WWPL

For the FM radio station that used the call letters from 2010-2014, see WKJO (FM).
WWPL
City Goldsboro, North Carolina
Broadcast area Raleigh/Goldsboro/
Rocky Mount/Greenville, North Carolina
Branding Pulse FM
Slogan All the Hits!
Frequency 96.9 MHz
First air date 1946 (as WGBR-FM at 99.7)
Format Top 40/CHR
ERP 100,000 watts
HAAT 300 meters
Class C0
Facility ID 48369
Transmitter coordinates 35°23′52″N 78°8′7″W / 35.39778°N 78.13528°W / 35.39778; -78.13528
Callsign meaning W W PuLse
Former callsigns WGBR-FM (1946-1950)
WEQR (1950-1989)
WKTC (1989-1998)
WKIX (1998-2001)
WYMY-FM (2001)
WYMY (2001-2013)
WBZJ (2013-2014)[1]
Former frequencies 99.7 MHz (1946-1950)
93.3 MHz (1950-1954)
Owner Curtis Media Group
Sister stations WKIX-FM, WQDR-FM, WBBB, WFNL, WPTF, WPTK, WKJO
Webcast Listen Live
Website Pulse FM Online

WWPL (96.9 FM, "Pulse FM") is a contemporary hits radio station licensed to Goldsboro, North Carolina, which is east of the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. The station is owned by Curtis Media Group. Its studios are located in Raleigh, and the transmitter tower is near Princeton, North Carolina.

History

Originally WGBR-FM at 99.7 FM and then 93.3 FM, this Goldsboro, NC station for most of its early history originally simulcast its AM counterpart. It switched its call letters to WEQR in 1950. During much of the late 1970s and into the '80s, the station, under the nickname "Q96", underwent several format changes over the years including soft rock (1978-1980), contemporary rock (1980-1984) and adult contemporary (to 1987) until evolving into a CHR station. In 1989, Curtis Media Group bought the station and moved the country music format and calls of Tarboro's WKTC from 104.3 to 96.9. The WEQR letters and hot adult contemporary format went to the former WOKN at 102.3 FM. "Katie Country" existed at 96.9 until January 9, 1998. The 96.9 frequency was then given the WKIX calls from what is now WBBB. This station also ran a country format, simulcasting with WKXU in Burlington as "Kix 96.9 and 101.1".[2][3] This station simulcast WWMY from 2001 to 2003 as an 80s station until it changed its format and language.

When WYMY switched to regional Mexican and the name "La Ley 96.9" in 2003, it was the strongest FM Spanish-language station in the Southeastern United States.[4]

On April 3, 2012, WYMY began a simulcast on WZTK,[4] 101.1 FM in Burlington, North Carolina, which lasted until January 3, 2013.

On January 3, 2013 at 12:00am, WYMY changed their format to urban adult contemporary, branded as "96.9 BZJ" under new call letters, WBZJ.[5] The radio station carried the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show and urban adult contemporary programming throughout the remainder of the day.

On March 11, 2014 WBZJ changed their format back to regional Mexican, once again branded as "La Ley 96.9" and simulcasting WYMY. [6]

On September 3, 2014, WBZJ changed their format to CHR, branded as "Pulse FM" (simulcasting WPLW 102.5 FM Hillsborough, NC).[7] On September 11, WBZJ changed their call letters to WWPL to go with the "Pulse FM" branding, as the former WWPL on 102.3 changed its calls to WFNL-FM.

References

  1. ↑ "Call Sign History (WBZJ)". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  2. ↑ "Raleigh-Durham FM Dial". Archived from the original on 2003-02-01. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  3. ↑ David Menconi,"KIX Walks; 96.1 to Shift", News & Observer, January 9, 1998.
  4. 1 2 "Raleigh-Durham's La Ley 96.9 to add second FM signal; expands coverage west to Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point market". Curtis Media Group. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  5. ↑ "Curtis Media Launches 96.9 WBZJ Raleigh". January 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ La Ley Raleigh Returns to 96.9
  7. ↑ Pulse 102 Raleigh Moves on to 96.9
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