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(Redirected fromW253BA)
For the Sacramento radio station using the same branding, seeKUDL.
For other uses, seeWend.
WEND
Broadcast areaCharlotte metropolitan area
Piedmont Triad(limited)
Frequency106.5MHz(HD Radio)
Branding106.5 The End
Programming
FormatAlternative rock
AffiliationsCompass Media Networks
Premiere Networks
Motor Racing Network
Performance Racing Network
Ownership
Owner
WHQC,WKKT,WLKO,WRFX,W254AZ
History
First air date
March 16, 1946(1946-03-16)
Former call signs
WSTP-FM (1946–70)[citation needed]
WRDX (1970–95)
Call signmeaning
WEND
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID74074
ClassC1
ERP84,000watts
HAAT319 meters (1,047 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°35′32.00″N80°37′44.00″W/ 35.5922222°N 80.6288889°W/35.5922222; -80.6288889
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Website1065.iheart.com

WEND(106.5FM) – branded106.5 The End– is a commercialalternative rockradio stationlicensed toSalisbury, North Carolina,serving primarily theCharlotte metropolitan area,as well as parts of thePiedmont Triad.Owned byiHeartMedia,WEND is the local affiliate forSkratch 'N Sniffand the home of radio personalities, the Woody & Wilcox Show, Chris Rozak, and Divakar. The WEND studios are located in Charlotte, while the station transmitter resides inChina Grove.Besides a standardanalog transmission,WEND broadcasts inHD Radio,and is available online viaiHeartRadio.

History

[edit]

WEND began broadcasting on March 16, 1946[2]under the callsignWSTP-FM.[citation needed]It becameWRDXin 1970[citation needed]and began airing its own programming. Pat Heiss was the morning host.[3]

Doug Rice (nowSpeedway Motorsportsradio play-by-play announcer) joinedWSTPand WRDX in 1977, working a variety of on-air jobs and eventually becoming morning host and program director. He also served as play-by-play announcer forCatawba Collegefootball for nearly a decade, andcolor analystfor Howard Platt for Catawba basketball, and he called theRowan Countyhigh school football game of the week on WRDX.[4]

WRDX was playingcountry musicprior to a signal increase in 1987 that allowed the station to cover both Charlotte and the Triad. At that time the station switched to satelliteadult contemporary.Late in the 1980s, the station began playing moreoldies,especially from the category ofbeach music.

Dalton Group, owner ofWWMGin Charlotte, bought WRDX and WSTP for $3 million in 1995 and began operating the stations under alocal marketing agreement.[5]In May, WRDX changed its call letters toWEND,adopted its current format,[6]with artists such asPearl JamandNirvana[7]and moved its studios to Charlotte. This triggered numerous letters of protest in theSalisbury Post.

WEND's transmitter is located further north than most of the other major Charlotte stations. This is because its transmitter is located as close as it can legally get to Charlotte while remaining close enough to its city of license, Salisbury, to provide a city-grade signal. Additionally, it is short-spaced toWTCBinColumbiaat nearby 106.7. It only provides a grade B signal toRock Hilland most of theSouth Carolinaportion of the Charlotte market. At the same time, it provides at least secondary coverage to much of the Triad (with city-grade coverage as far north asWinston-Salem); it can be heard as far asBurlingtonunder the right conditions.

WEND was the local affiliate of thesyndicatedBob and Tom Showuntil March 31, 2010.[8]

Woody & Wilcox, fromKBFXinAnchorage, Alaska,moved their morning show to Charlotte on April 19, 2010,[9]though they continued to air on KBFX.[10]The audience for mornings jumped 74 percent.[11]On February 24, 2014, co-ownedWVBZinGreensboro, North Carolinabecame the first station other than WEND and KBFX to add the team.[12]During 2014, Woody & Wilcox added three other affiliates:KKZXinSpokane, Washington;KKEDinFairbanks, Alaskaon September 29;[13]andKPAWinFort Collins, Colorado.[14]

Former logo.

WEND has aired weekend specialty shows Resurrection Sunday and 90 Minutes since 1995. "90 Minutes" hosted by Divakar features local and independent artists & "Resurrection Sunday" featuring the roots of alternative rock which is hosted by 'The Wizard'.

WEND airsSkratch 'N Sniff,a music program syndicated viaCompass Media Networks,on Saturday nights.[15]

Around 2013, alternative rock moved in a different direction, and WEND has added such artists asTwenty One Pilots,Blink-182andCold War Kids.[7]

In October 2015, it was announced that iHeartMedia had acquired local rights to theMotor Racing NetworkandPerformance Racing Network's coverage of theNASCAR Sprint Cup Seriesunder a 2-year deal, with races to air on WEND. Representatives of the two networks were positive over the new deal, as WEND provides better over-the-air coverage of North Carolina than previous rightsholderWRHM.[16]However, WRHM remains as an affiliate of both networks due to WEND's shortfalls on the South Carolina side of the market. Also, since North Wilkesboro Speedway returned to NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2023, WEND is also the default affiliate for that speedway.

In August 2017, Chuck "DZL" Thompson replaced Jack Daniel at WEND, becoming that station's second program director in 22 years.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WEND".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/70s-OCR-YB/1974-YB/1974-BC-YB-OCR-Page-0351.pdf[dead link]
  3. ^Brown, Mark (2007-10-02). "Tribute to morning man for WSTP".Salisbury Post.
  4. ^Wineka, Mark (2011-02-16)."NASCAR announcer calls Salisbury home".Salisbury Post.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-02-18.Retrieved2011-02-16.
  5. ^"Newsline".Billboard.Vol. 107, no. 6. 1995-02-11. p. 84.
  6. ^Stark, Phyllis (1995-05-27). "Vox Jox".Billboard.Vol. 107, no. 21. p. 106.
  7. ^abWashburn, Mark (2017-03-31)."How Jack Daniel made a name for himself in Charlotte radio".The Charlotte Observer.Retrieved2017-04-10.
  8. ^"The End".1065.com.Archived fromthe originalon July 7, 2011.Retrieved13 March2023.
  9. ^Washburn, Mark (2010-04-17)."Direct from Anchorage, Alaska, 'Woody & Wilcox' at the 'End'".The Charlotte Observer.Retrieved2010-04-17.
  10. ^"WEND Hires Woody & Wilcox For Mornings".allaccess.com. 2010-03-29.
  11. ^Washburn, Mark (2010-08-07)."'The Beat' sees gains in quest for young listeners ".The Charlotte Observer.Retrieved2010-08-18.
  12. ^"WVBZ Announces The Woody & Wilcox Show For Mornings".allaccess.com. 2014-02-19.
  13. ^"The Woody And Wilcox Show Grabs Fifth Affiliate".allaccess.com. 2014-09-30.
  14. ^"'The Woody And Wilcox Show' Adds Sixth Affiliate ".allaccess.com. 2014-10-30.
  15. ^"Where to Hear Skratch 'N Sniff! | Skratch 'N Sniff".29 May 2011.
  16. ^"NASCAR lands big radio voice in Charlotte".Charlotte Observer.Retrieved2015-10-20.
  17. ^Venta, lance (August 23, 2017)."Jack Daniel Out; DZL In At 106.5 The End Charlotte".radioinsight.RetrievedAugust 23,2017.
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