WVBB (97.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Elliston-Lafayette, Virginia, and serving the Roanoke metropolitan area. It is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc., with studios and offices on Electric Road in Roanoke.[2] WVBB and sister station WVBE-FM 100.1 Lynchburg simulcast an urban adult contemporary radio format. In weekday AM drive time, the stations carry The Steve Harvey Morning Show.

WVBB
Simulcasts WVBE-FM Lynchburg
Broadcast areaRoanoke metropolitan area
Frequency97.7 MHz
BrandingThe Vibe 100.1 & 97.7
Programming
FormatUrban adult contemporary
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
OwnerMel Wheeler, Inc.
WFIR, WSLC-FM, WSLQ, WPLI, WPLY, WVBE-FM, WXLK, WZZU
History
First air date
1983; 41 years ago (1983)
Former call signs
  • WRON-FM (1983–2008)
  • WKCJ (2008–2011)
Call sign meaning
Vibe
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID54597
ClassA
ERP260 watts
HAAT470 meters (1,540 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
37°18′30.0″N 80°09′46.0″W / 37.308333°N 80.162778°W / 37.308333; -80.162778
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitevibe100.com

WVBB has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 260 watts as a Class A station. The transmitter is off Mountain Park Drive in Salem, Virginia, on Fort Lewis Mountain.[3]

History

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Station swap

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The station signed on the air in 1983; 41 years ago (1983). Its original call sign was WRON-FM.

All Access reported on September 20, 2007 that Todd P. Robinson, Inc.'s WKCJ would be swapped to Radio Greenbrier, Inc. for WRON-FM (now on 103.1). The swap took place on August 1, 2008. WKCJ applied to move its city of license south to Elliston-Lafayette, and put its tower on Fort Lewis Mountain, about 10 miles east of Roanoke.

The swap ensured that when Todd P. Robinson, Inc. moved the 97.7 frequency, WRON-FM 103.1 would continue to serve Greenbrier County, West Virginia.

Station sale

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On Wednesday, July 13, 2011, Roanoke, Virginia based Mel Wheeler, Inc. agreed to purchase the station for $675,000. A new application was filed to move the signal to Elliston-Lafayette, on Fort Lewis Mountain, broadcasting 260 watts, but from a height of 1542 feet.

On December 2, 2011, Mel Wheeler, Inc. took ownership and control of WKCJ and began simulcasting the Urban Adult Contemporary format also on WVBE-FM 100.1 in Lynchburg, Virginia. On December 9, 2011, the call sign on 97.7 was changed to WVBB. The station has been an almost fulltime simulcast of WVBE since then. It breaks off to serve as the Roanoke-area network affiliate for Virginia Cavaliers football and men's basketball.

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WVBB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "WVBB Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  3. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WVBB
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