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WBIN (AM)

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For the station in Benton, Tennessee, that used the WBIN call letters from 1977 to 2020, seeWBIN (Tennessee).
WBIN
Broadcast areaAtlanta metropolitan area
Frequency640kHz
BrandingAtlanta's BIN 640
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatAll-news radio
NetworkBlack Information Network
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
April 7, 1988(36 years ago)(1988-04-07)
Former call signs
  • WPBD (1988–1989)
  • WGST (1989–2020)
Call signmeaning
Black Information Network
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID29730
ClassB
Power
  • 50,000watts(day)
  • 1,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
33°45′46″N84°27′31″W/ 33.762916°N 84.458508°W/33.762916; -84.458508
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live(viaiHeartRadio)
Websiteatlanta.binnews.com

WBIN(640kHz) is acommercialAMradio stationlicensedtoAtlanta, Georgia.It is owned byiHeartMedia,through itssubsidiaryiHM Licenses, LLC. It serves theAtlanta metropolitan areaas its affiliate for theBlack Information Network.The station's studios and offices located at the Peachtree Palisades Building in theBrookwood Hillsdistrict. Thetransmittersite is off Joseph E. Boone Boulevard Northwest in theCenter Hillneighborhood of Atlanta.

History[edit]

The station signed on April 7, 1988, as WPBD, programmingR&B oldiesandsoul.[2]The original owner was the Phoenix City Broadcasting company, headed by Michael Hollins, under aFederal Communications Commissionprogram promoting minority ownership. However, after itsigned on,Hollins immediately began making arrangements to sell the station. A proposed purchase byJefferson-Pilot Communications,owners ofWQXIandWQXI-FM,fell through. However, in October 1988, it was announced thatJacor Communications,Inc. would buy the station.[3]

At this time, Jacor was operating a station on920AMwith the call letters WGST (nowWGKA). However, WPBD had a better signal than WGST. It operated at 50,000 watts during the daytime and 1,000 watts at night, a substantial increase in daytime power and signal coverage area compared to WGST's920AMfacilities. Effective June 30, 1989, WPBD'scall signwas changed to WGST. Thetalk radioprogramming previously on920AMwas transferred to640AM.Among WGST's staff of talk hosts wasNeal Boortz.

In 1992, Boortz asked WGST management for a raise but he was turned down. Talk radio rivalWSBhired Boortz, WGST then hiredSean Hannityto replace Boortz, after a few other hosts were tried out in his time slot. Hannity was brought in from aHuntsville, Alabama,radio station where he previously worked. He stayed at WGST untilRoger Ailesoffered Hannity a position on the soon-to-debutFox News Channelin 1996. During his time at WGST, he was given the nickname "Hanni-Pie, The Tin Man" by fellow hostKim Peterson.

WGST was also the home forAtlanta Bravesbaseballbroadcasts, from 1992-1994. WGST was the station that carriedSid Bream's winning slide in Game Seven of the 1992NLCS.In May 1994, the station was outbid for Braves broadcast rights by WSB, which previously had carried the games from 1966 until 1991. WGST was also the home of theAtlanta Hawksbasketball team until 1995, after which the Hawks followed the Braves to WSB. WGST carriedNASCARraces in 1996 and 1997. It was the home ofAtlanta Falconsfootballin 1998 when the team made its firstSuper Bowlappearance.[4]

From 1993 until 2000, WGST programming wassimulcaston WGST-FM (nowWBZY). In 1999,Clear Channel Communicationsbought out Jacor, including WGST. Clear Channel was the forerunner to iHeartMedia, the present-day owner of the station.

2005 marked a year of change for WGST. The station won the rights to once again carry Atlanta Braves baseball.[4]The station changed its moniker to "Braves Radio 640 GST." Many Braves fans who lived outside Atlanta and its close-in suburbs complained about the change from WSB, noting WGST's signal was much weaker at night than that of WSB's 50,000 wattclear channelbroadcasts. To remedy the situation, WGST’ssister stationWKLS (96.1 FM, nowWWPW) begansimulcastingBraves games. WKLS was powered at 100,000 watts, covering Atlanta and its growing suburbs.

Since the 1950s, WGST had been anABC RadioNetwork affiliate.In 2005, as part of a Clear Channel corporate change, WGST switched toFox News Radioas its national news provider. No longer affiliated with ABC, in March 2005, WGST droppedPaul Harvey's syndicated ABC news commentaries from its line-up.

On March 20, 2006, WGST's moniker became "Atlanta. Talk. Radio." On November 21, 2006, WGST announced that morningdrive timehostTom Hugheshad resigned, and that midday hostDenny Schaffer,and afternoon drive talk host Kim Peterson (The Kimmer) and their staffs had been fired. On February 5, 2007, WGST announced that veteran Atlanta morning show hosts Randy Cook and Spiff Carner would be joining the station for a new live and local morning show.

On September 27, 2007, the syndicatedGlenn Beck Programreturned to WGST in the 9 a.m. to noon slot. Beck was previously heard on WGST from 2001 to 2005. Beck took overMike McConnell's weekday spot, though McConnell was still heard on weekends.

