Broadcast area | Bristol, Virginia Bristol, Tennessee |
---|---|
Frequency | 100.1 FM MHz |
Branding | WBCM Radio Bristol |
Programming | |
Format | Classic Country Bluegrass Americana [1] |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
First air date | August 8, 2015 [3] |
Call sign meaning | WBirthplace (of) Country Music |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 193386 |
Class | L1 |
Power | 64 watts |
HAAT | 38 meters (125 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°35′45.0″N82°9′42.0″W / 36.595833°N 82.161667°W |
Links | |
Webcast | WBCM-LP Webstream |
Website | WBCM-LP Online |
WBCM-LP is a classic country, bluegrass, and Americana-formatted broadcast radio station. Licensed to Bristol, Virginia, the station serves the twin cities of Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum owns and operates WBCM-LP.
The station, a working exhibit inside of the museum, went on the air for the first time in August 2015. The planning for the station dates back to late 2013. Programming includes live concerts held at the museum and the revival of "Farm and Fun Time". The latter program, a live and local radio music show, aired on Bristol's WCYB from the 1940s to the 1960s.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum applied for a construction permit to start a new low-power radio station, as part of the FCC's October 18, 2013, LPFM filing window. [4] [5] The application was granted and the construction permit issued on March 13, 2014. [6] The station was to originally launch on 103.5 FM. [5] [7]
The company proposed, in its original application, that the station would "produce content that looks back at recording and radio technologies' impact on the world" along with "early country music, and current trends in roots and traditional music". [8] It was also proposed that the station would "broadcast archival recordings of a variety of influential sources". [8] The station would broadcast from inside The Birthplace of Country Music museum, located in Bristol, Virginia. [9] Using vintage restored broadcasting equipment, the station would be a working exhibit inside the museum. [9] [10] The station's antenna would be placed on the WOPI tower, located on Delaney Street in Bristol, Virginia. [10] [11]
On April 14, 2014, the station received its call sign, WBCM-LP. [12] The museum opened to the public on August 2, 2014. [13] [14] In March 2015, Tony Lawson, founder of Knoxville, Tennessee, radio station WDVX, was hired by the museum as station manager. [15] [16] He was tasked to "create a radio station and media center for the museum". [15] [17] Lawson had been consulting with The Birthplace of Country Music prior to being hired. [15]
The Birthplace of Country Music received an email on May 27, 2015, voicing concern about WBCM-LP's potential interference with full-power station WIMZ-FM. [18] [19] WIMZ-FM, licensed to Knoxville, Tennessee, also broadcasting on 103.5 FM, can be heard in the Bristol area. [20] The Birthplace of Country Music requested a new frequency for WBCM-LP, on June 10, 2015, out "of an overabundance of caution and to eliminate potential interference" to WIMZ-FM. [19] On June 18, 2015, the frequency of the station was changed from 103.5 to 100.1 FM. [19]
WBCM-LP began operations, with "program testing", on August 8, 2015. [3] Six days later, the station was issued a License to Cover, allowing it to begin official operations. [21] [22] The official launch of the station took place at 4:00pm on August 27, 2015. [23] [24] A "launch event", held at The Birthplace of Country Music museum, included studio tours, a live concert broadcast on WBCM-LP, and a reception. [25] [26] Two online music streams and a mobile app, as well as the station's livestream, were also launched on the same day. [24] [27]
The museum plans to include the broadcast of numerous live concerts in the future. [27] [28]
In addition to live concerts, [28] WBCM-LP will air a revival of the Radio program "Farm and Fun Time". [10] [29] "Farm and Fun Time" aired on WCYB Radio (now WZAP) during the 1940s through the 1960s. [30] [31] Each edition of the program is broadcast live from The Birthplace of Country Music museum. [32]
While focused on serving Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee, the signal of WBCM-LP can be heard up to 30 miles away. [33] [34]
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. Bristol is a principal city of the Kingsport−Bristol−Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan statistical area, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA combined statistical area − commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
WCYB-TV is a television station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, United States, serving the Tri-Cities area as an affiliate of NBC and The CW. It is one of two commercial television stations in the market that are licensed in Virginia. WCYB-TV is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also provides certain services to Greeneville, Tennessee–licensed Fox affiliate WEMT under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Cunningham Broadcasting. However, Sinclair effectively owns WEMT as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. Both stations share studios on Lee Street on the Virginia side of Bristol, while WCYB-TV's transmitter is located at Rye Patch Knob on Holston Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest.
