (from Rondinaro Broadcasting) for $2.2 million in 2003,[4] and WMMY(from Dale Hendrix) in 2004 for $1.58 million.[5]
Aisling went into receivership and George Reed of Media Services Group was appointed to manage the stations until a buyer is found.[6] Later in the year, Curtis Media Group purchased the stations.[7]
References
- ^ "WATA Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
- ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. 2003-09-28. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
- ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. 2003-10-12. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
- ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. 2004-03-07. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
- ^ Scott Nicholson, "Receivership: Local Stations Seek Buyer," The Watauga Democrat, March 14, 2008.
- ^ "Transactions for October 10, 2008". Radio and Records. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
External links
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WATA
- Radio-Locator Information on WATA
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WATA
- http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2005/placecalledhome/apch_19_bw.pdf A History of Local Media in the Watauga