History
Just before noon on October 1, 1940, the station signed on [3] as WSLS. [4] WSLS was an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, which later became ABC. A partner FM station, WSLS-FM (99.1), launched in 1947, largely simulcasting the AM station. WSLS-TV followed five years later on Channel 10.
As network programming moved from radio to television, WSLS switched to a full service, Country music format. In 1969, Park Communications purchased WSLS-AM-FM-TV. Due to FCC ownership restrictions, Park kept the television station and sold the radio stations to Bass Brothers Telecasters. As the stations could no longer share a call sign after the purchase, the AM became WSLC at midnight on August 1, 1972, keeping its country sound. The FM switched to album-oriented rock and briefly became WSLC-FM before settling on current call sign WSLQ. Only the TV station still carries the original call letters. [5] Mel Wheeler purchased the two stations in 1976. [6]
At noon on May 25, 2000, WSLC began simulcasting with its new sister station 94.9 WSLC-FM, formerly easy listening turned classic rock station WPVR, after that station was purchased by Mel Wheeler Inc. This continued until March 13, 2002, when the country format moved full-time to WSLC-FM. 610 WSLC was flipped to new call letters as WVBE, simulcasting co-owned 100.1 WVBE-FM Lynchburg, and brought urban adult contemporary and R&B music full-time to Roanoke. [7]
On January 20, 2016, the station dropped its Urban AC format for sports talk with the new call sign WPLY. The station became an affiliate of Fox Sports Radio. [8] [9] [10]
On September 30, 2025, WPLY ceased operations. Its sports format continues on WXLK's HD3 subchannel and translator W266CY 101.1 FM Roanoke (which now simulcasts WXLK-HD3). WPLY and WPLI concurrently swapped call letters, while Mel Wheeler Inc. explored the possibility of selling off or donating the 1390 AM facility. [11]