WZAP is a religious formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, serving the Tri-Cities area. WZAP is owned and operated by Glen & Rita Harlow, through licensee RGH Communications Inc.
WEMT is a television station licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Tri-Cities area. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Bristol, Virginia–licensed dual NBC/CW affiliate WCYB-TV, for the provision of certain services. However, Sinclair effectively owns WEMT as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. Both stations share studios on Lee Street on the Virginia side of Bristol, while WEMT's transmitter is located at Rye Patch Knob on Holston Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest.
WDVX is a community radio station in Knoxville, Tennessee. The station, which broadcasts via its main signal at 89.9 FM, also has translators at 93.9 and 102.9 MHz.
WOLD-FM is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Marion, Virginia. The station broadcasts a classic rock music format to Southwest Virginia. WOLD-FM is owned and operated by Bristol Broadcasting Company, Inc.
WNFZ is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Powell, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area. WNFZ is owned by Midwest Communications. It airs an adult hits radio format, subscribing to the nationally syndicated JACK-FM service. It uses the slogan "Playing What We Want!" The General Manager is Randy Ross.
Holston Mountain is a mountain ridge in Upper East Tennessee and southwest Virginia, in the United States. It is in the Blue Ridge Mountains part of the Appalachian Mountains. Holston Mountain is a very prominent ridge-type mountain in Tennessee's Ridge and Valley Region, about 28 miles (45 km) long, running from southwest to northeast, covering about 268 square miles (694 km²). Its highest summit is Holston High Point, on which a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft navigational beacon is located, at an elevation of 4,280 feet above mean sea level. The second and third highest points are Rye Patch Knob, at 4,260 feet above mean sea level and Rich Knob, at 4,240 above mean sea level respectively. The fourth highest point is Holston High Knob where an old dismantled Cherokee National Forest fire tower marks the elevation at 4,136 feet above mean sea level.
WIMZ-FM is a classic rock music radio station based in Knoxville, Tennessee at 103.5 FM. Its broadcast area includes southeastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, north Georgia and far northwest South Carolina.
WQSN is an Alternative Rock formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Norton, Virginia, serving Big Stone Gap, Pennington Gap, and Clintwood in Virginia, Whitesburg, Cumberland, and Jenkins in Kentucky, and Kingsport in Tennessee. WQSN is owned and operated by Bristol Broadcasting Company, Inc. WQSN simulcasts the programming of sister-station WEXX.
WHNK is a Black Gospel-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Marion, Virginia, serving Marion and Smyth County, Virginia. WHNK is owned and operated by Bristol Broadcasting Company.
WOPI is a sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia, United States. WOPI is owned and operated by Glenwood Communications Corporation though subsidiary Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation.
WABN is an oldies and classic hits-formatted non-commercial radio station licensed to Abingdon, Virginia. The station's signal serves the towns of Abingdon, Lebanon, both in Virginia, and the twin cities of Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee. WABN is owned and operated by Appalachian Educational Communication Corporation.
WKJV-LP was a Southern Gospel and Religious formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, serving the twin cities of Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee. WKJV-LP was owned and operated by Belle Meadows Baptist Church. Its license was cancelled October 2, 2019.
KBOL-LP was a low-power FM non-commercial radio station, which broadcast an urban contemporary music format. Licensed to Waterloo, Iowa, United States, the station was owned by The Community Outreach, Inc.
WXDB-LP was an Americana and Adult Album Alternative music formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charleston, West Virginia and served Metro Charleston. WXDB-LP was owned and operated by Roots Town Radio, Inc.
WPVC-LP was a Progressive Talk Radio and Electronic Dance Music formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County in Virginia. WPVC-LP was owned and operated by Promise Land Communications.
WWSA-LP is an Oldies formatted broadcast radio station licensed to St. Albans, West Virginia, serving St. Albans, Cross Lanes, Nitro, and Tornado in West Virginia. WWSA-LP is owned and operated by City of St. Albans.
Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a museum celebrating the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions, which recorded some of the earliest country music in America when the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers and several other musicians recorded for the first time before gaining prominence. The museum is located at 520 Birthplace of Country Music Way in Bristol, Virginia. A live radio station WBCM-LP broadcasts from within the museum. The original site of the Bristol recordings is marked by a plaque several blocks from the museum.