WBMQ
 | |
| Broadcast area | Savannah metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 630kHz |
| Branding | News-Talk 630 WBMQ |
| Programming | |
| Format | Defunct (wasnews/talk) |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WEAS-FM,WIXV,WJCL-FM,WJLG | |
| History | |
First air date | December 29, 1939(as 1310 WSAV) |
Last air date | July 2020 |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies |
|
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 54800 |
| Class | D |
| Power |
|
WBMQ(630kHz) was acommercialAMradio stationinSavannah, Georgia.It was owned byCumulus Mediaand aired anews/talkformat.The studios and offices were on Television Circle in Savannah.[1]Thetransmitterwas off Dulany Avenue near theSavannah River.[2]
WBMQ's weekday schedule was made up of mostlysyndicatedconservative talkshows from the co-ownedWestwood One Network.They includedMichael Savage,Chris Plante,Mark Levin,Clark Howard,Phil Valentine,John Batchelor,Red Eye RadioandAmerica in the Morningwith John Trout. Most hours began withWestwood One News.NBC-TVnetwork affiliateWSAV-TV3 supplied WBMQ with some local news and weather. (At one time, the two stations had been co-owned.)
History
[edit]Early years as WSAV
[edit]On December 29, 1939, the station firstsigned onas WSAV, with thecall signstanding for Savannah.[3]It broadcast on 1310 kHz at a power of only 100watts.Studios and offices were in the Liberty National Bank Building. After theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement(NARBA) took effect in 1941, the station moved toAM 1340.WSAV was anNBC Red Networkaffiliate, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports,soap operas,game showsandbig bandbroadcasts during theGolden Age of Radio.
In 1947, an FM station was added, 100.3 WSAV-FM. It mostlysimulcastthe AM station's programming, but management did not see much of a future for FM radio and was more interested in building a TV station. Because of this, WSAV-FM stopped broadcasting in the mid-1950s and the license was turned in.
Move to AM 630
[edit]In 1949, WSAV moved toAM 630,coupled with a big boost in power. WSAV began running at 5,000 watts around the clock,non-directionalby day but using adirectional antennaat night to protect other stations on the frequency.[4]WSAV used a three-towerantenna arrayon Oatland Island.
In 1956, WSAV put Savannah's second TV station on the air. WSAV had battled with rival radio station 900WJIVfor the lastVHFTV license available in Savannah. (Channel 11WTOC-TVhad gone on the air two years earlier.) WSAV emerged the winner. Channel 3WSAV-TVbecame anNBC-TV affiliate, since WSAV was an NBC Radio affiliate.
Sale to Beasley
[edit]In 1977, management decided to sell the radio station, while retaining the TV station. AM 630 WSAV was sold toBeasley Broadcasting.[5]Because two stations that were no longer co-owned could not share the same call letters, AM 630 became WKBX. Beasley teamed up the station with FM station 95.5 WSGF, which it also owned. (WSGF is nowactive rockWIXV.) WKBX'sfull servicemiddle of the roadformat was continued for several years. But in 1981, the station switched to aChristian radioformat. In 1983, WKBX began airingcountry music.It changed to WBMQ in 1985 and began playingoldies.
WBMQ and WSGF were bought by Radio Southeast in 1988.[6]Radio Southeast changed WBMQ's format totalkin 1990. The station featured local hosts and at night carried syndicated shows fromNBC Talknet.World and national news was supplied byCBS Radio News.
Sale to Cumulus
[edit]In 1998,Cumulus Mediabought WBMQ and its FMsister station,WIXV. Cumulus also acquired 93.1WEAS-FM,96.5WJCL-FM,900WJLGand 102.1WZAT,creating a six-station cluster. All of the stations were moved to studios on Television Circle in Savannah.
In the early 2010s, WBMQ gave up its transmitter site on Oatland Island, and moved to a new location in Savannah, near the Savannah River. Because it was now using a singlenon-directionaltower, it had to reduce its output. Daytime power dropped slightly to 4,800 watts, and nighttime power was reduced significantly to 47 watts. While the daytime signal covered a large region of CoastalGeorgiaandSouth Carolina,the nighttime signal only served Savannah and its adjacent communities.[7]
WBMQ's transmitter was damaged by a lightning storm in July 2020, taking the stationsilent;WJLG, which operated from the same site, would remain on the air at reduced power. On October 9, Cumulus elected to return both stations' licenses to theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) instead of making repairs; the surrender also invalidated aconstruction permitfor an FMtranslator station,W245DD (96.9), to relay WBMQ.[8]WBMQ's license was cancelled on October 13, 2020.
References
[edit]- ^WBMQ.net/station-information
- ^Radio-Locator /WBMQ
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1940 page 114
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1954 page 120
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 page C-57
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1991 page B-87
- ^Radio-Locator /WBMQ
- ^Venta, Lance (October 14, 2020)."Cumulus Surrenders Pair Of Savannah AMs".RadioInsight.RetrievedOctober 14,2020.
External links
[edit]- FCC Station Search Details: DWBMQ(Facility ID: 54800)
- FCC History Cards for WBMQ(covering 1938-1979 as WSAV / WKBX)