On October 9, 2007, morning co-host Spiff Carner was fired by WGST, after 8 months on the air. Randy Cook remained on the newly named "The Morning Drive with Randy Cook." Spiff was later hired to co-host the "Spiff and Fred" show onWYAY.Clear Channel management did not renew Randy Cook's contract in July 2009. "The Morning Drive" was briefly hosted by comedian Mike Stiles from July 13 to 24, 2009, before being replaced by syndicated shows.

From July 27, 2009, to November 12, 2010, the weekday lineup consisted of all syndicated programming:The Wall Street Journal This MorningandMichael Smerconishin mornings;Glenn Beckin late mornings;The Rush Limbaugh Showin middays;Dave Ramseyin afternoons;Mark Levinin evenings andCoast to Coast AMwithGeorge Nooryovernights. Atlanta Braves broadcasts would be dropped by WGST at the end of the 2009 baseball season.

On November 15, 2010, Atlanta radio personality Rob Johnson became the new morning host. On January 11, 2011, WGST said it would pick upTheSavage Nation,a syndicated show fromSan Franciscohosted byMichael Savage.That was one day after it was cut by WSB in a schedule change. Beginning in early 2012, Atlanta local Dave Merlino joined Rob Johnson's morning show, re-billed asThe Rob and Dave Show.The weekday lineup wasThe Rob & Dave Showat 6 a.m., Glenn Beck at 9 a.m., Rush Limbaugh at noon, a local version ofTheRusty HumphriesShowat 3 p.m., Mark Levin at 6 p.m., Michael Savage at 9 p.m., George Noory at midnight andThe Wall Street Journalreport at 5 a.m.

On September 26, 2012, several Atlanta news outlets reported that WGST would be changing formats.[5]Johnson, Merlino, and Humphries were terminated, Limbaugh's show switched to WSB and Glenn Beck's show was picked up byWCFO.[6]Coincidentally, Michael Savage suspended the broadcast of his show around the same time due to a contract dispute with his syndicator. On September 28, 2012, at 3 p.m., following Rush Limbaugh's program, WGST switched to aSpanish-languagesports radioformat, carrying the syndicatedESPN Deportes RadioNetwork.

On April 23, 2013, less than eight months after switching to Spanish-language sports, WGST announced it would return to an English-language talk format beginning June 3, 2013, featuring a lineup consisting entirely of syndicated programs, includingBloomberg's First Word withKen Prewitt,America's First News with Gordon Deal,Glenn Beck,Michael Berry,andCoast to Coast AMamong others.ESPN Deportes Radio moved to the FM translator 92.3W222AF,replacing an all-comedy format.[7]

In the early 2010s, WGST was simulcast on anHD Radiodigital subchannelofsister stationWUBLFM 94.9, along withFM translatorstation W222AF. WGST was also carried on theaudio-onlydigital subchannel32.21 oflow-powereddigital televisionstationWANN-CD,as Clear Channel's other Atlanta holdings were. When WGST switched to Spanish-language sports, these three stations aired "Comedy 92-3."WUBL HD-3 and WANN-CA returned to running WGST after ESPN Deportes was dropped.

On August 30, 2019, WGST flipped toconservative talkas640Fox News Radiowith a revised lineup.[8]On June 29, 2020, the station beganstuntingwith speeches by prominent African Americans. The next day, WGST flipped toall-news radioasAtlanta's BIN 640;it is one of the charter stations of iHeartMedia'sBlack Information Network— a multi-platform radio network serving the African-American community.[9][10][11][12]On July 6, the station changed its call sign to WBIN to match the new branding.[13]

Former staff[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WBIN".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook 1989(PDF).1989. p. B-73.RetrievedJuly 16,2020.
  3. ^"Deal OK'd For Hollis's New Station" by L. Eric Elie,The Atlanta Constitution,October 4, 1988, Business section, page 1.
  4. ^abLovel, Jim (April 5, 2004)."Braves' shift stuns WSB radio execs".Atlanta Business Chronicle.RetrievedJune 13,2018.
  5. ^"640 WGST goes Spanish Sports, WSB Gets Rush, Beck to WGKA".Archived fromthe originalon December 3, 2012.RetrievedNovember 17,2012.
  6. ^"WSB picks up Rush Limbaugh, adds news show from 5 to 7 p.m | Radio & TV Talk".Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2012.
  7. ^"WGST Atlanta To Return To Talk".Radioinsight.April 24, 2013.RetrievedJuly 7,2020.
  8. ^WGST Relaunches as 640 Fox News RadioRadioinsight - August 30, 2019
  9. ^"iHeartMedia Launches Black Information Network".RadioInsight.June 30, 2020.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
  10. ^"Several iHeartMedia Stations Stunting With Speeches, New Format To Be Announced Tomorrow".All Access.June 29, 2020.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
  11. ^"Looking At The Launch Of The Black Information Network".Radioinsight.June 30, 2020.RetrievedJuly 1,2020.
  12. ^Ho, Rodney."Fox News 640/WGST gone, becomes Black Information Network with 14 other stations".ajc.RetrievedJuly 7,2020.
  13. ^"Call Sign History (WBIN)".CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedJuly 6,2020.

External links[edit]

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