Jump to content

WHBO

Add links
Coordinates:27°50′50″N82°46′21″W/ 27.84722°N 82.77250°W/27.84722; -82.77250
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WHBO
Broadcast areaTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Frequency1040kHz
BrandingNews Talk 1040
Programming
FormatConservative talk
NetworkUSA Radio News
AffiliationsFox News Radio
NBC News Radio
Westwood One
Ownership
Owner
  • Genesis Communications
  • (Genesis Communications of Tampa Bay, Inc.)
WWBA
History
First air date
November 1948;75 years ago(1948-11)(at 1050)
Former call signs
WHBO (1948–1991)
WMTX (1991–1997)
WWBA (1997–2009)
Former frequencies
1050 kHz (1948-1980s)
Call signmeaning
WHillsBOrough
(the original station with these calls was based inHillsborough County)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID41383
ClassB
Power3,600wattsday
420 watts night
Translator(s)94.5W233CV (Egypt Lake)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitenewsstalkflorida.com

WHBO(1040AM) is acommercialradio stationlicensedtoPinellas Park, Florida,and serving theTampa Bay area.The station is currently owned by Genesis Communications and it airs aconservative talkradio format,branded as "News Talk 1040". Much of the programming comes fromWestwood OneandFox News Radio.[2]

WHBO is powered at 3,600wattsnon-directionalby day.[3]But becauseAM 1040is aclear channel frequencyreserved forWHODes Moines,WHBO must reduce power at night and switch to adirectional antenna.Its nighttime power is currently 420 watts but it has aFederal Communications Commission(FCC)construction permitto increase nighttime power to 700 watts. Programming is also heard onFM translatorW233CVat 94.5MHzinGulfport.

Programming

[edit]

Most of WHBO's schedule isnationally syndicatedconservative talk shows: Weekday mornings begin with a news magazine show from Westwood One:America in the Morning.That's followed byThe Chris Plante Show,The Jimmy Failla Show,The Bill O'Reilly Show,The Ben Shapiro ShowandRed Eye Radio.Weekends feature shows on money, health, law and real estate, as well as repeats of weekday shows.

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

WHBO firstsigned onthe air in 1948.[4]At first, it was adaytimeron 1050 kHz, powered at 250wattsand required to go off the air at sunset. Itscity of licensewasTampaand it was owned by the Sulphur Springs Broadcasting Company.

In the 1960s and 70s, WHBO aired acountry musicformat.[5]In the 1980s and 90s, WHBO was anoldiesstation, playing hits of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. WHBO also switched frequency to 1040 kHz in the mid-1980s.

Talk radio

[edit]

WHBO switched to atalk radioformat in the late-1990s, changing itscall signtoWWBA.WWBA aired conservative and libertarian talk shows such as those hosted by Mark Larsen, Dro Silva,Bill O'Reilly,Michael Savage,Laura IngrahamandKim Komando.While its competitors carried syndicated talk shows most of the day, WHBO had a large number of local hosts.

On September 29, 2008, WWBA moved its programming from 1040 AM to the more powerful820 AM,which took the call letters WWBA. Listeners to the 1040 AM frequency heard a recorded message every 15 seconds that advised them of the station's frequency move. At 50,000 daytime watts, the 820 AM frequency is one of the state's most powerful radio signals that serves listeners on Florida's entire west coast. On that date, Genesis Communications announced that it reached an agreement to purchase the frequency from Mega Communications of Tampa, which aired a Spanish-language music format on 820 AM.[6][7]

Sports radio

[edit]

In October 2008, the sports radio format on WHBO moved to 1040 AM, and was simulcast on both 1040 and1470 AM.TheWHBOcall letters moved to 1040 AM, with 1470 receiving new call lettersWMGGand aSpanish-languagetalk format. This reunited the WHBO call letters with the 1040 frequency with which it was long associated. WHBO began airing shows fromESPN Radio.

Genesis Communications announced on June 22, 2012, that WHBO would drop ESPN on October 1, 2012, in favor ofNBC Sports Radio.[8]AM 620WDAEbecame the new ESPN affiliate in Tampa. Some WHBO shows were alsosimulcastinGreater Orlandoonsister stationWHOO1080 AM.In August 2018, WHOO was sold toCatholicbroadcasters, with the simulcast ended.

Previous sports programming

[edit]

WHBO carried two local sports shows on weekdays,Tampa Bay Sports This MorningandRock Rileyin afternoons. Weekdaysyndicatedprogramming includedJim Rome,Clay Travis,Amani ToomerandRich Eisen.

WHBO was the Tampa Bayaffiliateof theFlorida State Universityfootballand men'sbasketballradio networks. The station also airedUniversity of Miamifootball games when FSU is not playing. WHBO is an affiliate of thePerformance Racing Network,airing theCoca-Cola 600and other car races during the year.

During the2006 NFL season,the station aired the "Monday Morning Quarterback" show on Mondays from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM withJohn Kaleo,which focused on theTampa Bay Buccaneers,NCAA footballaround the state of Florida, and local high school football games of interest. WHBO had been an affiliate ofNBC Sports Radio.But at the end of 2018, NBC Sports Radio greatly reduced its schedule of shows. WHBO added shows fromFox Sports RadioandCBS Sports Radioto its line-up.

Talk 1040

[edit]

The station began carrying the syndicatedBubba the Love Spongeshow on weekday mornings on February 12, 2019, while keeping its sports schedule the rest of the day.

On May 26, 2020, WHBO changed its format from sports toconservative talk,branded as "Talk 1040".[9]It added talk shows from theWestwood OneandFox News Talknetworks.

Tower collapse

[edit]

In August 2006, tower number one of the three WHBO towers sustained a "catastrophic failure." Theguy-wireswere clipped during construction in the neighborhood where the three towers are located.[10]WHBO began operating underSpecial Temporary Authority.[11]Due to litigation issues over land use, and other factors, WHBO may be forced to find a new transmitter site.[12]

The center tower (tower #2) collapsed. WHBO only used two of the three original towers, and built a new third tower.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WHBO".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^"WWBA/WHBO Tampa Complete Programming Revamps".
  3. ^"WHBO-AM 1040 kHz - Pinellas Park, FL".radio-locator.com.Retrieved2024-01-31.
  4. ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 116
  5. ^"Broadcasting Yearbook 1969"(PDF).americanradiohistory.com.
  6. ^Manning, Maggie (September 29, 2008)."Genesis Communications to buy powerful Mega radio station".Tampa Bay Business Journal.
  7. ^"WWBA Moves to 820 AM".
  8. ^"Genesis Stations Drop ESPN in Tampa, Orlando".
  9. ^WWBA/WHBO Tampa Complete Programming RevampsRadioinsight - May 27, 2020
  10. ^"CDBS Print".
  11. ^"Application Search Results".
  12. ^"CDBS Print".
  13. ^"CDBS Attachment".licensing.fcc.gov.Retrieved2024-01-31.
[edit]

27°50′50″N82°46′21″W/ 27.84722°N 82.77250°W/27.84722; -82.77250

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WHBO&oldid=1234235881"