WATA
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| City of license | Boone, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1450 kHz |
| First air date | February 2, 1951 |
| Format | Local News Talk Information |
| Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
| Class | C |
| Facility ID | 71068 |
| Transmitter coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Callsign meaning | WATAuga county |
| Affiliations | IMG, North Carolina News Network, Westwood One |
| Owner | Curtis Media Group |
| Sister stations | WWMY, WZJS, WMMY, WECR, WXIT |
| Website | http://GoBlueRidge.net |
WATA (1450 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Local News Talk Information format.[1] Licensed to Boone, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Curtis Media Group of Raleigh, North Carolina and features predominantly locally-produced programming, including Roten in the Morning, which is simulcast on WXIT, as well as Mike Kelly's Swap Shop, and many others.[2]
The station is known as Watauga County's "Heritage Station." It emphasizes local news and announcements and broadcasts Live Play by Play Watauga High School Sports and Appalachian State University football, baseball, and basketball games.
History
WATA was started by Mr. and Mrs. Roland Potter, owners of WKBC and WKBC-FM in nearby North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. WATA signed on the air in 1950. WATA's studios were originally located above the Boone bus station, at Depot and Rivers streets, where Appalachian State University's Broadcasting Department is now located. The station broadcast live performances by country and bluegrass artists from that location during its early years of operation. Today WATA broadcasts from studios on Blowing Rock Road in Boone.
In 1987, the Potters also started WZJS100.7FM.
Roland Potter sold both stations in the late 1990s to Highland Communication Associates.
In September 2003 Highland sold WATA, (along with WZJS 100.7FM) to Aisling Broadcasting (Jonathon Hoffman, managing member) for a price of $2.2 million.[3] This added to Aisling's holdings in the High Country, as they had already purchased WECR, WECR-FM, WXIT (from Rondinaro Broadcasting) for $2.2 million in 2003,[4] and WMMY(from Dale Hendrix) in 2004 for $1.58 million.[5]
Aisling went into receivership and George Reed of Media Services Group was appointed to manage the stations until a buyer is found.[6] Later in the year, Curtis Media Group purchased the stations.[7]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Scott Nicholson, "Receivership: Local Stations Seek Buyer," The Watauga Democrat, March 14, 2008.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WATA
- Radio-Locator Information on WATA
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WATA
- http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2005/placecalledhome/apch_19_bw.pdf A History of Local Media in the Watauga
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